In a move to bolster accessibility and educational opportunities, Los Angeles Mayor and Metro Board Chair Karen Bass spearheaded the approval to solidify the Student GoPass Pilot Program as a permanent fare-free fixture. The Metro Board of Directors gave the green light to this proposal yesterday, which also tasks Metro staff to seek paths for extending free unlimited rides within Metro's Low-Income-Fare-is-Easy (LIFE) scheme to riders who are eligible based on income.
"Cost should never be a barrier to accessibility or opportunity," Mayor Bass asserted. She urged students from the LAUSD or Los Angeles Community Colleges to step forward to claim their free, unlimited rides on Metro's conveyance network. This program has already seen upwards of 350,000 students across 1,570 schools join in, according to an official statement. However, Mayor Bass was clear in her goal to not only make this program permanent but to also continue to expand its reach.
The GoPass initiative marks the first phase of the ambitious Fareless System Initiative aimed to increase ridership and support communities with their transit necessities. Among the co-authors of the motion are notable figures such as 2nd Vice Chair and Whittier Mayor Pro Tem Fernando Dutra and Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts who recognize the program as a vital investment in youth and the future workforce.
"By making the GoPass program permanent and offering students free and unlimited public transit, we are investing in our youth by offering them improved educational, economic, and social opportunities," Metro Board Director and Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis highlighted, stressing the program’s contribution to a future shaped by climate justice. The move to secure the permanency of this program and to enhance the LIFE program has been termed "the clear next step" by Director and County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell in her efforts to to definitely ensure the inclusion of more members of the community in the growing transit system.
GoPass has been coined as a symbol of equity and opportunity by both Mayor Butts and Dutra. Dutra highlights the dichotomy students face between transportation to education and basic needs such as meals. With this program, Metro Board aims to alleviate such burdens. "GoPass equals equity and opportunity for our youth and students. Free transportation translates into access and freedom. Go Metro!" Butts proclaimed.
For more information, including a list of participating schools, young learners and their guardians are encouraged to visit the GoPass Pilot Program website.
