Los Angeles Unified School District and L.A. Metro announce partnership to provide free transit passes for all LAUSD students

Right here is the LAUSD press launch:

LAUSD, Metropolis of LA, and Metro officers gathered at Dorsey Excessive College Friday morning to announce that LAUSD is taking part in Metro’s driver-free pilot program for Okay-14 college students.

Los Angeles, CA (October 1, 2021) – The Los Angeles Unified College District and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) announce a groundbreaking partnership to serve TK-12 college students from October 1, 2021 via June 30 provide limitless rides, 2023, free for households.

As proposed unanimously by each the Los Angeles Unified Board of Schooling and the Metro Board of Administrators at their respective board conferences on September 14th and twenty third, Los Angeles Unified will develop into roughly per scholar per 12 months over the subsequent two years) to take part in Metro’s Part 1 plan for the Fareless System Initiative.

Metro will present every TK-12 scholar in Los Angeles Unified with a TAP card that can be utilized at no cost transit on all modes of transportation operated by the Metro, in addition to a number of adjoining city transit firms, together with thus far Culver Metropolis, Norwalk, Downtown Space Brief Hop (DASH), Montebello and Santa Monica. Los Angeles Unified will distribute TK-12 TAP playing cards to college students, promote this system to college students and households, and help households with registration and the substitute course of.

“Getting the free Metro TAP playing cards into the arms of each Los Angeles Unified scholar can be a sport changer,” mentioned Megan Okay. Reilly, interim superintendent of Los Angeles Unified.
“Our dedication to offering free transportation will broaden our college students’ worldview. They get entry to further instructional alternatives resembling internships, employment and different significant experiences and leisure actions exterior their speedy neighborhood. “

“Now that we’re recovering from the pandemic, it’s extra necessary than ever that our youth have entry to public transportation,” mentioned Metro chairwoman and chairwoman of the Los Angeles board of administrators Hilda L. Solis. “In January 2020, I used to be proud to use to Metro to research the availability of free transportation to college students in LA County. At present that imaginative and prescient is now being fulfilled – via Metro’s Fareless System Initiative. College students throughout the county can now use our native public transport system to get to highschool, extracurricular actions, and jobs with out worrying about pay. “

“Transportation prices ought to by no means stand between our college students and alternatives,” mentioned Mayor Eric Garcetti. “Entry to our methods needs to be a proper, not a privilege, and the choice to advertise freerideing for younger Angelenos is a vital step in direction of a system that’s accessible to each rider – no matter zip code or earnings stage.”

In September 2019, Dr. George J. McKenna III, Los Angeles Unified Board Member, launched the very first “any line, anytime” scholar ticket pilot program. This system was funded by Simply Transit, a mission of the Schmidt Household Basis’s eleventh Hour Mission, and supplied free transit passes for the junior class of Guide Arts Excessive College within the South Los Angeles Transit Empowerment Zone (SLATE-Z). .

“This groundbreaking partnership between our companies offers all of our college students the liberty to see and expertise all that the Los Angeles space has to supply,” mentioned Board Member George J. McKenna III. “College students can now use public transportation to get to group faculties, museums, libraries, seashores, and different cultural and academic locations with out value being an impediment. We’re additionally celebrating the advocacy of organizations like Slate-Z and Transfer LA who’ve labored arduous to maintain the scholar freeride chip on the coronary heart of the district and metro. It is a big win for Los Angeles Unified college students. “

Metro’s Fareless Methods Initiative seeks to make use of driverless visitors as a software to assist LA County’s residents deal with the ever-increasing value of residing right here and recuperate from the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. Round 70 p.c of metro drivers are thought of to be low-income.
Part 1 of the plan affords free transit to Okay-12 and group school college students in faculties or districts that companion with Metro. In August, Metro examined cellular native transport with six faculties and districts and distributed greater than 5,600 TAP check playing cards to college students. Metro is at the moment working with greater than 30 different faculties and districts to signal contracts to supply free native transportation to their college students. Los Angeles Unified is by far the most important college district taking part in this system.

“We thank Los Angeles Unified for recognizing the worth of our fare-free initiative for the almost half 1,000,000 college students within the Los Angeles district,” mentioned Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins. “I’m significantly happy that this program is the most important limitless scholar program within the nation. Los Angeles Unified and different taking part college students are free to make use of transit all through LA County, not simply to and from their faculties. I hope that with the assistance of this initiative we are able to flip younger individuals into visitors fans at an early age. “

“As a result of the metro is free, I save money and time in order that I can use that point to check and the cash to eat,” mentioned Osiris Powell, senior at Dorsey Excessive College. “As a scholar on the Hearth Academy, I really feel secure on the metro as a result of I do know the procedures and security precautions to assist individuals and myself. The perfect factor for the scholars in Dorsey is that there’s a practice cease proper in entrance of the college. “

Los Angeles Unified transports roughly 40,000 college students serving communities spanning over 710 sq. miles. Along with driving the Los Angeles Unified yellow buses, many Los Angeles Unified college students additionally take subway buses and trains to highschool and off-school days. Efforts have just lately been made throughout the state to satisfy the transit wants of the scholar inhabitants along with Metro-led initiatives. The Los Angeles Metropolis Division of Transportation launched its DASH-to-Class program in August 2019, providing free rides on DASH buses for Okay-12 college students within the Metropolis of Los Angeles. Jurisdictions throughout the nation together with Washington, DC, New York Metropolis, and Alameda County are efficiently implementing free transit go packages for college kids in public faculties.

“The Fareless Initiative will give college students higher entry to every little thing Los Angeles has to supply from museums and cultural venues to work and internship alternatives,” mentioned Government Board Chairman Kelly Gonez. “We’re excited to be a part of this collaboration to open up new alternatives for Los Angeles Unified college students.”

“Our youngsters are on the transfer – and we’re eradicating obstacles to assist them get there,” mentioned Board Vice President Nick Melvoin. “I’m happy with the advocacy efforts and
Collaboration that lastly made free transit potential for therefore many college students in Los Angeles. “

“One other nice achievement for our group marketing campaign to assist scholar success,” mentioned board member Mónica García. “We’re very grateful to Metro’s continued collaboration with Los Angeles Unified and their dedication to creating the best way to highschool free. All of us want to search out avenues of wellbeing and assist for each little one and household, and that may be a massive step ahead! Bravo Mil Gracias! “

“I thank the Metropolis of LA, the county, exterior companions, and our Workplace of Authorities Relations for working with Metro to make this partnership a actuality,” mentioned board member Scott M. Schmerelson. “Our low-income households have been hardest hit by the worldwide pandemic when it comes to well being, job stability and transportation. This partnership will allow our most weak college students to journey and go to highschool with out worrying about whether or not to eat, purchase college provides or pay for the bus experience. “

“Los Angeles Unified and Metro’s partnership to supply our Okay-12 college students with dependable, free transportation is one other software we have to place our youngsters for achievement,” mentioned board member Jackie Goldberg. “Los Angeles Unified is doing its half to alleviate households, and I hope that is one other step in direction of common, toll-free public transport in our area that might have a powerful influence on poverty discount.”

“To create unified instructional fairness in Los Angeles, we should have a look at all the obstacles and obstacles that stand in the best way of our fellows to succeed in their full potential in school, profession and life,” mentioned board member Tanya Ortiz Franklin. “This free partnership with Metro will give college students higher entry to native faculties, internships, jobs, extracurricular actions, native museums, and extra. Collectively we’ve got come one step nearer to closing gaps in alternatives and offering entry for everybody. “

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Tagged as: Dorsey Excessive College, E Line, Expo Line, Fares, FSI, LAUSD, Los Angeles Unified College District, press launch, college students