2 What is the Unlimited Rides-
Youth (UR Free) Program?
• Fare-free program for youth initiated July 2021 as 18-month pilot to support transit ridership and community economic recovery • Anticipated benefits:
• Increased transit ridership
• Reduced household expenses for families
• Improved school attendance
• Increasing transit’s profile within the community
• Improving transportation equity
• Collaboration with schools, seven school districts and youth advocates How does the UR
Free Program work?
• For Youth grades TK-12:
• Ride CityBus free anywhere/anytime CityBus
operates
• Youth grades 9-12 show student ID when
boarding the bus
• Youth grades 8 and under identify their grade
level to the driver, no ID required
• Youth grades 9-12 without a student ID may
acquire a UR Free pass
• Lost fare revenue reimbursed by BAAQMD
Transportation Fund for Clean Air grant
UR Free Youth Ridership
0 5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
FY 18-19 FY 21-22 FY 22-23
4 • Youth ridership exceeded pre-
pandemic levels in month 3
of the UR Free Program
• Over the past six months
youth ridership is averaging
over 150% of the pre-
pandemic level
August 2022: 28,400 youth rides
Pre-pandemic youth ridership
Youth Voices
“If the bus wasn’t free I don’t know how to
get to school or see my family.”
“It’s great, it helps a lot when my parents
can’t get me.”
“I am a teen mom and I appreciate this
program very deeply…It allows me to still
continue school. It increases my motivation
to go and makes things a lot easier.”
“Keep the buses free, kids need it. I need it,
times are hard and the bus helps me get to
school.”
6 Proposed Next Steps
• Short-term: Extend CityBus UR Free Pilot Program for six months, from January 1, 2023 to June 30, 2023, using approximately $135,000 in additional Transportation Fund for Clean Air grant funds • Longer-term: Identify a path to make the program permanent, with potential expansion to other transit operators
• Joint multi-operator application to the Sonoma County Climate Resiliency Fund for two-year pilot program in FY 24 and FY 25
• Potential future use of Go Sonoma sales tax funds beginning FY 26 to continue the program, subject to SCTA Board approval
7 Sonoma Co. Climate Resiliency Fund (CRF) Proposal
• Climate Resiliency Fund established in 2021 by Sonoma County Board of Supervisors using PG&E Settlement Funds
• Through SCTA Future of Transit process, joint proposal for two-year pilot providing free transit for youth on CityBus, Sonoma County Transit, and Petaluma Transit beginning July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2025
• New component enabling an adult chaperone to ride free with youth for first three weeks of each semester
• CRF funds may serve as a “bridge” to potential future Measure DD/Go Sonoma funds to continue the program
• $907,000 requested to fund a projected 1.3 million free youth rides over two years • CityBus proposes committing $150,000 in TFCA funds as match, along with marketing costs 8 Other Funding Considerations
• Regional TFCA and State Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) funds can fund fare-free programs
• Funding from both programs currently in use to provide local match for federal electric bus grants
• Measure DD/Go Sonoma sales tax measure allocates 2% of revenue to fare-free transit programs beginning FY 25
• New funding partnerships may become available based on success of the program
• If CRF proposal unsuccessful, staff will evaluate options to continue to fund program and return to Council
9 Recommendation
It is recommended by the Transportation and Public Works Department that the Council, by resolution,
1) Extend the Unlimited Rides – Youth (UR Free) pilot program for TK- 12th grade youth through June 30, 2023, and
2) Approve City participation in a countywide unlimited rides for youth program for two-year period, beginning July 1, 2023, if awarded funding from the Sonoma County Climate Resiliency Fund.
QUESTIONS?
10