Home to dozens of sandy beaches and a unique variety of cultural attractions, San Diego is one of the most desirable, yet expensive, places to live in the U.S. Unfortunately, many youth can’t appreciate everything San Diego has to offer because their families are unable to afford reliable transportation.
Luckily, the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System now offers a solution for teens to explore their hometown: the Youth Opportunity Pass.
The youth pass offers free ridership to San Diegans under 18 on any MTS fixed-route buses, trolleys, and several North County Transit District services. To participate in the program program, young riders must download the PRONTO ticketing app, create an account, and convert it to a youth account either online, over the phone, or in person.
Once they have created their youth PRONTO account, riders can opt to purchase a physical PRONTO card, if they prefer, or use their digital card on the app. Young riders must scan their physical or digital PRONTO card on every bus, trolley or train trip for it to qualify as a free ride.
To incentivize youth to apply for the pass and explore San Diego this summer, MTS created the Y$2K Summer Challenge. The challenge is open to San Diego teens ages 13-18 who hold a youth pass. Participants must complete at least one of the following challenges and post it on their Instagram or TikTok accounts before July 31, 2024:
- Use their pass to visit a clothing store of their choosing and assemble a fun and festive outfit.
- Film a time-stamped video of themselves rushing to a library, park, and other significant community landmark using their pass.
- Travel to their favorite taco shop using their pass and share their order.
- Document how they personally use their pass over the summer.
Participants must post evidence of their completed challenge, including an image of an MTS or NCTD vehicle and proof of their PRONTO account. Additionally, posts must tag @sdmts and use the hashtag #y2ktransit.
Ten teens will walk away as winners of the 2024 Y$2K Summer Challenge in August. There will be four winners whose posts garnered the most likes and six winners whose posts will be voted on and selected by MTS staff members. The four participants with the most-liked posts will have the first pick of prizes.
Prizes include but are not limited to, a Nintendo Switch, Beats headphones, an electric scooter, a beach cruiser, and several different gift cards.
The idea behind the program is to offer teens a unique opportunity to explore and learn about their hometown. The passes also improve teens’ access to healthcare and potential job opportunities. By eliminating the cost of transportation for its youth and improving accessibility, San Diego is taking strides toward creating a more equitable community.
Avery Meiselman is a rising senior at Francis Parker School.
