The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is considering whether or not to provide free Muni passes for the San Francisco’s seniors and persons with disabilities.
Tom Nolan, chairman of the SFMTA’s board of directors, said today in response to public comment regarding the idea of free Muni for seniors and disabled individuals, that the possibility of the program will be formally addressed at the board’s Jan. 20 meeting.
Nolan also mentioned today that the idea has garnered a great deal of interest from members of the board.
Donna Willmott, a transit justice activist with Senior and Disability Action, an organization working to educate and bring seniors and people with disabilities together to fight for their rights, said she believes there is funding available for the program.
Willmott said the passage of Proposition A in last month’s election provides the SFMTA with the funds needed to make public transportation more accessible through the issuance of general obligation bonds.
She said that with the rising cost of city living, namely rent, the burden of paying for a Muni pass or even an individual Muni trip, can be overwhelming for some.
Willmott said that the program would help people who can’t afford to travel across the city, many of whom have no other way of getting around.
She said it would be a step in the right direction and help make San Francisco a more inclusive place to live.
Hannah Albarazi, Bay City News
