ALONG FOR THE RIDE Advocacy for Youth Transportation For our campaign Mobility means Opportunity. As it relates to transportation equity, historically San Diego’s Metropolitan Planning Organizations haven’t exactly been the greatest proponents of active transportation especially for diverse communities like City Heights. Their decisions ultimately have been more Traffic oriented vs. Transit oriented (Free way expansion vs Active transportation)

Isha’s story

Opportunities in San Diego WITH transportation. Torrey Pines Qualcomm Pacific Beach SDSU City Heights Ocean Beach Downtown City College Imperial Beach

My opportunities City Heights

My opportunities City Heights

My opportunities City Heights

My opportunities in San Diego without transportation. Torrey Pines Qualcomm Pacific Beach SDSU City Heights Ocean Beach Downtown City College Imperial Beach

Mission/Vision Improving Transportation in City Heights (ITCH) So this is why ITCH from Mid City CAN exists. Our mission is to “Look at slide.” an one of our biggest campaign is Youth Opportunity Passes Improve Access, quality of life and Mobility for our youth.

Youth Opportunity Passes (YOP)

YOP History School buses stopped running in 2008 in City Heights Parents had to find alternate modes of transportation. Kids were left unsupervised for long periods of time. Community members organized Mainly working mothers and grandmothers worried for their kids safety. Contacted by Mid-City CAN Solution: Free bus passes for youth 2011 ITCH Team was officially formed 2012 Campaign for YOP Begins – We demanded! 2013 YOP 2-year Pilot Program starts

Impact of the Youth Opportunity Passes YOP Pilot Program Impact of the Youth Opportunity Passes Increased Mobility Youth Opportunity Pass Increased Opportunity Increased Safety In the fall of 2013 San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) in partnership with Mid-City CAN, the City of San Diego and the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) launched a pilot program aimed at providing 1000 high school students with free bus passes for the school year.

YOP Pilot Program Findings (Mobility) During a typical week in the last school, how many times did you use public transit to . . .   The Youth Opportunity Pass pilot showed that students who received the pass used public transport more than their peers who did not receive a no-cost YOP.

YOP Pilot Program Findings (Safety) Experience with Crime Students that received and used their YOP reported significantly lower levels of being victimized and/or witnessing a crime, bullying, or sexual harassment on their way to and from school.

YOP Pilot Program Findings (Opportunity) Did you have/look for a job during the last school year?   As Mobility and Safety increases students begin to explore their environment more and find more job opportunities

YOP Pilot Program Findings Students with Youth Opportunity Passes use public transit more than students without the passes Students with passes experience far less threats to their safety than those without passes Passes contribute to increasing equity among the youth by giving these students greater access to jobs and other opportunities, removing a brick from their backpack.

YOP Pilot Program Recommend. Any campaign for universal youth transit passes should focus on the issues of equity, safety and environmental impact.

Youth Opportunity Passes Now

Why we are fighting for YOP! Equity Removed barrier to transportation Assist low income families, starving students Opportunity Increased with mobility Access to jobs and extracurricular activities Environmental Justice Climate Action Campaign 50% transit, 50% bike, 50% walk, 2035 mode share targets

African American Policy Forum Equity African American Policy Forum

Opportunity Eric Morrison-Smith Communications Coordinator San Diego Workforce Partnership

Environmental Justice

How are we fighting for YOP? Community Organizing & Civic Engagement

Community Power What is power? Sources of power. How do we harness it?

Community Organizing “However you do it, organizing is the process of finding out what people want as individuals, then helping them find collective ways to get it.” Midwest Academy

Civic Engagement The purpose of our civic engagement work is to build power within and for the broader City Heights community and Mid-City CAN in particular. With this increase in power we expect to see better and quicker results in our current organizing efforts and a safer, more productive, and healthier community.​

What can you do? Pledge to support Youth Opportunity Passes!