San Francisco’s Free Muni program has been extended, offering free or reduced fare public transportation for seniors, people with disabilities, and anyone age 18 or younger. The program was launched in 2013 to provide free public transportation to children under age 18 and later expanded to include seniors, people with disabilities, and certain young adults.

San Francisco residents with a household income at or below the median household income for the Bay Area are eligible for the Free Muni program if they are over age 65 or have a disability. Anyone who is under age 19 is eligible for Free Muni regardless of income or residency – the same is true for anyone age 19 to 22 who is an English learner or enrolled in special education. As long as the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency (SFMTA) offers the Free Muni program, the eligible riders listed above will have unlimited access to SFMTA’s transit system at no cost.

The Free Muni program is estimated to offer over 16.5 million trips from July to June each year. This amounts to over $41 million dollars in free transit trips for eligible riders over the year. The Low Carbon Transit Operations Program, funded by California Climate Investments, covers $18.8 million of the cost to run the program each year, with the remaining balance funded by the City of San Francisco’s operating fund.

Before the Free Muni program was introduced, many residents in low-income and disadvantaged communities faced cost barriers that prevented them from using the city’s transit system. For many, this meant it was much more difficult to make it to medical appointments, buy groceries, get to work, and travel for all other important reasons. The Free Muni program has transformed the transportation options in these communities, making all corners of the city accessible all-day and all-year.