Young adults who gain legal independence from the foster care system in Los Angeles County will be offered free public transportation under a new program that started Monday, June 2.
The pilot program, dubbed “Youth on the Move,” is the first of its kind in the nation, according to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Young adults ages 18-21 who are no longer living with a foster family or who transitioned out of a group home and are employed, looking for work or going to school are eligible for the special Metro passes.
Metro will provide participants with a Transit Access Pass worth about $75 per month and good on all Metro buses and rail lines. Riders who need to use Metro and transit from other agencies in the county can get an EZ pass, worth $84 per month. The agency may offer the pass to riders between 22 and 24 years old in special cases.
Metro expects as many as 2,000 young people could receive a pass by the end of the first year.
“County government must work effectively and efficiently to prepare foster and probation youth for a successful transition to productive adulthood,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor and Metro board chair Mike Antonovich, who introduced the idea.
“This new countywide transit pass program, aimed specifically at foster youths transitioning to adulthood, is designed to be a tool to help them continue their education, search for work and be able to accept work in any part of our county,” he said.
