A Low-Income Bus Pass that Most Don't Use

The pass is greatly under-utilized. Very little publicity has been done to let bus riders know about the Lifeline Fast Pass. Two and a half years into the program, there are no pamphlets or other materials on the program — except for the information that community organizations in Chinatown have put together.

Lack of access to public transit limits employment, school, and medical opportunities for many poor and working people. In San Francisco (like most urban areas), poor communities are less likely to have a grocery store nearby — forcing residents of the Tenderloin, South of Market, and Bayview to spend more money and have less access to healthy foods without good transportation options.

A regular Fast Pass costs $540 a year. For the 11% of San Franciscans who live below the poverty line, that is more than 18% of their income. The Lifeline Fast Pass would save a user $120 a year.

How does it work? The certification process is run by the Department of Health and Human Services. The Lifeline Fast Pass can be picked up in two locations, 170 Otis and 3120 Mission, both in the Mission District. For someone living in Chinatown or Bayview, that means taking two buses. Two more locations will follow this fall, at 1440 Harrison and One South Van Ness. (At One South Van Ness you will be able to buy the pass but not get certified.) The pick-up locations are only open from 9 to 5 the last and first two business days a month.

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