As a student in the School District of Philadelphia, I, along with many others, am required to participate in volunteer work and sports activities that are co-op'ed with our school. These commitments often need traveling beyond our school vicinity. However, despite reaching the distance requirement for these other locations, we live too close to our school to be eligible for a transpass.

Everyday, it takes me about 3-4 stops to get to and from after-school activities and community service. Each fare is $2.50 which means it would cost me $7.50-$10 daily or around $150-$200 monthly. Philadelphia is home to many low-income families, including my own, and paying $200 per month is a huge financial burden on my family.

This situation is not unique to me but affects numerous students across the district who are similarly engaged in extracurricular activities or have other valid reasons for needing transportation. The current policy unfairly penalizes those living within a certain radius of their schools by denying them free access to SEPTA services. 

In 2019 alone, SEPTA provided over 60 million rides to K-12 students (source: SEPTA Annual Service Plan). However, this number could significantly increase if all students were granted equal access regardless of their residential proximity to their schools.

By requiring the School District of Philadelphia to provide free SEPTA rides for all its students without any distance requirement would not only alleviate financial stress on families but also encourage more participation in after-school activities and community service projects.

We urge you - parents, teachers, community members - stand with us as we call on the School District of Philadelphia and local government officials to revise this policy. Let's ensure every student has fair access to public transportation regardless of where they live in relation to their school. Please sign this petition today!