SF Muni and BART launch accessibility pilot

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which operates the Municipal Railway (Muni), and the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) have announced the opening of registration for an 18-month joint pilot project to allow senior and disabled customers unlimited access to BART in San Francisco and all Muni transit services with the purchase of a single pass.

Interested seniors and persons with disabilities may enter a drawing to participate. The first phase of the pilot will begin February 2010; the registration deadline for those who wish to participate is November 30. Every six months during the pilot, 2,000 participants will be randomly selected to receive the Senior/Disabled Pilot Pass.

In order to participate in the pilot program, seniors and persons with disabilities must register for a random lottery by going to the SFMTA Website at www.sfmta.com or by calling 311.

The current Muni Adult Fast Pass allows unlimited BART access within the city of San Francisco and all regular transit services offered by Muni. The Senior/Disabled Pass Pilot will assess the functionality, popularity and potential costs of implementing a similar program for senior and disabled Muni customers. The SFMTA and BART are working together to develop a pass for this purpose. If deemed successful, the pass could be added to TransLink, the regional transit smart card (http://www.translink.org/).