While
most of their classmates reveled in the glorious first
days of summer vacation, a group of young Portland women
celebrated a different kind of graduation. They've gone
from adolescent agitators to seasoned activists. And thanks
to their prodding, the Multnomah County Commission voted
June 24 to set aside $100,000 for a pilot program that
will give transit passes to 2,000 low-income students.
Now they're pushing Tri-Met, the city and the Portland
Public Schools to contribute, as well.
The county vote was the culmination of more than a
year of research and lobbying by SPIRIT, a nonprofit
group made up mainly of poor and minority high-school
girls. SPIRIT, an acronym for Sisters in Portland Impacting
Real Issues Together, first identified the need for
affordable transportation two years ago while working
in schools to educate students about gender violence.
The girls repeatedly heard transportation mentioned
as a major obstacle in getting an education.
"We found lots of students hustling around school for
bus tickets," says Terenie Faison, a 15-year-old who
goes to Benson High School. Surveying more than 2,000
students in eight middle and high schools, SPIRIT found
that 37 percent of students said transit costs were
a problem in getting to school. More than 10 percent
reported missing school at some time because they couldn't
get there.
The survey results didn't surprise veteran teachers
and administrators. "Transportation is a major problem,"
says Grant High School teacher Pardis Novi.
Because of Portland's extensive bus and light-rail
system, the Portland School District is exempt from
a state law requiring school districts to provide students
with transportation to its high schools. As a result,
Portland high-school students who don't drive--and many
middle-schoolers--rely on Tri-Met.
Students qualify for a reduced fare, but it still ads
up to $1.70 a day or $29 for a monthly youth pass. A
family with two school-age children could spend more
than $500 a year on transportation.
Compared to what Tri-Met offers employers through its
PASSport program, the students aren't getting a very
good deal. PASSport allows companies to buy yearly passes
in bulk at a reduced rate. The idea is that the passes
will increase ridership but will be revenue-neutral.
Intel, for example, bought yearly passes for 10,400
employees last year for $104,000--the equivalent of
$10 per pass.
"We're denying students the opportunity to receive
an education because they can't afford to purchase bus
passes while giving Intel corporate welfare," complains
Tom O'Keefe, a Portland transit activist.
Many families, especially single-parent households
with several children, can't afford the student-rate
passes, says SPIRIT organizer Amara Perez. Teachers
and administrators fill in where they can.
After months of research, SPIRIT members presented
their plan to Mayor Vera Katz, County Commissioner Serena
Cruz and Pat Burk, assistant to Superintendent Ben Canada.
What they wanted was free transit for all students traveling
to and from school. But Tri-Met officials said they
would lose $4.6 million a year in revenue if they gave
the passes away.
For a while, it looked as if nothing would happen.
Then Cruz, after hearing the girls' presentation, persuaded
her colleagues to set aside $100,000. SPIRIT plans to
submit a formal proposal within the next several weeks.
If approved, the plan would provide at least some low-income
high-school students with free rides next year.
Their campaign, however, is far from finished. SPIRIT
intends to keep the pressure on Tri-Met. "Tri-Met's
resources are going to a specific constituency of corporations
and commuters," says Perez. "This is about transportation
equity."
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Willamette Week | originally
published July 14, 1999
