PRONTO LIFE Program

Coming soon.

PRONTO LIFE (Low-Income Fare Eligible) is a new MTS reduced fare program for eligible riders actively enrolled in CalFresh, Medi-Cal, or CalWORKs.

MTS and North County Transit District – San Diego Railroad (NCTD) riders currently receiving CalFresh, Medi-Cal, or CalWORKs benefits who are not already enrolled in an existing MTS reduced-fare program (ex. Senior, Disabled, Medicare, Youth, College pass, etc.).

The start date is October 1, 2026. Monthly passes for October will go on sale on September 20, 2026. Applications for the PRONTO LIFE program will be accepted beginning August 20, 2026.

Eligible riders will pay discounted rates for MTS and NCTD regional bus and Trolley services (COASTER, Rapid Express, Rural, Access and LIFT not included) on an approved PRONTO card/app:

• $2.50 one-way fare 
• $6 daily cap  
• $72 monthly cap or monthly pass  

Step 1: Apply for a reduced fare online or in person at the MTS Transit Store or NCTD Customer Service Locations, by presenting a current Verification of Benefits Letter from the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) showing active enrollment in CalFresh, Medi-Cal, or CalWORKs and valid ID.

Methods available to obtain a copy of your Verification of Benefits Letter.

• BenefitsCal: How to download your Verification of Benefits
• Visit BenefitsCal to create an account and download your Verification of Benefits Letter online. 
• In-person by visiting any of HHSA's local Family Resource Centers. 
• Contact Access Customer Service Call Center at 1-866-262-9881 with questions about Family Resource Center (FRC) programs and services.

Step 2: Submit a signed Authorization of Release of Information Form directly to the County of San Diego HHSA, Self-Sufficiency Services for eligibility to be verified.

In order to verify active benefit enrollment with the County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency (HHSA), Self-Sufficiency Services (SSS) this release must be on file with the County. If it is not on file, they will be unable to provide verification, and the application will be denied.

Methods available for a customer to submit a completed Release of Information: 

• Submit online through the BenefitsCal website
• In-person by visiting any of the County of San Diego HHSA's local Family Resource Centers. Find an office: Family Resource Centers  
• Download the Authorization of Release of Information Form and send via mail to: 
  Self Sufficiency Services 
  PO BOX 939043  
  SAN DIEGO, CA 92193-9043  
  or Fax to 619-236-9167 

A current Verification of Benefits Letter from the County of San Diego HHSA, government-issued photo ID, profile photo, and signed Authorization for Eligibility Verification (submitted directly to County).

EBT cards and other documents should not be submitted with the application.

MTS will review the submitted documents and verify eligibility through the County of San Diego HHSA.

Yes. A PRONTO card/app is required to use the LIFE fares. Benefits will be applied through the PRONTO fare system, and the card/app account will be converted in order for the LIFE fares to be charged.

MTS will provide information through the PRONTO app, email, websites, transit centers, community partners, and local publications.

The program is intended to improve fare affordability and transit access for eligible low-income riders.

No, you may not enroll in PRONTO LIFE if you already have access to other reduced fare programs such as College Semester Pass, Youth Opportunity Pass, Senior/Disabled/Medicare Pass, Employer Pass. These programs may offer greater benefits depending on each person’s circumstances.

Not sure what will work for you? Take this “Which reduced fare program works best for me?” quiz to find out.

Fare capping automatically ensures you never pay more than the cost of a Day Pass or Monthly Pass when you pay as you ride with your PRONTO card or PRONTO mobile app. Fare capping happens automatically when you use the same PRONTO account to pay for your rides, no advance pass purchase is required. Once you reach the applicable fare cap, the rest of your eligible rides for that period are free.  

• LIFE Program Daily Cap: $6.00
• LIFE Program Monthly Cap: $72.00

PRONTO LIFE is eligible on MTS and NCTD Regional bus and Trolley Services (COASTER, Rapid Express, Rural, Access and LIFT not included. Learn more about Pay-As-You-Go & Earn the Best Fare. 

Yes, K-12 students are eligible; however, the Youth Opportunity Pass offers free transit for youth 18 and under, rather than just a discounted fare that is provided by the LIFE program.

No, PRONTO LIFE discounts only cover the base fares for MTS and NCTD bus routes, the Trolley and SPRINTER. It does not apply to the Rapid Express, Rural, or COASTER, and a separate fare will need to be paid.

For most pass types (Adult, Seniors, Disabled, and Medicare Recipients), the autoload feature will continue to process as normal, but at the new fare prices beginning October 1, 2026.

If you have a COASTER monthly pass on autoload, you will need to set up a new autoload since there will no longer be distance-based zones on COASTER.

For riders transitioning into the PRONTO LIFE program, a new autoload will also need to be set up.

You can setup your autoload options online at ridePRONTO.com, in the mobile app, or by contacting PRONTO Support at 619-595-5636.

The PRONTO LIFE program is for Regional services only (MTS and NCTD bus routes, the Trolley and SPRINTER. If you do not typically ride these regional services, you should likely not apply for the PRONTO LIFE program. However, if you only occasionally ride rural or premium services, you may still benefit from applying for PRONTO LIFE and then paying for only the rides you take on the rural and premium services. Please reach out to PRONTO Support (619-595-5636) for assistance to help make the best choice based on how you use the system.