August 12 marks International Youth Day, designated by the United Nations to amplify young people’s voices and raise awareness about the challenges they face. At the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC), we recognize that youth are critical partners in shaping more inclusive and sustainable communities today.
Youth aged between 5 and 17 make up nearly 15% of the central Puget Sound region’s population, totaling over 652,000. By 2050, our region is expected to add more than 34,000 youth. Today, more than half of youth are people of color, and nearly one in four live in low-income households.1 Their needs and lived experiences vary widely based on where they live, household income, or their racial/ethnic background. Still, many rely on public transportation, walking, biking, or carpooling (often with family members) to go to daycare, school, after-school programs, and social activities, and jobs.
Thanks to the Move Ahead Washington statewide transportation funding package, young riders aged 18 and under can ride transit for free in our region. Yet youth still face significant transportation barriers. According to a 2023 Transportation Choices Coalition report, youth are aware that the strengths of public transit are to mitigate negative environmental impacts and help increase independence by allowing them to go places without needing their parents or relying on a car ride.2 However, many noted that challenges still exist:
- Lack of awareness of existing transit options and trip planning tools tailored to younger users
- Safety concerns when riding and waiting for transit
- Unreliable transit service and/or a lack of accurate real-time information at transit stations
These gaps not only limit their ability to access key destinations but also affect access to opportunities like education, employment, healthcare, and social connections, all of which are essential to youth development.
Through community engagement for the Coordinated Mobility Plan, PSRC has heard directly from young people across the region. Among key findings from our outreach:
- Youth appreciate free transit rides, and some high school students in areas not well served by bus transit, like Arlington in Snohomish County, enjoy riding microtransit, an on-demand transportation service provided by transit agencies.
- They continue to call for safer, more reliable, and easier ways to get around the region.
In the spirit of International Youth Day, PSRC is proud to continue the Summer Planning Academy (SPA), a free leadership development program to introduce high school students to regional, transportation, and land use planning. Upon successful completion of SPA program, students are eligible to receive a $500 scholarship and will also receive a certificate to include in college, vocational, and/or job applications. Through hands-on activities, field trips, and mentorship, high school students can learn how decisions are made at the regional level and how they can help shape those decisions. SPA participants explore topics such as transportation and land use planning, environmental sustainability, equity, and housing.
Youth bring fresh perspectives and bold ideas to the challenges we face as a region, from climate change to access to opportunity. PSRC is committed to creating more pathways for youth participation in planning, education, and leadership, so they can take part in building the communities they want to live in.
1 U.S. Census Bureau (2023). 2019-2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Public Use Microdata
2 Transportation Choices Coalition (2023), Youth Perspectives on Transit: Increasing Access and Utilization. https://transportationchoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Youth-Perspectives-on-Transit-Report-2.pdf