A recent proposal to provide free Muni service for low-income youth has provoked a regional conversation about the possibility of basing transit fares on a rider's ability to pay rather than on their age. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the Bay Area's regional planning agency, is conducting a $1 million study of the issue. An MTC spokesperson noted that public services such as power and telephone service already provide needs-based discounts.

Read more in the San Francisco Examiner.