Students can win a special prize if they log their transit trips to school next week – learn the details.
Calling all students! It’s time to take your school commute to the next level.
From March 3-7, 2025, Ride Muni to School Week is your chance to explore San Francisco and take part in two exciting opportunities:
- Ride Muni Challenge
- Log at least one trip per day to win a special prize!
- If you log daily trips and also complete bonus challenges, you can win an even more exciting prize.
- Log at least one trip per day to win a special prize!
- Muni Art Contest
- Create Muni-themed art to compete for prizes and the chance to see your work displayed on a Muni bus!
The best part? Muni is free if you’re 18 or under.
We’ll cover how to participate in these programs. We'll also share how to ride Muni if you're new to the system -- and why it's a great way to get around all year long.
How to participate: Ride Muni Challenge
1. Logging rides
To win a prize in the Ride Muni Challenge, you need to log at least one transit trip per day.
- When: You can log trips from March 1 to March 10. This way, you can take your time exploring the Bay Area on transit before and after Ride Muni to School Week!
- Where: You can count trips you take on an SFUSD yellow school bus or regional public transit -- Muni, BART and more.
- How: You can log trips online or in a paper booklet, depending on where you go to school. See instructions below.
- SFUSD students: You can log your trips online or request a paper challenge book.
- Online: Visit the Ride Muni to School Week website to request an account and start logging your rides.
- On paper: Rather participate using a paper booklet? Reach out to Sam Kwan at kwans@sfusf.edu to request one.
- Charter and private school students: Contact the Safe Routes to School team at jchoe@sfbike.org to request your challenge booklet.
- SFUSD students: You can log your trips online or request a paper challenge book.
2. Bonus challenges
As you log your daily trips, you can also complete our bonus challenges. Design your dream Muni pass, write a poem about your commute or even craft the perfect public transit playlist.
You’ll find full descriptions in your paper booklet or the Ride Muni to School Week website if you’re an SFUSD student.
If you log at least one trip every day and complete each bonus challenge, you’ll win an even more exciting prize!
3. Submit your challenge book
- SFUSD students: You can drop off your challenge book at your school’s main office between March 10-14. Participating online? Your responses are automatically counted.
- Charter and private school students: Please reach back out to the Safe Routes to School team at jchoe@sfbike.org (the same person you requested your booklet from) to coordinate collection.
What’s in it for you?
- Log a transit trip every day of the contest and you’ll receive an I Heart Muni notebook.
- Complete all the challenges and win an even more exciting prize.
- Ride the most transit trips of any participant? You’ll get an extra mystery prize.
We’re also giving a prize to the school that has the most trips logged. Check out the online leaderboard to see how your school ranks!
This tote could be yours if your school logs the most trips.
How to participate: Muni art contest
There’s another chance to get creative during Ride Muni to School Week! We’re hosting a Muni art contest.
Unleash your artistic skills by responding to one of the two following prompts:
- If Muni was a character, what would it look like? (For inspiration you can think of some of our favorite local mascots. Examples include Lou Seal, Sourdough Sam and BART’s anime mascots.)
- Do you have a favorite transit vehicle (buses, trains, cable cars, historic streetcars, etc.)? How would you redesign it? (Feel free to redesign the interior or exterior of the vehicle.)
Contest rules:
- Format: Artwork should be 8.5 inches by 11 inches.
- Materials: All media types are welcome (drawing, painting, mixed media, digital, etc.).
- Deadline: Submissions are due by 11:59 p.m. on March 14, 2025.
- Application requirement: You must be 18 or under and a student in a San Francisco school (public, charter or private).
- Submission process: Email an image of your artwork to SRTSContest@sfmta.com.
- Include your name, school and grade in the email.
The winning art submissions will be displayed on the inside of some Muni buses. The winning artists will get a Muni Prize Pack and $50 to spend at Blick Art Materials!
There will be one elementary school, middle school and high school winner, in addition to a grand prize winner.
Winners will be contacted by school representatives. You do not have to participate in Ride Muni to School Week transit activities to enter the art contest.
Haven’t tried Muni yet? We’re here to help with a few pro tips.
New to Muni? Here are some pro tips for a smooth ride
- Use a travel app like MuniMobile or Muni’s online trip planner to check schedules and plan your trip.
- Be respectful – Offer seats to those who need them. Keep music low (headphones, please!). Wait for people to exit before getting on the bus. If you are on a crowded bus, take off your backpack and keep it by your feet to make room for others.
- Stay safe – Keep an eye on your surroundings and ask the operator if you ever need help.
Why ride Muni?
We hope to see you riding Muni to school next week. Here’s why it’s a great way to get around all year long:
- It’s free! If you’re 18 or younger, you ride Muni for free — no proof of fare or special passes needed.
- Get where you want to go, when you want to – No need to rely on rides from parents or guardians. Muni gives you the freedom to get to school, after-school activities and meet-ups with your friends on your own schedule.
- Work toward a greener future – Taking public transit helps reduce traffic and pollution. That means cleaner air and a greener city for everyone.
Ready to roll?
Don’t miss out on the chance to make your school commute more exciting. Gather your friends, get your trip log set up, and ride into Ride Muni to School Week with confidence. See you on board!