New Program Makes L.A. Metro Reduced Fare College Passes Easier to Purchase

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Board of Directors unanimously approved a two-year pilot program for a new Universal College Student Fare Program (U-Pass) that will make participating in the college pass program much easier and will allow full and part-time students from all college districts in the service area to participate. The program will launch in time for the 2016 fall term.

“These reforms to the Universal Student Pass Pilot Program are a win-win, giving students access to safe, efficient and affordable transportation while also giving Metro a great opportunity to grow ridership,” said L.A. County Supervisor and Metro Board Chair Mark Ridley-Thomas. “If students get hooked, there’s potential for them to become life-long riders, which would then benefit schools by relieving parking issues. I anticipate that schools will also step up to the plate by increasing the subsidy and making the pass even more attractive.”

Schools eligible for the program include the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), California State Universities (CSU), University of California (UC), private universities and vocational colleges.

The goal of the program is to make reduced fares more accessible to students by allowing them to register for participation when they sign up for classes. Metro will use new technology in the form of a Transit Access Pass (TAP) chip sticker that will be placed directly on student IDs and will stay with the students throughout their college careers. Schools will pay a reduced per-boarding fare for actual boardings used and allow students to re-enroll every term.

To grow the availability of the program, the number of units required to participate is being reduced from 12 units to eight, allowing part-time students to participate for the first time.

The action is the result of efforts by L.A. County Supervisor and Metro Board Chair Ridley-Thomas, who urged the Board to explore the feasibility of such a program. Twenty students and schools spoke to the Board today in favor of the pilot program.

There are 1.4 million public college students in L.A. County and currently only 14,000 students (1 percent) participate in reduced fare programs.