Meeting_Body
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
MAY 17, 2018
Subject
SUBJECT: UNIVERSAL COLLEGE STUDENT TRANSIT PASS
PILOT PROGRAM
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATIONS
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
CONSIDER:
A. RECEIVING AND FILING the results of the Universal College Student Transit Pass (U-Pass) Pilot and GradPass Programs;
B. APPROVING the transition of the U-Pass and GradPass Programs to become permanent programs and discontinue the I-TAP Program effective Fall 2018;
C. APPROVING the unit reduction for undergraduate students from 6 units to 0 units and only require current enrollment in credit or non-credit courses effective Summer 2018 term for the U-Pass Program; and
D. EXTENDING work on the Regional U-Pass Program to report back to Board within 12 months.
Issue
ISSUE
As part of an ongoing effort to pursue strategies to increase college student transit ridership, the Metro Board approved the Universal College Student Transit Pass (U-PASS) Pilot Program in May 2016 in response to Motion 49.1 by Director Ridley-Thomas. The two-year pilot program concludes in August 2018 and has increased college student ridership by 49%.
A lesson learned from the Pilot Program is that colleges interested in a fee-based administration system where all registered students pay a transportation fee and all registered students receive a TAP-enabled college ID card, for use on Metro and partner agencies, requires all students who pay the fee to be eligible to participate in the U-Pass program. As a result, staff recommends removing the unit requirement from the U-Pass program and allow all students who are enrolled in credit or non-credit courses to be eligible to participate.
BACKGROUND
In 2003, the Board adopted the I-TAP program. This program was designed to increase college student ridership, while keeping the program revenue neutral for Metro. The I-TAP program allowed schools to purchase passes directly from Metro on a semester or quarterly basis. There...
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