UCLA First Major University in L.A. County to "Go Metro" with Metro Discounted Transit Pass Program

Thursday October 06, 2005

Metro and UCLA Transportation Services today announced a partnership to offer discounted transit passes to UCLA students, staff and faculty, making it the first major university campus to offer such a program in Los Angeles County.

The Go Metro Transit Pass Program will provide UCLA transit riders unlimited travel throughout the academic year on board all Metro Bus and Metro Rail lines at half the cost for full fare riders. At $45.50 for students and $78 for staff and faculty for the Fall 2005 quarter ($42 and $72, respectively, in subsequent quarters), the passes are an economical choice for students, staff and faculty seeking relief from the current high costs of commuting to and from campus.

"The Go Metro Transit Pass Program gives UCLA riders the convenience of an unlimited Metro Bus and Metro Rail pass at significantly reduced fares," said John Catoe, Deputy CEO of Metro. "Institutions of higher learning throughout L.A. County can work with Metro to get this pass program implemented at their schools to help reduce the stress or added expense of driving."

Metro offers its Institutional Pass Program to large organizations such as colleges, universities and trade schools in efforts to promote transit use among large businesses, institutions and major organizations. The program enables institutions to negotiate fare media arrangements and additional services with Metro. To date, community colleges such as Los Angeles City College and Pierce College have participated in the program.

UCLA Transportation Services, which provides a wide variety of cost-effective transportation programs and services for the campus and adjacent properties, will pay 50 percent of the costs on behalf of riders. The university has a wealth of award-winning rideshare programs that help mitigate the impacts of traveling to the school by more than 35,000 daily students. The university's employee vanpool program, for example, is one of the largest in L.A. County.

Metro Buses make nearly 1,200 trips to UCLA or Westwood daily. Riders may board from more than 15 stops in the area.

"Our goal is to sell 1,500 UCLA Go Metro passes in our first year," said UCLA Assistant Vice Chancellor Jack Powazek.

Go Metro transit passes are available for purchase two weeks before the start of each quarter, and can be purchased online or at the UCLA Central Ticket Office. Riders should bring a valid BruinCard, as their photo will be used on the Go Metro pass card.

The first time UCLA riders buy a Go Metro pass, they will receive a photo ID card with a stamp indicating the current quarter. When purchasing a pass in subsequent quarters, riders will receive a new stamp to place on their existing card.

Besides providing access to the UCLA campus for school, the passes may also be used to attend UCLA football games, where students are encouraged to "Make Your Next Pass a Go Metro Pass."

The Go Metro Transit Pass Program will complement BruinGO! travel on the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus and Culver CityBus by providing another affordable commuting option for the campus community. Riders planning to transfer to a Big Blue Bus or Culver CityBus after riding Metro need to purchase a 25¢ transfer when boarding their initial Metro Bus.

The program was announced during During Rideshare Week (Oct. 3-7), when Metro challenges commuters and others to share a ride and save money on gas while easing traffic and air pollution. The agency offers an array of other rideshare programs, including a service that matches commuters with carpool partners and vanpools. Incentives such as Starbucks gift cards are offered for trying these rideshare options.

Participation in Metro Rideshare programs grows every year. More than 1,000 worksites with 250 or more employees participate in Metro Commute Service programs, representing a 68 percent increase within the last three years. An additional 1,200 businesses with less then 250 employees also participate in these programs.

For information on Metro's Rideshare Programs, visit Metro.net or call 1-800-COMMUTE (option # 3). For details on carpools and public transit options available throughout Southern California, visit CommuteSmart.info. For more information on UCLA Transportation Services, visit www.transportation.ucla.edu.