Students ride Metro free
Faculty, staff also to benefit from deal beginning May 1
Ian Sexton
Issue date: 4/11/07 Section: News
The University of Cincinnati has entered into a partnership with Metro to provide students free transportation on Metro buses for the next three years.
Metro and UC have been working to develop a pass program for university students, faculty and staff.
"We have the green light on the project, we're now just working on the particulars of how to make it happen," Metro director of transit development, Tim Reynolds, said. "We're meeting with the vice-president of facilities and various other individuals in terms of, will it be using the current UC pass that you have in your pocket or will there be a separate pass, and then how would that be distributed."
The program is set to begin May 1, Student Government president Jerry Tsai said, emphasizing that the day is only a target date.
Even though the program is scheduled to begin May 1, several weeks would likely pass before participation begins to grow.
"We're dealing with mid-semester, and people have already figured out their parking," Reynolds said.
Student Government also realizes it may take some time for the program to take off.
"It will take a little bit for people to become familiar with the idea and know how to utilize a different system," Tsai said.
In fall 2006, a proposal was brought to the Bearcat Transportation System committee to look at partnering with Metro. Negotiations between UC and Metro lasted throughout the following quarter, with a deal being approved Tuesday, March 20, Tsai said.
At this time no agreement has been signed.
"We've drafted one up and sent it to UC and they are reviewing it right now," Reynolds said. "Our board meeting happens tomorrow [Tuesday], and we have an action item and we are asking the board to give our general manager approval to enter into an agreement with the university."
Metro and UC also ran a pilot program in fall 2005. Metro saw participation triple from 4,000 in the first week to 12,000 in the final week. They estimate 60,000 free rides were given to members of the UC community during this time.
Metro and UC have been working to develop a pass program for university students, faculty and staff.
"We have the green light on the project, we're now just working on the particulars of how to make it happen," Metro director of transit development, Tim Reynolds, said. "We're meeting with the vice-president of facilities and various other individuals in terms of, will it be using the current UC pass that you have in your pocket or will there be a separate pass, and then how would that be distributed."
The program is set to begin May 1, Student Government president Jerry Tsai said, emphasizing that the day is only a target date.
Even though the program is scheduled to begin May 1, several weeks would likely pass before participation begins to grow.
"We're dealing with mid-semester, and people have already figured out their parking," Reynolds said.
Student Government also realizes it may take some time for the program to take off.
"It will take a little bit for people to become familiar with the idea and know how to utilize a different system," Tsai said.
In fall 2006, a proposal was brought to the Bearcat Transportation System committee to look at partnering with Metro. Negotiations between UC and Metro lasted throughout the following quarter, with a deal being approved Tuesday, March 20, Tsai said.
At this time no agreement has been signed.
"We've drafted one up and sent it to UC and they are reviewing it right now," Reynolds said. "Our board meeting happens tomorrow [Tuesday], and we have an action item and we are asking the board to give our general manager approval to enter into an agreement with the university."
Metro and UC also ran a pilot program in fall 2005. Metro saw participation triple from 4,000 in the first week to 12,000 in the final week. They estimate 60,000 free rides were given to members of the UC community during this time.
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