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June 2002
U-Pass Program gains popularity
By providing students and staff with deeply discounted bus rates, transit ridership at the University has increased 88 percent. Credit for this surge goes to a two-year study funded by a federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) grant. The program gives students the opportunity to buy a $50, unlimited-ride bus pass each semester called the "U-Pass," while staff may purchase a similar "Metropass." Registered students are able to purchase one U-Pass per semester (including summer session) either on-line, by mail, or in-person. Bob Baker, director of parking and transportation services at the University, illustrated the continued success of the program in one of the conference's transit-related sessions.
The goal of the study was to determine if commuter ridership levels to the Twin Cities campus would increase with the availability of a deeply discounted student bus pass and increased direct transit service. Also, the study hoped to increase ridership by at least 40 percent, which was accomplished successfully, while reducing carbon monoxide emissions and single occupancy-vehicle trips.
Steadily increasing ridership has shown a promising future for the U-Pass and its advertising campaign, Baker said. In fall 2001 alone, U-Pass and Metropass sales topped 13,000. The largest percentage of sales, 34 percent, has been the result of an aggressive direct-mail marketing campaign. Freshmen are the target of advertising efforts in order to keep them riding for their entire time at the University.
One encouraging result shows 64 percent of students who buy a U-Pass use it to travel to other destinations in the metro area. This percentage illustrates that students are incorporating mass transit into their daily routine. Through the creation of the U-Pass, it is hoped that students will learn the benefits and convenience of mass transit in order to establish positive transportation patterns that continue into their adult lives, Baker said.