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RIVERSIDE, CA — August 27, 2008 — More than 30,000 college students qualify for free bus rides thanks to an ambitious transportation program now offered at Riverside Community College campuses.
For the first time, Riverside Community College District students can ride Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) buses for free just by swiping their College Cards when they board. The free-ride program, called the Go Pass, encourages ride-sharing and provides students with a no-cost option to get to and from class, work, shopping, the movies or anywhere else RTA buses go.
“This program has been extremely successful in college towns across the county, and now a growing number of students in Riverside County are getting their turn,” said RTA Chairman Karen Spiegel. “The free rides are a great incentive for students to try public transit.”
The offer is valid on any RTA fixed-route bus, including CommuterLink express buses. The free rides are available to all students, including those at the Riverside, Moreno Valley and Norco campuses. Funding for the one-year demonstration program comes from the jurisdictions in which RCC students live: Corona, Moreno Valley, Norco, Perris, Riverside and the County of Riverside.
“The increased cost of transportation has become a real barrier in a student’s ability to enroll in college,” said Edward Bush, vice president of student services for Riverside City College. “This program will literally be a vehicle that could make a student’s pursuit of higher education possible.”
The free-ride program is similar to one offered at UC Riverside, where ridership grew from 70,000 trips during Fiscal Year ‘07 to more than 110,000 trips during Fiscal Year ‘08. Both the U-Pass and Go Pass are products of the Go Riverside Task Force, which was launched four years ago by Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge with the goal of enhancing public transit in the area.
“As a community of colleges and universities, making the bus system affordable and convenient to all students is essential,” Loveridge said. “The partnership between RTA and the Riverside Community College District is to be commended for providing solutions to both financial and transportation challenges.”
The Riverside Transit Agency provides public transportation for Western Riverside County, operating 39 fixed routes, 7 commuter routes and 15 demand response services. RTA’s service area spans 2,500 square miles, the second largest in the nation. For bus route and schedule information contact RTA at (800) 8007821 or log on to our website at www.RiversideTransit.com. |
