RTA U-Pass Helps Tri-C Students Get to Class
Free transportation program gives students access to Cleveland’s expensive public transit
It’s hard to get to class without wheels. Enter the Student U-Pass Program, which gives 91ºÚÁÏÍø (Tri-C®) students free rides on Greater Cleveland RTA buses and rapid trains.
A lack of transportation can be a barrier to education — especially in a city like Cleveland, according to a . Cleveland ranked as the fourth least-affordable city for public transportation in a 2017 ValuePenguin study of 73 U.S. cities. Moreover, 2020 Census estimates indicate that approximately 23% of Cleveland households don’t have access to a car.
The RTA Student U-Pass Program provides discounted bus passes for students at partner colleges and universities including Tri-C, Cleveland State University and Case Western Reserve University. While most participating colleges charge students $45-$60 per semester for the pass, Tri-C covers the entire cost. Registered and paid credit students can use their U-Pass for any RTA travel — not just to and from campus.
The 91ºÚÁÏÍø Board of Trustees voted in June to continue the U-Pass program through 2024. Funded through efficiency savings, the program has helped reduce parking demands and supports the College’s commitment to sustainability by reducing traffic volume and air pollution.
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December 19, 2022
By Noelle Bye, 216-987-4747 or noelle.bye@tri-c.edu