University of Minnesota invests in public transportation for future students and graduates

This fall the University of Minnesota has taken action to reduce the number of students that choose to bring cars to their campus. The University is now offering an unlimited access transit pass for the campus shuttle as well as local public transportation for just $71 per semester. This represents a nearly 40% reduction in cost compared to earlier iterations of the schools transit pass. The initiative is an effort to reduce the number of vehicles that are on campus which has a variety of positive environmental and public health impacts, but also in order to introduce students to using public transportation. 

Metro Transit, the University of Minnesota’s partner in developing this initiative, has already been highly encouraged by the results. According to their preliminary data, ridership among students has nearly doubled on weekends compared to years prior. The University and Metro not only hope for this trend to continue among active students but also that it will create lasting habits even for those who will soon graduate. Creating an environment that encourages students to become accustomed to riding public transit could not only reduce the likelihood that they will choose to bring cars to campus, but also increase the chances that they will choose to rely on public transportation whenever possible in the future. Initiatives like these that aim to reduce the number of vehicles on the road in favor of public transportation can cause a significant reduction in traffic congestion, a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and air quality improvements. To learn more about the benefits of riding public transit visit Transform Transportation.