Cal State Partners with Omnitrans to Give Free Rides

Local university students will get a break from the rising cost of higher education this spring as Cal State University San Bernardino offers to foot the bill for Omnitrans monthly bus passes to get students to campus.

The special “Coyote Pass” is available free to the first 600 Cal State students. Each pass is good for 31 consecutive days after first use and must be used during the spring quarter. The cost of the passes is being funded by the Commuter Services Department.

“Our goal is to get more students to use an alternate mode of transportation to campus. Encouraging students to ride the Omnitrans bus to campus and other destinations will not only help students save money, it will reduce traffic congestion, cut fuel consumption and enhance air quality” said Kathy Marron, Employee Transportation Coordinator for CSUSB. “Reducing car trips to campus and curtailing parking demand will help us manage future growth and establish green lifestyle choices for our students.”

The Coyote Pass offer builds on the success of Omnitrans’ “Go Smart” promotion that provided a free 7-day pass to students at the beginning of the school year. More than 800 Cal State students used Go Smart passes in fall 2009, tallying 6,270 trips. Four bus routes (2, 5, 7, 11) serve the campus, making over 150 arrivals and departures daily. Cal State is also slated for a station on the Omnitrans sbX bus rapid transit line expected to begin in 2013.

Passes feature a magnetic stripe which is counted and categorized each time it is used onboard an Omnitrans bus. This allows for detailed analysis of how often and where students utilize the bus. The data will help the University better gage student acceptance of public transportation and determine if establishing an ongoing free or reduced fare program is feasible.

Many college campuses across the nation, including Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Long Beach and University of California Riverside, offer free rides on the local transit system just by showing a student ID. Such programs are usually funded by student transportation fees, parking fines and grants.

“The Coyote Pass lets college students try the bus for free to see how well it works for their situation,” said Omnitrans Director of Marketing Wendy Williams. “Like most of our customers, students are looking for low-cost transportation solutions. Omnitrans offers convenient service to campus and with our 100% natural gas fleet, taking the bus is also environmentally responsible.”

Coyote Passes are available for students at the CSUSB Parking Services office beginning March 29, 2010. For personalized trip planning, visit www.omnitrans.org or call 1-800-9-OMNIBUS (1-800-966-6428).

Founded in 1976, Omnitrans is the public transit agency providing 50,000 passenger trips each weekday across the San Bernardino Valley. Omnitrans is governed by a 20-member board representing the 15 cities served by Omnitrans and San Bernardino County.