Interest Gauged in Bus Pass

By Matthew Rupel

A survey was released today for juniors, sophomores and freshmen to gauge potential interest in a student bus pass that would make off-campus travel viable to more students, according to Senior Senator Josh Ronen.

"Sometimes we can get stuck on campus," said Ronen. "This way, students without a car would have an easier time making trips to downtown San Jose or the mall."

The initiative would join the likes of Zipcar to promote options for activities beyond the campus. The pass would allow students to use any VTA route, travelling to shopping areas like the Great Mall in Milpitas or the theme park California's Great America, located on the other side of the City of Santa Clara.

The bus pass will work similarly to the Eco Pass which is already in place for students at De Anza Community College and San Jose State University, according to Navdeep Kaur, a representative from VTA. Students pay a registration fee at the beginning of their term, and then receive a sticker to attach to their student ID card. That sticker grants access to the bus and light rail lines offered by VTA.

A survey conducted last year showed student interest in the program, but there was still room to gauge how many students would actually use the program, according to Ronen.

"You really have to make it clear to students when and where they need to be to get something," said Ronen.

The survey sent out today gives more details on the program, including a potential cost between $37 and $65. A timeline has not been set for the service yet.

"Each school's governing system is different," said Kaur. "San Jose City College adopted the pass in July, but still isn't using the system."

Santa Clara first needs to gauge student interest in the program. Even if students show strong support for the pass, ASG will still need to pass the initiative through the Board of Trustees.

Contact Matthew Rupel at mrupel@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4849.