Pasadena City College. Photo by prayitno via Flickr.

College students are always on the look out for a good deal and full-time students at Pasadena City College are no exception.

So far, over 800 of them have picked up heavily discounted I-Pass stamps that allow students to ride Metro for  just $30 for the entire semester. A typical student Metro pass costs $36 a month, so I-Pass allow students to save $114 over the course of the semester.

What’s more, the Metro Gold Line is just a free shuttle ride away from campus so taking advantage of the passes couldn’t be any easier – or cheaper.

For more information on the program, check out our introductory post from last month.

Read the full press release after the jump.

MORE THAN 800 PASADENA CITY COLLEGE STUDENTS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AFFORDABLE METRO TRANSIT PASS PROGRAM

More than 800 full-time Pasadena City College students have taken advantage of a low-cost transit pass program offered by Pasadena City College (PCC) and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) so far this semester, marking early success for L.A. County’s newest collge transit pass participants.

Approximately 8,800 full-time Pasadena City College students are eligible for the Institution Pass (I-Pass) program, which enables colleges to subsidize transit passes for their student body with the goal of providing affordable commuting solutions while encouraging public transit use.  Through this pass program, nearly 50,000 transit passes have been made available this spring to students at 12 college campuses throughout Los Angeles County.
I-Pass stamps are now being distributed for the Spring 2010 semester for the nominal fee of $30 to PCC full-time students enrolled in at least 12 units.  The regular fare for non-participating college/vocational full-time students is $36 per month.  The program will save students $114 over non-participating school pass prices.

“The I-Pass program will give Pasadena City College students a substantial savings that could help them offset education-related expenses such as school supplies, textbooks and tuition,” said Ara Najarian, Glendale City Concil Member and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board Chair.  “It’s a fantastic bargain that every student should take advantage of in these difficult economic times.”
Students can visit Student Business Services on their campus to purchase the passes.

The county’s community colleges currently experience severe parking challenges as year-over-year student enrollments swell.  Participating I-Pass program campuses may be able to delay construction of new parking facilities by encouraging students to leave their cars at home and take transit to school.

“Pasadena City College is excited about the opportunity to further its longstanding practice of responsibility toward the environment,” said Richard P. van Pelt, Ph.D., Interim Vice President, Administrative Services at PCC .  “By encouraging students to use public transportation, we will help foster a more sustainable future, and change the paradigm of single-person vehicle use among a very large segment of our population.  This new program will also significantly reduce the costs students incur in their educational pursuits.”

To ensure the program’s success, PCC also provides shuttle service to the Metro Gold Line in Pasadena to encourage students to use transit.  If the program proves successful, PCC may invite Foothill Transit and Pasadena ARTS to join the program in the Fall to greatly enhance its students’ transit options.

The  I-Pass is valid on Metro buses and Metro Rail lines seven days a week.  Students can use the transit access passes for all other transportation needs, including work, shopping or recreation.  Because they are saving transportation costs, students may be encouraged to take additional college units and can invest the free travel time transit affords them to study or rest.

Many other campuses offer similar subsidized pass programs, including:  Los Angeles City College, Los Angeles Trade Technical, East Los Angeles College, Pierce College,  Los Angeles Valley College,  Los Angeles Mission College,  Los Angeles Southwest College, West Los Angeles College,  Los Angeles Harbor College, Rio Hondo College and UCLA.

For additional information on the Institution Pass program, call 213-922-2811.  For transit trip planning assistance over the phone, call 1-800-COMMUTE or visit metro.net.