by Alison Fortney
Times Staff ReporterTired of paying two dollars a gallon for gas? Carpooling got you down? Want to help conserve the environment? Looking for a cost-effective way of traveling? The Milwaukee County Transit System has all your transportation needs covered.
While riding the bus is definitely appealing, students might be turned off by the $2.00 admission cost. According to Meghan Arnold, Communications Manager at the Milwaukee County
Transit System, while “The Milwaukee County Transit System receives funding from federal, state and local [governments] in addition to the fare box. Unfortunately, operating costs are not entirely covered by current revenue streams.” However, students do have an alternative to paying for bus fares – the U-PASS.
The U-PASS was created in the fall semester of 1994 as a partnership between the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and MCTS to help alleviate parking problems on campus and offer a great transportation option at an affordable cost.
Now, the U-PASS is offered not only to UWM students, but also to students from Marquette University, the Milwaukee
Institute of Art and Design, Bryant and Stratton College, Mount Mary College, Milwaukee Career College and MATC.
The U-PASS, according to Ms. Arnold, “Is intended to give Milwaukee-area students broader transportation options at a reduced cost. A student would roughly spend $200 for unlimited bus rides for the entire semester.” She also said that, “Higher education is important in our community and we are proud to support it with this program.”
As for the economy, Arnold says, “Investing in transit is good for a community. A recent joint Wisconsin Department of Transportation and MCTS study showed that for every dollar spent on transit, $4.72 was returned to the community in economic benefits and saved costs.”
When it comes to the environment, those who ride save almost four million gallons of gasoline per day, and public transportation systems such as MCTS reduce the nation’s carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons annually. In order to achieve this amount, every household in New York City, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Denver and Los Angeles combined would have to completely stop using electricity.
In order to receive a U-PASS from MATC you must be an MATC student taking more than six college level credits. The U-PASS is paid for by a fee of $2.77 per credit, which is already included for all students at MATC. But keep track of your U-PASS, because there is a $41 replacement fee if it’s lost.
To pick up your U-PASS, stop at the Office of Student Life, show them your MATC Campus Card and a copy of this semester’s schedule, and you’ll be on your way.
In addition to helping the environment and the economy, you can use your U-PASS to travel for any purpose and to any destination on any MCTS bus route and the I-43 Ozaukee County Express Freeway Flyer. Use it any time buses operate on any day, including weekends, holidays and even during breaks and recess periods – just be sure to get a new pass when your current one expires.
