New U-Pass option covers Metra rides for UIC students
The cost of travel just got a little cheaper for students at Chicago's leading commuter university.
The Chicago Transit Authority's discounted "U-Pass" for college students has begun a pilot program that adds unlimited Metra suburban train service for students at the University of Illinois Chicago.
The commuter school — where 85% of students live off-campus — began the pilot program in August. The combined CTA-Metra pass was purchased by 4,100 UIC students this semester at $349 a pop.
That's significantly more than the CTA-only U-Pass that costs $163 a semester (a mandatory fee for students at participating schools), but still a discount considering that a single Metra monthly pass ranges from $75 to $135.
Metra said it is trying out the pass through next year's summer semester, and will consider expanding the program to other universities. The CTA-only U-Pass, introduced in 1998, is used by 90,000 college students at more than 65 schools.
“This is just one more way that Metra can draw new riders and hopefully turn them into regular Metra riders after they graduate,” said Jim Derwinski, Metra's chief executive, in the program's announcement.
Students must use a U-Pass Ventra card for the CTA and a mobile pass in the Ventra app for Metra trips. The summer semester passes are cheaper: $125 for the CTA-only pass, and $275 for the CTA-Metra pass.