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More than 4,100 University of Illinois Chicago students have signed up to receive the new U-Pass + Metra, a pass that gives them unlimited rides on Metra and the CTA for a reduced fare price under a one-year pilot program.
UIC students have long been able to sign up for the CTA’s U-Pass program. Now, under a one-year pilot program that started in August, UIC students can also choose a combined CTA-Metra U-Pass + Metra pass for the semester. The pilot program is the first time Metra has joined the CTA’s U-Pass program for college students.
“This is just one more way that Metra can draw new riders and hopefully turn them into regular Metra riders after they graduate,” said Metra Executive Director/CEO Jim Derwinski. “We are pleased to be working with the CTA and UIC to offer this benefit to UIC students.”
“CTA’s U-Pass program provides a tremendous benefit to students across Chicagoland, and now, with the new partnership with Metra and University of Illinois Chicago, UIC students have another affordable transit option,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “This collaboration is yet another example of coordinated efforts amongst the region’s transit providers to expand transit access and improve mobility for residents of the region.”
Students who choose the CTA-only pass, which is placed on the student’s U-Pass Ventra card, will pay $163 for the fall 2024 and spring 2025 semesters and $125 for the summer 2025 semester. Students who choose the combined pass will pay $349 for the fall 2024 and spring 2025 semesters and $275 for the summer 2025 semester; they will use their U-Pass Ventra card for the CTA and a mobile pass in the Ventra app for Metra trips.
“UIC has long been a leader in public affairs and affordability. We’re proud to continue that tradition by bringing students unlimited access to any line for CTA and Metra, unlocking the nation’s second-largest transportation system for thousands of students. I look forward to continued collaboration with UIC, CTA, and Metra to ensure the program’s success through outreach and the launch of a guide showcasing for students the diverse destinations that await through this combined system,” said Mohammed Haq, the former Student Trustee and alumnus who led the effort to implement this pilot program.
The CTA-only U-Pass program is utilized by over 90,000 college students attending more than 65 colleges, universities and institutions and higher education across the region. This is on top of the 4,100 UIC students who chose the combined CTA-Metra pass.
During the pilot, Metra is tracking participation in the program as well as the actual use of the reduced fare student passes, including the times of use and frequency. The pilot will help determine the cost of extending the pilot to additional schools and whether it would be financially sustainable.