Commuter and residential students are encouraged to take part in the program while it’s free
Azusa Pacific is partnering with Foothill Transit to create and maintain a one-year pilot program. The program, which began in August, has steadily gained participants as both commuter and residential students seek its benefits.
Currently, all APU students can sign up for a free TAP card, which will allow them to travel expense free using the Foothill Transit. Students are encouraged to stop by the Cougar Dome during open hours to receive their card.
Rhianna Pierre-Puckett, director of Commuter Life, said she discovered the need for a program like this after receiving feedback from commuters on campus alongside Rachel Canales, former commuter senator for the Student Government Association (SGA).
“My first welcome weekend in my role, I had three or four students come up to me and ask me, ‘Hey, do you guys do any bus passes? Do you have anything for the Metro? I’m coming from Citrus College and they have a Foothill Transit bus pass system. Do you offer anything like that?’ And we realized it was a very big need,” said Pierre-Puckett.
Survey results around that time also indicated troubles some commuters had with transportation, according to Pierre-Puckett. Although most of APU’s commuter population lives in the greater Los Angeles area, many of them said they did not have a car, and were reliant on family members to drive them or used public transportation.
Knowing that other colleges had similar programs in place to aid student transportation, SGA and the Office of Commuter Life began to work together with administration and other groups on campus to find a solution. According to Pierre-Puckett, APU considered partnering with Metro, but due to the high prices, decided it was not within the school’s budget.
Since implementing the pilot program in August, students have been vocal about their use of the passes, according to Frances Jimenez, current commuter senator for SGA.
“A lot of students have been using it. I’ve heard some students take it to the beach, to go to L.A. and explore … I know a lot of residential students use it so that they don’t have to use their cars,” Jimenez said.
Although the pilot program was designed with commuters in mind, it is open to all APU students, whether commuter or residential. However, those involved with the program suggest taking advantage of the opportunity now, as it will only be free for one year, ending in August 2020, after which it will be made permanent or be abolished depending on results.
APU and Foothill Transit will work on collecting data during this trial period. The data will focus on how many students use the passes, how long the passes are used and, on APU’s end, what the passes will be used for. The average ride numbers and ride lengths will be used to determine how much Foothill Transit is willing to charge APU for the passes, which the school will then either accept or deny. If the terms are agreed upon, students will have to pay a fee for the passes moving forward.
“What we know is that it will still be a more reasonable price than if students just signed up for the Foothill pass on their own,” said Pierre-Puckett. “If it is continued in the future it won’t be able to be free.”
However, neither APU nor Foothill Transit can say how much the passes will cost if the program will continue as the data is still being gathered.
“A lot of it now is just advertising it and making sure students know it’s there, because since you do come and get it in the Cougar Dome, people think it’s only something for commuters, but it’s for the entire student body,” said Jimenez.
Information about Foothill Transit fares and passes can be found on the company’s official website, or by visiting the Cougar Dome.