ST. LOUIS - To help underscore the benefits of public transit and encourage area college students, faculty and staff to use the system more regularly, Citizens for Modern Transit, Metro Transit and St. Clair County Transit District are teaming up with five higher education institutions – each of which offer the Metro U-Pass Program – to host the “College Transit Challenge.”
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Taking place Friday, Sept. 20, this day-long competition will prompt those affiliated with St. Louis Community College, Saint Louis University, Southwestern Illinois College, University of Missouri–St. Louis and Washington University in St. Louis to utilize their Metro U-Pass to take transit as often as they can throughout the day. Ridership will be tracked via mobile texting. The school with the most transit trips will be awarded bragging rights and a traveling championship trophy. Challenge registration is required and can be completed at CollegeTransitChallenge.com.
All registered challenge participants will receive a campaign sticker and a “Public Transit” t-shirt with their respective school colors, while supplies last. When registering, individuals will be asked to enter their name, school affiliation and cell phone number. Citizens for Modern Transit will not share or use this information for anything other than the challenge. They will then receive a text message to confirm campaign registration. During the daylong challenge period, participants will send text messages noting how many times they rode transit, which mode was utilized and their destination.
The “College Transit Challenge” will kick off on Friday, Sept. 20, at 9 a.m. with a “Mascot Meetup” at the Cortex MetroLink Station, located at 270 Duncan Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110. Representatives of the transit organizations, along with college and university representatives and students, will share remarks on the benefits of transit access before they and mascots Archie, the Billiken, Kashmir the Snow Leopard, Louie the Triton and the Bear take MetroLink to the Stadium MetroLink Station. All kick-off attendees will then cross the street to Busch Stadium for a group photo with Fredbird. Over 100 free tickets to the home game against the Cleveland Guardians at 7:15 p.m. that night will then be distributed, courtesy of the St. Louis Cardinals.
“Public transit access – via MetroLink and MetroBus – is readily available at these five colleges and universities, offering a safe and convenient means to get to and from campus, work, doctor appointments, grocery stores, area attractions, nightlife or other destinations of interest around the area,” commented Kimberly Cella, executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit. “There are many benefits associated with taking transit, and the system is easy to use. Plus, the Metro U-Pass makes it super affordable because it provides unlimited rides on MetroBus and MetroLink during the school year for nearly 38,000 eligible students, faculty and staff.”
"Public transit is a way to participate in the life of the city, to learn its layout and connect to its people through interaction,” commented Quique Riojas, a student at Saint Louis University. “U-Passes are the best way to connect our students to transit and the city."
Students who have not obtained a Metro U-Pass should check with their respective university or college to find out where they are distributed on campus. Additional information about the campaign, instructions on how to register and specifics regarding the Metro U-Pass Programs for the respective schools can be found at www.CollegeTransitChallenge.com.
About Citizens for Modern Transit
Citizens for Modern Transit is a nonprofit, member supported organization that leads efforts for an integrated, affordable, and convenient public transportation system with light rail expansion as the critical component that will drive economic growth to improve quality of life in the St. Louis region.
About Metro Transit
Metro Transit operates the St. Louis region’s public transportation system, which includes 24 battery electric buses and 237 clean-burning diesel buses that serve 59 MetroBus routes in eastern Missouri and southwestern Illinois. Metro also operates MetroLink light rail vehicles on 46 miles of track serving 38 stations in the two-state area, and operates Metro Call-A-Ride, a paratransit fleet of 123 vans. Metro Transit is a Bi-State Development enterprise.
About St. Clair County Transit District
Founded in 1981, St. Clair County Transit District oversees 11 MetroLink stations and 18 bus routes in St. Clair County, Ill. If commuters have questions about service, they can call (618) 628-8090 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, visit www.scctd.org.
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