PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Swarthmore College is providing free SEPTA passes for its students this fall — the first college to join the SEPTA Key Advantage University Pass program.
About 1,600 Swarthmore students will be able to ride any SEPTA vehicle for free with a UPass. It’s an offshoot of the Key Advantage, where businesses can buy SEPTA Key cards at a discounted rate and offer them as perks to employees.
SEPTA launched Key Advantage last year with a pilot for employees at Penn Medicine, Drexel University and Wawa in a move to boost ridership. Jen Scimone, SEPTA manager of business development, said 22 employers are participating now, and 22,000 City of Philadelphia employees are set to join come Sept. 1.
“We’re about 15 months into the program at this point,” she said. “And since this time last year, ridership on — at least through Key Advantage — it’s doubled.”
SEPTA is talking with a half-dozen other colleges about expanding the UPass program for students.
“Part of it is just about creating a step forward with our student experience and enhancing that,” said Anthony Coschignano, Swarthmore associate vice president for campus services.
He said encouraging the use of public transit helps the college demonstrate its commitment to sustainability. It also gives students a chance to run errands without waiting for a campus shuttle, or visit museums or shows in Philadelphia.
“We wanted to create the opportunity to have students have a vibrant experience, being right outside a large city,” he added.
Related
Related
