CSULB’s Free Bus Rides Have No Stop in Sight

By Kevin Butler

LONG BEACH – Cal State Long Beach on Thursday announced that it plans to continue indefinitely a partnership between Long Beach Transit and the university that is providing free bus rides to students, faculty and staff.

CSULB and Long Beach Transit in August began a one-month trial program allowing unlimited free use of the agency’s buses for students and university employees.

University officials hoped that the U-PASS Partnership would encourage more ridership with the aim of easing on-campus parking problems and promoting environmentalism.

Before the program started, there were on average 1,400 CSULB- related bus boardings per day. Since the trial began, that figure has jumped to 3,200 average daily CSULB-related boardings, officials said.

Students, faculty and staff can get rides on Long Beach Transit buses or Passport shuttles to any destination for free seven days a week by swiping their CSULB identification card.

CSULB President F. King Alexander said the program also will allow students and university employees to save gas money, as well.

“It’s a win-win for everybody, not only the campus community, but the Long Beach community,” he said.

The trial period was slated to end Tuesday.

University officials had hoped to see increased ridership to show the cost-effectiveness of the program. CSULB covers the cost of the bus rides during the week, with Long Beach Transit picking up the expense on weekends.

To help pay for the U-PASS program, CSULB has redirected money that previously had been used to fund bus discounts for faculty and staff, Alexander said.

Long Beach Transit has more than 30 stops on or around the CSULB campus.

kevin.butler@presstelegram

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