The University of Missouri-St. Louis has signed a new contract with Metro Transit-St. Louis which allows all UM-St. Louis students unlimited access to Metrolink and Metrobus.  The program is called the Universal Pass where eligible students pay $2 per credit hour capped at 12 credit hours totaling $24.

UM-St. Louis participated in the Universal pass years ago then converted to the College Pass where they sold the passes on consignment and students paid 50 cents per credit hour. Students who took advantage of the program paid $110 for the Metro Pass per semester. The university conducted a referendum in 2008 that lead to the approval of the Universal Pass.

Not all students are obligated to pay the Metro fee. “Any student who is paying student fees essentially is paying [the fee].  There are students who are dual enrolled students [and] I think, students that are taking classes online don’t get assessed student activity fees” said D’Andre Braddix, assistant to the vice provost.

The university encourages all eligible students to take advantage of the Universal Pass.  “Thinking about the students that do drive, to us, all you have to do is use Metro, during the course of the whole semester, you only have to use [the pass] for about six round-trips and you’ve made your money back even if you use it to just go to a Cardinals’ game. And we assume that students will jump on the train because Metro goes everywhere,” Braddix said.

The university, along with Metro, is spreading the word by taking certain measures to market, advertise and promote the pass.  “Metro will have transit specialists who will be at the university helping students by giving them directions, showing them maps of the system and really help orient them,” Jessica Mefford-Miller, Chief of Planning and System Development at Metro Transit-St. Louis, said.  The university plans to run ads and post banners, while Metro plans to run ads at some of the routing stops.

Although UM-St.Louis students will have greater access to Metro services beginning this fall, the local mass transit service recently vexed students taking summer classes with a schedule change. On June 28 Metro changed their routing times causing students to be tardy to class.  The unexpected change disappointed students.  “I had the idea that the train would come at [a certain time] and I noticed that I was close to that time so I booked it out and made sure I got to [the station] and the train didn’t come.  Eventually, I looked at the schedule and realized it was changed.  It’s not a big issue but it is inconvenient,” said Corey Rupert, English Literature.

Miller says it is difficult to communicate with students in the summer and the schedule change was originally scheduled for September.  However, she says, that Metro is moving swiftly to accommodate its commuters. Miller also says it is important for students to check Metro’s website regularly for any changes made.  She also says that Metro posts signage, alerting passengers of changes to the schedule.  On the other hand, the university ensures that they would not have continued services with Metro knowing it would inconvenience its students.  August 30 is the slated date for a major schedule change with Metrobus and all passengers should check schedules and maps on Metro’s Web site.