James Hermon / Roundup
Are you a full-time student? Do you take the metro? Isn’t it cool that you only have to pay $15 for a Metro pass?
Well, all good things must to come to an end.
As of the 2011 fall semester, Pierce students will no longer have the option of purchasing a reduced rate Metro Tap card.
Another service that benefits students will be taken away due to, yep, budget cuts.
During the first day of this semester, the business office was overwhelmingly filled with students seeking a copy of their schedule or making payments. However, the majority of the students were there to either reload or purchase a new Metro Tap card.
Pierce has a three-year contract with Metro that allows full-time students to purchase a Metro bus and rail boarding pass for $20, and $15 to reload.
The passes are valid during the fall and spring semesters.
As a student who commutes to school, I have reloaded my Tap card for the past two semesters.
So what’s the big deal?
Currently, the base fare for Metro buses and most rails is $1.50. If you have to take more than one bus to get to school you would most likely purchase a daily pass for $6 according to the LA Metro official website.
Within a week, you will have paid double the amount of the reduced amount provided at Pierce. In the long run, that is almost $1,500 a year just for public transportation.
Now I will admit that people choose to take public transportation for a variety of reasons.
However, most students utilize public transportation because they find it cheaper than driving or do not have a car. Taking away such a service from students who need it is just wrong.
Many full-time students often work part-time in order to commit to their studies. Come fall semester 2011, get ready to dig deeper into your pockets if you are a metro bus or rail rider.