UIC students snap up reduced Metra passes; more colleges could come on board

Following the initial success of a reduced-fare pilot program at University of Illinois Chicago, Metra leaders hope to expand the benefit to colleges across the region.

The agency debuted a “U-Pass + Metra” pass to UIC students in August, which offers unlimited rides on the CTA and commuter rail.

So far, more than 4,100 UIC students have enrolled. “We’ve seen our Halsted ridership completely jump,” Executive Director Jim Derwinski said at a recent meeting, referring to a BNSF Line station near UIC.

“It’s been a great program for us to be in, so I look forward to partnering with other universities in the region in the future,” Derwinski added.

Metra will continue to monitor pilot numbers but “what an incredible start to this partnership,” he said.

Along with the CTA, Metra is collaborating with UIC on the one-year pilot.

Making fares more affordable means “unlocking the nation’s second-largest transportation system for thousands of students,” former student trustee and reduced fare advocate Mohammed Haq said in a statement.

The CTA’s U-Pass program has been in existence for some time and provides cheaper rides for students at more than 65 colleges and universities in the metro area.

The initiative is a first for Metra, and directors at a Sept. 18 meeting urged staff to get more institutions on board.

“This program needs to expand to everybody that we can possibly expand it to in the very near future,” Director Ken Koehler of Crystal Lake said.

Metra will be tracking UIC student participation and use of the passes, as well as timing and frequency. The pilot “will help determine the cost of extending the pilot to additional schools and whether it would be financially sustainable,” officials said.

“To me, this is an investment in the future,” Director Ricardo Estrada of Chicago said.