METRO, Pulaski Tech Partner to Offer Universal Transit Pass for Students, Staff

Route 13 to Pulaski Technical College is one of METRO’s most popular routes.

Pulaski Technical College and Rock Region METRO have partnered to offer PTC students, faculty and staff a fare-free universal transit pass for 2016. On Tuesday, the Rock Region METRO Board of Directors approved the launch of this pilot program, which provides passholders with unlimited bus and streetcar rides for one year.

“We’re excited to team with Pulaski Tech to offer this first-ever pass,” said Jarod Varner, Rock Region METRO executive director. “The pass lets the Pulaski Tech community get the most value out of our transit system. If it proves successful in this pilot program year, we hope to partner with other area academic institutions and large employers to offer their students and employees an affordable, safe way to get to and from campus.”

The universal pass program will debut at PTC Jan. 19. The college will supply students, faculty and staff members with related special identification. Passholders will then be able to show their specially marked IDs to Rock Region METRO bus drivers and streetcar operators to use the system, free of charge, during all system operating hours and on all routes. The program replaces a Rock Region METRO corporate pass program in which PTC participated and sold discounted 31-day bus passes to students and employees. Through the universal pass program, PTC will pay one monthly flat fee to Rock Region METRO in exchange for the ability for all students, faculty and staff to have unlimited use of the system.

“Transportation can be the difference in whether our students have access to higher education, so we are happy to partner with Rock Region METRO to make that access even more attainable by removing the fee barrier for our passholders,” said Dr. Margaret Ellibee, Pulaski Technical College president. “Not only is it a smart investment for our future alumni but also this partnership will help alleviate traffic congestion and parking demands on campus and is yet another way to promote sustainability among our students, faculty and staff.”

About Rock Region METRO

Rock Region METRO is the public transit system serving 3 million passengers per year in the cities of Little Rock, North Little Rock, Maumelle, Jacksonville and Sherwood and Pulaski County. It comprises the METRO Local fixed-route bus system, including 22 fixed routes and four express routes and covering 51,000 miles weekly; the METRO Links custom-route paratransit van system, covering 12,500 miles weekly; and the METRO Streetcar, a 3.4-mile streetcar system covering 1,080 miles weekly. Created in 1986 with an interlocal agreement among the partner jurisdictions, Rock Region METRO is governed by a 12-member board of directors who are appointed by its service cities and county. rrmetro.org

About Pulaski Technical College

Pulaski Technical College is a comprehensive two-year college that serves the educational needs of central Arkansas through occupational/technical degree and certificate programs, a university-transfer curriculum and specialized programs for business and industry. The college’s mission is to provide access to high quality education that promotes student learning, to enable individuals to develop to their fullest potential and to support the economic development of the state.

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