Student transit riders now have the ability to use their El Camino ID card as a metro pass with the starting price of each 21-week semester at $210.63 and then lowers $10.03 every week, according to LA Metro as part of the U-Pass Pilot Program.

Fall semester kicked off with the announcement of the Metro U-Pass, which launched last year and is designed to boost ridership around colleges, universities and trade schools in LA county.

“It’s geared to promote ridership for college going students providing a reduce public transportation option to think about sustainability and greener ways to go about life,” Greg Toya, director of student development said.

The pilot program will provide fares for Zone 1 transits, which are Torrance and Gardena transit buses without paying any extra fee.

The TAP card which students are familiar with provides their own college discount starting at $43 a month but does not cover Zone 1, which is an additional 50 cents a fare.

Applicants of the Metro college discount can only apply with a 12 unit cap versus the Metro U-Pass 6 unit minimum required to qualify.

Although the school semester has started “the 26-week-pass can be bought at any time and the reduced cost schedule makes it affordable as time goes on,” Toya said.

Students in good-standing with their classes will need to verify on the LA Metro site which will enable the applicants to receive a registration code, in which you may purchase the pass inside the bookstore at school.

“We recognize that the board of trustees in El Camino has a goal to address like food transportation, and security for students and Metro U-Pass helps fulfill that goal,” Toya said.