Representatives went to the Student Transportation Symposium, Nov. 7 at the Los Angeles Trade-Tech College to assess whether EC should cooperate in a program sponsored by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA).

The program is a partnership between LACMTA and colleges and universities in an effort to provide students an opportunity to purchase 17-week bus passes for $15 per semester, as opposed to paying $2 a day.

This program, called the I-Pass, will be eligible for students who take six units or more.

“Most colleges already have this program in place,” Claudia Lee, Interim Associate Dean of Enrollment Services and the person coordinating with Metro on the I-Pass, said. “Santa Monica College and Long Beach City College have it, so it is definitely something people want and we would love to offer it.”

LACMTA is one of the largest transportation agencies and it serves 88 cities and unincorporated communities in Los Angeles County.

“It would apply to the Metro Rail, Metro Bus, Metro Rapid and the Metro Liner,” Lee said.

The program is part of a long-range transportation plan that attempts to address transportation challenges that will address the cities’ future.

The amount of air pollution in Los Angeles is increasing steadily and since transportation pollution contributes to more than 40 percent of overall air pollution,

Metro says that it must balance the need for more mobility in Los Angeles with a focus on environmental stewardship and clean air strategies, with ever-diminishing revenue streams.

Some students would benefit from the low price bus passes because this would lessen the amount of EC parking problems, diminish driving accidents, would limit gas use and increase air quality.

“El Camino is fighting to relieve parking trauma by offering 17-week bus passes to students,” Claudia Lee, Student Services representative, said.

EC is only considering offering the program because the drawbacks have to do with funding.

Metro conducted a survey of the campus and EC has to buy 12,833 bus passes in advance from Metro and sell them individually to students.

This would cost EC $192,495.

Finding the funding to support the I-Pass program may be challenging at this point in time for EC.

“It’s a big cost because we have to buy them upfront. We are stuck now because we have to consider funding and marketing,” Harold Tyler, director of Student Development, said.

If EC does not locate the funding required to buy the I-Passes, the program may be offered in the next couple of years.

“We do not want to offer it one semester and not the next, that would cause an uproar I think,” Lee said.