EC students who drive or ride the bus, listen up.

EC is working with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) to participate in a program that would allow students to purchase 17-week bus passes for a mere $15.

This bus pass is a wonderful opportunity for students, but EC has not signed a contract because we need to come up with the money to buy the passes in advance from LACMTA and then sell them to students.

The I-Pass Program is an effort to get people off the road due to climate pollution.

Road transportation releases more than 40 percent of pollution into L.A.’s atmosphere and LACMTA is looking to make long-range transportation plans to improve our future.

The I-Pass will create more ‘green’ jobs, increase mobility and conveniently lessen travel stress for students. Students will not have to worry about gas prices, traffic and parking.

Students who are not attending school due to a lack of transportation will have a way to get to school.

At the very least, the I-Pass will be a great back-up plan if a car breaks down or if money for gas is not available.

The single requirement for the I-Pass is that students need to be taking six credits at EC.

The only problem with this great deal is that we are only a ‘potential participant.’

LACMTA has done a survey of our campus and since EC has more than 25,000 students that attend day and night, it has been determined that 12,833 students need to buy $15 passes.

It is a big cost because EC has to buy the passes up front, all 12,833 of them.

At $15 a pop, that’s $192,495.00. Compton College needs 6,508 students to buy a pass and that means CC needs to find $97,620 in order to make this program possible.

Then there’s the marketing aspect. Will half the population of EC really shell out $15 to buy a bus pass?

The cost is much too steep for EC, especially considering budget cuts and there is no guarantee that anyone will buy into the idea.

Although other colleges have seen success, it is still a risk, and it is not exactly something the campus can experiment with.

If EC offers it one year and it does not work, the program cannot be withdrawn as there will be people who will be upset if they bought the passes last semester.