‘College Transit Challenge’ to be hosted by industry partners March 3 through 10

Partners hosting challenge to reinforce the benefits of transit and availability of Metro U-Pass program; students, faculty and staff registration begins Feb. 15

To help underscore the benefits of public transit and encourage consistent use among the St. Louis area’s college students, faculty and staff, Citizens for Modern Transit, Metro Transit and St. Clair County Transit District are teaming up with St. Louis Community College, Saint Louis University, Southwestern Illinois College, University of Missouri–St. Louis and Washington University in St. Louis to host the “College Transit Challenge.”

From Friday, March 3, to Friday, March 10, those affiliated with the respective schools are encouraged to take transit as often as they are able.

Ridership will be tracked via mobile texting. The school with the most ridership will be awarded bragging rights, and all challenge participants will be entered to win a selection of prizes.

Registration is required and can be completed at www.CollegeTransitChallenge.com starting on Wednesday, Feb. 15.

“Public transit access – via MetroLink and/or MetroBus – is readily available at these five colleges and universities, offering a safe and convenient means for students, faculty and staff to get to and from campus, work, doctor appointments, grocery stores, area attractions, nightlife or wherever else they need or want to go,” commented Kimberly Cella, executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit. “There are many benefits associated with taking transit, and the system is easy to utilize. Plus, the Metro U-Pass makes it super affordable as it provides unlimited rides to individuals on MetroBus and MetroLink during the school year – and the participating schools pay for all or part of the pass.”

To register, students, faculty and staff can visit www.CollegeTransitChallenge.com and enter their name, school affiliation and cell phone number. CMT will not share or use this information for anything other than the challenge. They will then receive a text message to confirm campaign registration. During the weeklong challenge period, participants will receive a daily text message asking them how many times they took transit, which mode was utilized and to where. All participants will be included in a daily drawing for prizes, gift cards, transit passes, College Transit Challenge schwag and much more.

The “College Transit Challenge” will kick off on Friday, March 3, at 9 a.m. with a “Mascot Meetup” at the Cortex MetroLink Station, located at 270 Duncan Ave., St. Louis MO 63110. Representatives for the transit organizations, along with college and university representatives and students, will share remarks on the benefits of transit access before they and mascots Archie, the Billiken, Kashmir the Snow Leopard, Louie the Triton and the Bear take MetroLink to Union Station to mark the official start of the weeklong campaign.

As part of the challenge, members of school-affiliated student organizations are encouraged to attend a mid-week event on Thursday, March 9 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Sugarfire Smoke House, which is adjacent to the Convention Center MetroLink station in downtown St. Louis. The group with the most attendance will receive $250 to support its efforts.

Additional information about the campaign, instructions on how to register and specifics regarding the Metro U-Pass Programs for the respective schools can be found at www.CollegeTransitChallenge.com.

Citizens for Modern Transit is a nonprofit, member-supported organization that leads efforts for an integrated, affordable, and convenient public transportation system with light rail expansion as the critical component that will drive economic growth to improve quality of life in the St. Louis region.