The Austin Community College District is preparing to introduce Green Pass, a new pilot initiative that will provide free Capital Metro bus passes to ACC credit students, faculty, and staff. Green Passes are available for pickup beginning January 4, 2010 at any campus cashier’s office. You can start using your pass on January 5 (students must be registered for spring 2010 and have paid full tuition or set up a payment plan).
“This is one easy way students and employees can help ACC reduce its impact on the environment,” says Andy Kim, the college’s director of environmental stewardship. “The Green Pass program will also help students get to class, ease parking congestion, and gather important ridership data. It’s a win-win for the college and our students, faculty, and staff.”
In an agreement reached with Capital Metro, the college will be charged a discount rate per ride. ACC students and employees can use bus service (and rail service, when it comes online) at no cost to them. The goal of the pilot program is to collect ridership data, gauge interest in free use of mass transit, and assess the need for new routes.
“This new ridership program will benefit not only the students, but the environment as well, and ACC students are always trying to find new and innovative ways to improve life using green practices,” says Joshua Bacak, president of the college’s Student Government Association.
The spring 2010 Green Pass may be used through May 31.
Click here for more details about Green Pass and Frequently Asked Questions. You can find additional information on ACC’s commitment to sustainability at austincc.edu/sustainability.
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By Nancy December 16, 2009 - 12:55 pm
Can the Education Continuing students get this green pass ?
By Marissa December 17, 2009 - 11:14 am
Thank you so much. I will save so much money now, because of this. 🙂
By Marie Perez December 21, 2009 - 6:28 pm
Amen!!! Thank you, thank you, ACC students get to ride. I was always puzzled why the ACC students couldn’t get on free or ride as a discount like other students. Prayers have been answered. Thanks ACC Green Pass!!! I’m sure not only myself but others like myself that this is a blessing to us all.
By james December 22, 2009 - 4:44 am
thanks so much for this!
By Chris December 24, 2009 - 6:57 pm
That’s awesome. Ditto what Marissa said – especially since Cap Metro is instituting a fare increase to $28 for a monthly pass beginning Jan. 18. So this really helps us with our monthly bills!
By mauricio December 26, 2009 - 4:31 pm
How very economical. Awesome idea.
By Jaime C. Garcia December 28, 2009 - 7:32 pm
Perfect. Now if only Austin metro could reach the Cedar Park Campus.
By vektör December 29, 2009 - 2:06 pm
I will save so much money now, because of this.
By vektör December 29, 2009 - 2:06 pm
I will save so much money now, because of this.
By Shatirrar December 31, 2009 - 12:51 am
Thanks goodness.. no more hassle in the morning!!
By Brooke Wilde December 31, 2009 - 7:53 pm
I have 2 continuing education classes and one is till 9:30p.m., do we also get green passes and will the buses pick up and drop off at Longhorn Landing Apartments?
By Casey January 3, 2010 - 9:06 pm
I don’t know how the capital Metro Bus system works but I will learn now.
By Evan January 3, 2010 - 10:08 pm
That’s awesome. I appreciate all the effort ACC puts into making college life easier and more accessible!!
By ACC Staff January 4, 2010 - 12:59 pm
Students who are enrolled in spring 2010 credit classes and have paid full tuition or set up a payment plan are eligible to get a Green Pass, as are faculty and staff.
By Blue Tree Green Heart January 4, 2010 - 8:12 pm
[…] heart: Check it out. Free. Bus. Pass. Thank you ACC for the Green Pass! I’ll be back later for the dinner post. I know you’re on pins and needles! […]
By Eric January 4, 2010 - 11:15 pm
Thank god! Unfortunately this is my last semester there. It would have been nice a year ago! I guess it’s better later than never that’s for sure!
By Alexander January 5, 2010 - 5:57 am
Thank goodness no more monthly passes! ACC is my hero /sob
By brittany, Karen January 6, 2010 - 3:58 pm
Thank you so much ACC/Cap metro for starting this program. With so many campuses spread so far apart this is what was missing and really needed. Now you just need to figure out how to get transportation to the Cypress campus.
By daniel January 7, 2010 - 7:27 pm
THANK YOU!!! this will help me so much!
By Alyssa January 11, 2010 - 4:35 am
Yes! I didn’t think the day would come so soon when I could ride the bus for free like UT students get to! I didn’t know why we weren’t getting the privileges they get! Thank you to whoever made this happen!
By Sedge January 11, 2010 - 9:19 pm
Fantastic idea! This will help all the students of ACC in addition to supporting Capitol Metro employees, the environment, and the city of Austin itself by increasing the number of people who utilize public transit. Thanks again, Capitol Metro and ACC, for putting this into action!
By Jorge M January 14, 2010 - 8:48 pm
I’ve Never use the city bus befoe, but now I will save money and gas by riding in the bus. Thanks Acc & Capital Metro. This really helps alot… aloooot 🙂
By Kat January 15, 2010 - 7:27 pm
Its really wonderful that ACC students finally get to share this privilege. It can only mean good things for our planet, Capital Metro employees, and ACC students. Thanks to everyone involved in making this happen!
By denisse January 28, 2010 - 12:00 pm
hey i just stopped by to say thanks for that wonderful idea of the Green Pass, it will save us alot of money,
thanks alot
By Zeke February 4, 2010 - 9:27 pm
This is so sweet! What can we do, BESIDES utilize the heck out of it, to make sure that transportation assistance to students continues for semesters to come??
If not free, why not just a ten dollar fee (ala the “parking pass”) per semester or school year? Of course, they’re not going to continue to let us ride for free. That would just be TOO sweet. But, I guess all we can do is ride, and write in, to show them our needs are finally being met.
By Kevin James Jimenez February 9, 2010 - 1:10 pm
This is a good program. It’s safe me and my mom a lot of money from making us go to H-E-B and always buy the two weeks pass.
By Sejal Patel March 22, 2010 - 10:21 pm
That is so cool that there is a green pass for us students. I think it saves us takes a load off a lot of people’s shoulders so we do not have to sit in traffic for a long period of time. This sounds like a good idea