Support TU-Pass: affordable transportation for every Temple University student

Sign on in support of Key Advantage UPass for Temple University

SEPTA recently launched their Key Advantage UPass Program which provides heavily discounted monthly transit passes to university students. By adopting this program, Temple University can end transit insecurity among students, help meet the University’s climate goals, and increase students’ access to Philadelphia’s educational, cultural, recreational, and professional opportunities.

Transportation is a key issue for Temple University and its students, especially many of the roughly 81% of Temple students who live off campus. Temple is well served by SEPTA’s regional rail, bus, and subway networks making it an affordable and convenient option to travel to and from campus. With 84% of students agreeing transit passes would be a meaningful benefit to them, now is the time for Temple to adopt the Key Advantage UPass program. 

Offering students Key Advantage UPass will also help meet the University’s carbon reduction benchmarks put forth in its Climate Action Plan. This plan includes reducing student, faculty, and staff travel emissions, promoting sustainable transportation, increasing the number of commuters who travel to campus sustainably to 75%, and reducing the number of single occupancy vehicles on campus by 10% by 2025.

How the program works: 

  • Each month an all-access pass is loaded on students’ Key cards which is valid at all times and on all services provided by SEPTA (bus, subway, regional rail, trolley, etc.)
  • Universities must offer Key Advantage UPass to all eligible students regardless of whether students utilize the pass (this is not an opt-in program)
  • Introductory price is $100 per student for a four-month semester, or $150 per student for the full six months (This is $25/month vs. the $204/month it would normally cost – almost a 90% discount!)
  • Universities can pay for the passes themselves, charge students a transit fee rolled into their tuition, or split the cost between both options

Interested in getting involved with advocating for Temple University to adopt the UPass Program? Sign on to this petition and contact Will (wfraser@cleanair.org) or Maya (mfrydman@cleanair.org) to learn more about how you can get involved.

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