{"id":9369,"date":"2019-09-04T17:02:29","date_gmt":"2019-09-04T17:02:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/news\/?p=9369"},"modified":"2020-07-17T16:04:20","modified_gmt":"2020-07-17T16:04:20","slug":"auggie-pass-provides-augsburg-undergraduate-students-unlimited-rides-on-buses-and-light-rail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/news\/2019\/09\/04\/auggie-pass-provides-augsburg-undergraduate-students-unlimited-rides-on-buses-and-light-rail\/","title":{"rendered":"Auggie Pass Provides Augsburg Undergraduate Students Unlimited Rides on Buses and Light Rail"},"content":{"rendered":"

Augsburg\u2019s student government approved paying for the pass by student fee so no undergraduates pays out of pocket to commute to campus, internships, jobs\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

(Minneapolis) — Augsburg University now offers the Auggie Pass, a universal transit pass that gives undergraduate\"The<\/a> students unlimited rides on buses and light rail in a first of its kind partnership between Metro Transit and a Twin Cities college.<\/span><\/p>\n

Skye Ryge was an Augsburg student government environmental officer last year when she advocated for student government to approve a $5 green fee increase to $20 per semester to pay for the Auggie Pass. She believes it will help reduce students\u2019 financial strain and improve their chances of accepting jobs and internships involving a commute.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs someone who uses the bus everyday, it\u2019s great not to have that financial burden,\u201d said Ryge \u201820, who will be a fourth-year student this fall and used to pay more than $100 monthly to ride the bus. \u201cIt\u2019s really economically advantageous to students who pay for school like me to not have to choose between textbooks and bus fare.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEfficiently connecting people to schools, work and other destinations is at the heart of what a quality system does,\u201d said Metro Transit General Manager Wes Kooistra. \u201cWe are excited about this partnership, connecting Augsburg University students to our system and our region, and hope this develops into a model that can be duplicated with other schools.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Auggie Pass is valid throughout the school year and is paid for by the student Green Fee and University operating funds. All undergraduate day students who pay the semester Green Fee are eligible. Students can now pick up their Auggie Pass in the Lindell Library at the circulation desk on the ground level. <\/span>Visit Augsburg transportation webpage <\/span><\/a>for more details.<\/span><\/p>\n

The push for the Auggie Pass was an effort to support Augsburg’s Transportation Plan goals:<\/span><\/p>\n