UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Following an unprecedented display of interest that briefly impacted the department website, Penn State Transportation Services will conduct a lottery to select a limited number of new participants for the graduate student “Ride for Five” mass transit program.
The “Ride for Five” program is a reduced-fare mass transit program that offers eligible participants access to CATABUS community service for just $5 per month.
Interested graduate students may submit the online application available at the Transportation Services website through 5 p.m. Sept. 4. The Parking Office will then conduct a lottery to randomly select as many as 150 applicants for participation in the “Ride for Five” program. This method will ensure that all interested graduate students have an equal chance to participate in the program, and will not penalize students who were unable to submit their application when the website was unavailable. Those selected for the program will be contacted by email within the next two to three weeks and will receive instructions at that time regarding how to purchase the “Ride for Five” pass. Students not selected may still purchase a CATABUS pass, but will be required to do so directly from CATA at their standard rates.
Graduate students who already submitted an application need not apply again, as their applications will be included in the lottery. Only one application will be accepted per student.
As previously announced, applications will only be accepted by University Park graduate students who:
- live off campus;
- do not currently have access to a CATA bus pass through an existing apartment/residence program; and
- do not have a daytime-access Penn State parking permit (or must return this permit when purchasing the “Ride for Five” mass transit pass), but may register for an evening/weekend parking permit.
Graduate students previously enrolled in the program who chose not to renew the pass for the 2015-16 academic year will not be eligible to register for a 2015-16 “Ride for Five” pass.
Enrollment in the program for existing graduate student “Ride for Five” pass holders will not be affected by the lottery, and all existing permits paid in full will remain valid through June 30, 2016.
Any graduate student who owns a vehicle and needs transportation to and from campus prior to the selection of new “Ride for Five” participants is encouraged to register for a student commuter parking permit. Available exclusively online, the commuter permit provides parking throughout the day at the campus commuter lots (Lot 44, Stadium West, Porter North), as well as access to many additional lots on weekdays after 4 p.m. and throughout the day on Saturdays and Sundays. A dual fall/spring semester permit is available for $90, while a fall-only permit is available for $45. Students who register for the permit but are later selected for entry into the “Ride for Five” program will be required to return the permit when purchasing the mass transit pass, but will receive a prorated refund.
Normally priced at $69 per month, CATA provides mass transit passes to the University at a reduced cost of $42 per month, with Penn State Transportation Services covering $37 per month of that cost for the more than 2,000 faculty, staff and graduate students currently enrolled in the “Ride for Five” program.
For more information, contact the Parking Office by phone at 814-865-1436 or by email at parking@psu.edu.