Public transportation isn't always the most reliable way to get where you're going -- but some Evanston residents who met this week think the Chicago Transit Authority could be doing better. They sought more reliable schedules and better conditions from the city's public transportation -- and the key, they said, might be more involvement from Northwestern students in addition to NU joining CTA's U-Pass program.
Any student who has ever taken the El has probably seen posters advertising the program, which allows full-time students at participating colleges unlimited rides on any CTA bus or train during an academic term. While nearby schools such as Loyola and DePaul universities participate, NU administrators have said they don't think the program would be cost effective or a good fit for undergraduates, although both the Law School and Medill's Graduate Program are U-Pass subscribers.
Actually, U-Pass would be an excellent resource for NU students. Even if students don't use public transportation enough now to justify the expense, unlimited free rides into Chicago would surely be an incentive to start using it more. Because the program also would encourage students to use the bus system more, CTA would feel pressure to clean up its act and get routes and schedules straightened out -- benefits Evanston residents would appreciate, too.
We don't expect NU to adopt the program without carefully weighing its pros and cons. An online referendum sponsored by Associated Student Government would be an effective way to gauge how popular this program is among students. Like cable TV in dorm rooms, students cannot "opt-out" of U-Pass if they are not interested in paying for it -- so students should think about how much they would use public transportation if it became readily available. If U-Pass turns out to be something students want, NU administrators should do their best to get it for them.
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