Las Positas College Student Pass Program

Target Audience: Las Positas College is a community college located in Livermore, CA with a student enrollment of approximately 8,500. This AdWheel entry represents a partnership between the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA), Las Positas College and the Las Positas College Student Government. The target audience for the entry was Las Positas College students, faculty and staff. The objective of the partnership was to increase awareness of the transit pass program and to increase ridership among students, faculty and staff in advance of a student vote on a Student Mobility Fee to fund the continuation of the pass program.

Strategy Objective:A number of strategies were employed. Prior to the start of Fall registration, six 4-foot by 6-foot banners, thirty yard signs, 100 posters and a brochure promoting the Student Transit Pass Program were designed and produced by LAVTA and placed at key locations around campus by the Las Positas College administration and student government. Web pages were developed by both parties. Frequent tabling events were held on campus and specialized promo items were produced targeting Las Positas students. The student government association decided to hold a special election to vote on the Student Mobility Fee during the week of November 13. To encourage voting, student government leaders set up voting stations in the student cafeteria and offered free pancakes for anyone voting (yes or no).

Situation Challenge: In August 2016, 15 minute frequency Rapid bus service was introduced to the Las Positas College campus, replacing what had previously been 30 minute peak/60 minute off-peak service. At the same time a two-year grant funded pilot unlimited access student transit pass was introduced. The long term goal was to create a sustainable funding source so that the pass program could be continued once the subsidized pilot concluded. Both the Las Positas College administration and the college student government were strongly in support of the pass program and offered assistance to encourage ridership and to develop a mechanism for long term funding. The challenge was to develop a strong transit ridership base, as well as encourage students to vote for a Student Mobility Fee to sustain the program

Results Impact: Ridership among Las Positas College students is up dramatically since this outreach effort started. In October 2017, average weekday student ridership was 615, a 28% increase over the same month in 2016. October 2018 average weekday student ridership was 727, an increase of another 18% over 2017. The student vote on the Student Mobility Fee took place the in late 2017. The final results were 90% in favor, 10% opposed. The results of the student vote were accepted and approved by the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District Board of Trustees in April 2018 and the Student Mobility Fee was collected for the first time beginning with the Fall 2018 semester.

Why Submit: This entry represents an outstanding partnership between three parties, the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority, the Las Positas College administration and the Las Positas College student government. All parties shared a common goal and vision: increase utilization of public transit and put in place a sustainable funding mechanism to enable an unlimited access pass program to be available for students attending Las Positas College in the future.