The Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) recently honored the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) and the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) as part of the 2012 Sustainable Success Stories program for their implementation of the U-Pass program, the first university transit pass in the region.

UMKC students are eligible to ride all of KCATA’s The Metro bus routes and MAX Bus Rapid Transit with their student IDs, in return for paying a universal student fee.

KCATA and UMKC have promoted the U-Pass program through campus visits, student videos, social media, advertising, and other forms of outreach.

“U-Pass is popular with traditional and non-traditional students,” said KCATA General Manager Mark Huffer. “The positive experience that UMKC is enjoying is generating interest from other local colleges and universities. From creating a smaller environmental footprint to reducing the demand for on-campus parking, there are numerous benefits to this type of partnership.”

KCATA also noted that U-Pass has had a positive impact on its ridership. The program began in fall 2011, and Metro ridership for 2011 increased 5.7 percent. Ridership for the first half of 2012 is up 8.9 percent, due in part to new student riders.

MARC’s annual Sustainable Success Stories award program highlights projects that help create sustainable places and practices in the region.