AUTHORITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Metro and ECC Expand Unlimited Access Program Agreement
Buffalo, NY
The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority announced they have a new comprehensive agreement with Erie Community College to participate in Metro's College University Unlimited Access Pass program.
ECC becomes the fifth local college to have a Metro unlimited access pass program for all of their undergraduate students. The program provides all of ECC's approximately 15,000 undergraduate students with unlimited access to Metro Bus, Rail and Paratransit services seven days a week.
Kimberley A. Minkel, NFTA executive director said, "We are very excited about having all ECC students participate in Metro's Unlimited Ride program. They will now be able to experience the many advantages of using Metro to travel not only to classes, but at any time they want, to all of the places Metro travels in Erie and Niagara counties."
" I would like to thank the NFTA and their directors for providing all ECC students the opportunity to take advantage of unlimited use of all Metro bus and rail services. This service will give easy access to all three ECC campuses from anywhere in Erie County. A special thank you to NFTA Executive Director Minkel for working with ECC to provide this convenience to our students" said Jack Quinn, President of Erie Community College.
The new one-year expanded agreement includes all undergraduate students taking classes at ECC's three campuses starting Sept.1 through May 31, 2012. The previous agreements, which included primarily City campus students, started in 2007.
Metro will provide ECC with student photo identification cards encoded with a magnetic strip that when swiped through the bus fare box or shown to a Metro Rail ticket inspector will provide convenient, unlimited access. The new agreement calls for each student to pay $30 per semester.
As part of the agreement Metro will offer additional MetroLink Route 211 fixed route open door service, which will operate weekdays between the City campus and both North and South campuses from approximately 7 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. The service will also run Saturdays from City campus to South campus between 10 a.m. and 4:50 p.m., providing access to all shopping areas near the McKinley Mall.
ECC has agreed to provide advertising space for Metro to use that will include a outdoor billboard on Ellicott Street across from the college, campus digital signage, website advertising and inclusion in the their promotional materials.
"We laud ECC for adding the additional two campuses to the program so that the entire undergraduate body will now have unlimited access to the whole Metro system to travel throughout the region," Minkel added.
The Metro Bus and Rail system includes 324 buses and 27 rail cars, generating service for approximately 105,000 people a day in Erie and Niagara counties.
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