Swarthmore College is the first higher education institution to join SEPTA’s Key Advantage Program, writes Ariana Perez-Gastells for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

About 1,600 full-time Swarthmore students will be able to use free SEPTA passes throughout the academic year, up to 240 rides a month.

SEPTA’s “UPass” program is open to any school or university in the region that SEPTA serves, according to Jennifer Scimone, manager of business development in the financial operations department at SEPTA.

Swarthmore was the first school to indicate interest in participating.  It hopes to bring 15 colleges and universities into the program in its first year.

A monthly all-access SEPTA Key card usually costs $204. Schools are offered a deep discount through the UPass program.

“We’re hoping to gain ridership with this young group of people and establish those patterns while they’re in college,” said Scimone. “Hopefully they’ll continue on in their career in the area, and then they’ll be using SEPTA when they start out in the workforce.”

UPass is an extension of SEPTA’s Key Advantage program which lets businesses buy discounted Key cards for employees.

Twenty-two employers have joined the business program. Employees using the cards are riding SEPTA an average of 13 percent more.  

Read more about SEPTA’s effort to boost ridership in The Philadelphia Inquirer.