Weekend passes make city travel a snap

Have you found it difficult to get down to Center City? Do you have any friends at Temple, Villanova or Swarthmore you should visit more often? Last semester, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority introduced student weekend passes making it easier -- and cheaper -- for students to travel throughout the region. From 6 p.m. Fridays to 2 a.m. Mondays, students with the free metallic "swipe" cards can travel on SEPTA's subways, buses and trolleys for $1 per ride and on the railway system for $2 per ride. The pass -- which is still in its trial stages -- is now available for the spring semester. And while the card is physically different from the one introduced in the fall, it offers identical benefits. SEPTA officials said that although students from 41 area schools have requested the passes, Penn -- along with the Community College of Philadelphia -- tops the list as the largest card-holding school. And Assistant Director of Student Activities Beth Hagovsky agreed that "[The student weekend passes] are hugely popular." She added that the 500 cards the University received at the beginning of the semester ran out in three days. A shipment of 2,000 more passes came in last week. University students can obtain the passes, which are good through May 11, at the information desk in Houston Hall. SEPTA spokesperson Richard DiLullo expressed enthusiasm about the program's success, noting that roughly 1,500 students use the passes on any given weekend. He added that increasing numbers of students are showing interest in the system. Center City District spokesperson Nancy Goldenberg said the cards provide cheap incentives for students to venture off their college campuses. The CCD co-sponsors the pass program in conjunction with the City Paper. DiLullo added that weekend transportation is "not always filled" so it "makes sense [for SEPTA] to offer an incentive and take advantage that there are seats." Trenton-bound trains are the only routes not discounted by the pass. DiLullo said SEPTA hopes its train service to the airport from University City will see "heavy usage" among students. Students using the discount pass save $3 of the regular $5 per ride fare. Hagovsky said she did not know which routes University students utilize most -- or if the airport service has been heavily used in the past. Wharton and Engineering sophomore Jeremy Kalan said he would recommend the card to other students, noting that he has used it for both transportation into Center City and trips to surrounding areas. Goldenberg explained that representatives from both the CCD and SEPTA have promoted the card at various universities, including Penn. And CCD Representative Bill Carroll said that although many passes have already been distributed, "we have plenty more to go around."

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