The underrated value of U-Pass

Beginning this semester, USC is providing undergraduate students U-Passes that allow them to ride the Los Angeles Metro and bus lines for free. While the change came with an unpopular $93 transportation fee, the U-Pass will not only help students save significantly on transit, but can also incentivize students to begin riding the system. 

In a metropolitan city so full of opportunities — yet famously car-dependent — this is a major step in improving the socioeconomic mobility and undergraduate experience of students who can’t afford the prohibitive expenses of owning a car in L.A. As frustrating as USC’s decision is to add yet another fee on top of a gargantuan cost of attendance, the U-Pass is a reality with benefits students may not yet fully understand.

As a frequent Metro rider, I concede the system has long-standing, complex issues that dissuade people from using it. Long commute times and inconsistent service intervals are some of the major problems that continue to beset the network and prevent it from increasing ridership; indeed, just over 6% of commuters in L.A. rely on public transit.

Even so, Metro has been working for years to significantly improve its useability. In fact, the completion of the regional connector in June allows riders to travel on one line from Santa Monica to East L.A., and from Long Beach to Azusa — the latter route spans almost 50 miles, making it the longest light rail line in the world. 

Beyond infrastructure issues that, in large part, stem from the dominance of cars and freeways and the resultant lack of public investment, concerns about crime and safety also dampen ridership. It is not uncommon to hear anecdotes of harassment from peers, and as a passenger, I have quickly learned to always stay alert and aware of my surroundings after a few close encounters. Riders are also frustrated by the large unhoused population that takes shelter in the rail system.

Metro is highly cognizant of the public’s reluctance to use the network. In addition to expanding existing rail lines and upgrading old stations and train cars, Metro is continually trying different strategies to improve safety and appeal to riders, including placing ambassadors at stations and on trains, as well as collaborating with the city to compassionately accommodate the unhoused population that relies on the system for shelter.

L.A. is home to so many regions full of different histories, cultures, food and activities  — all of which are accessible to USC students by Metro. USC alone is surrounded by three E-Line Metro stops, including Jefferson/USC down the street from USC Village, and two more stops on the southern boundary of campus. Not only does the E-Line run directly to Santa Monica, but you can connect to the B-Line to Hollywood, the D-Line to Koreatown and the A-Line to Pasadena, Arcadia and Long Beach. The E-Line will now also take you to four stops downtown, including Little Tokyo. In addition to the rail lines, Metro buses cover the vast majority of the city. 

What does this mean for USC students? I have often heard disdainful, sometimes outright classist comments from other students about the Metro system that look down on the fact that low-income residents are more likely to use or depend on public transit. This is a disturbing sentiment at a school already reputed to be full of privileged, upper-class students of elite standing. 

We should also recognize that, contrary to our reputation, a large portion of undergraduate students cannot afford a car or regular Lyfts and Ubers.

Despite the issues Metro faces, negative attitudes toward the system reinforce derogatory narratives that ignore what a valuable public resource Metro is. These narratives not only discourage students from making use of a system they could benefit greatly from, especially with the introduction of the U-Pass, but are deeply harmful to our surrounding community.

First and foremost, we should remember that as USC students, we are a part of the L.A. community. We live in a city that accommodates our college experience — sometimes unwillingly making room for us as the University contributes to gentrification. As such, many of us are also guests in this city. We should speak respectfully of our temporary home and the people who live in it with us — including unhoused Angelenos. 

The public transportation system, including trains and stations, is a collection of spaces that are part of our community. The risk of danger exists anywhere in a city, but we should not accept this as a reality for our public transportation system. As with any space in our city, you can and should mindfully and safely make use of the public transportation system. 

Make use of your U-Pass, explore this city and be a part of this community. It only takes a few minutes to order your free U-Pass on the USC Transportation website. Strong and safe public transportation is imperative to a sustainable future, but we cannot make that a reality until we participate in it.