Image by Tory Germann
01/21/2017
Lowell Sun
By Todd Feathers
LOWELL -- UMass Lowell students and faculty can now ride all Lowell Regional Transit Authority buses for free just by showing their university ID.
The leaders of the university and LRTA hailed the deal on Friday as huge step toward connecting members of the UMass family with surrounding communities and promoting sustainability.
Officials also urged students to take advantage of the arrangement, which is starting as a 6-month pilot but could become permanent if it produces positive results.
"We want this pilot to really be successful, and we think it should be," said James Scanlan, LRTA administrator. "Because how many places do you go where your university makes a commitment to you like this?"
UMass Lowell will cover the costs of student and faculty rides. The pilot also includes a route on the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority that runs through Lawrence and past the university's satellite campus at Harbor Place in Haverhill.
In total, UMass student and faculty will have access to free transportation through more than 10 communities surrounding Lowell.
UMass Chancellor Jacqueline Moloney thanked several of the students who attended Friday's press conference for their guidance, which was the impetus for the university to pursue the deal.
"This generation of students is very concerned about the future and that's why sustainability is very big on their minds," Moloney said. "They are the ones who helped drive this and put this first and foremost on our minds at the University.
"In the past, city officials have bemoaned what they see as the LRTA's cautious approach to partnering with other organizations.
But none of that ill will was on display Friday, as Scanlan, Moloney, and Phil Shea, the city's appointed member to the LRTA Advisory Board, praised each other in front of a group of 30 students who had been gathered together for the event near a bus stop on Salem Street.
"This is a really important partnership and great partnerships don't happen without a great force of will -- willingness to pick up and do the right thing," Moloney said.