Many Chicago Students walk it to school every day. For various reasons, some of the students come in late because they don’t have transportation available to them. Some schools offer a Ventra card that is made for students, the fare is reduced to about 75 cents. It may not sound like a lot but over time and even over the years it can become uneasy to get money for transportation, especially since younger kids who would use them don’t work yet. We would like to campaign for a U-pass and allow students to travel for free. Of course, there would be some limits such as not available during the weekends and perhaps over the summer. We believe that in order for this to work we shall not let this be abused in any way.
I truly support this idea because families most of the time struggle with this issue of transportation but I believe it should be giving to students to a certain extent. It is something necessary and beneficial for students. Not only do parents of most of those students save money, but the worry of having enough money to get to school or saving up is not there anymore.
A U-Pass will be convenient because some people might not have money for the bus or train so they end up not going to school but if the CTA was free then more people will show up and it can save families money for all the students who have used public transportation all 4 years or high school or even more.
I strongly believe that transportation to and for school should have no cost. Students should not have to worry about paying for the bus fare. By providing costless fare students will one less concern and will take safe, warm, and reliable transportation to school daily
I agree with this idea because i witness many students myself not having enough money on their card and not being able to ride the bus because of their insufficient fare. Giving students a “U-Pass” for free travel during the school week only would be very beneficial to everyone who cant afford the bus on a day to day basis or week to week basis.
I would have to agree with you, I feel like students should have free transport because due to not having free transport students are usually late and that affects them as a student. Other students walk long distances to come to school because they don’t have money to be using transportation and paying every time.
I agree with this idea because i witness many students myself not having enough money on their card and not being able to ride the bus because of their insufficient fare. Giving students a “U-Pass” for free travel during the school week only would be very beneficial to everyone who cant afford the bus on a day to day basis or week to week basis.
I believe that all students should have free transportation to school because just by them not being able to go to school, their education is being affected. For example, they may be going to school late or not even going to school at all due to them not having money to get to school or even getting there late. That could cause them to not learn the things they need to learn or be able to learn at their full potential. This leads to their right to education being violated because they cant get the education required to live a normal life.
I agree with this because not all student have access to a means of transportation to get to school , some students have to wake up early just to walk to school to make it on time without transportation as when winter comes they can use the pass to take a bus a stay warm . Also if student do not have means of transportation getting home walking at night can be dangerous and especially in a city like Chicago.
I agree on this idea, that would probably help me with getting school everyday and also get more sleep. With transportation being free i wouldn’t have to worry about getting to school late. I also think its a great idea to not abuse how much you can use the bus, its already enough getting to school and back for free.
Dear Janely, I thought that free CTA pass for high schools students was interesting in your post. I agree when you say that most students come late because, they don’t have transportation to school, I feel like if they gave students free CTA passes kids would be on time everyday for school. Or even come to school more often so that school can have high attendance rates.
I agree we should have free CTA transportation to go to school. I personally have issues paying the price to get to school and work. sometime the student Ventra charges a full fare. I take 5 bus trips for school and work. it gets pricey over time. if school wants kids who live far to go there they should provide aid to those who cant afford it all year round
I agree because people from all over have to take multiple buses and trains to get here and we use a lot of our money just to get here and we could use it on food and other things.
The CTA should be free for students, the fare should be waived. I use transit weekly and that fare money adds up. Especially on the weekends on my way to work, 10$ alone on the weekend. Students shouldn’t be worrying about paying any fee on their way to get an education.
I definitely agree with this. A few other people were making posts about student homelessness, which is a problem that many kids face and sometimes any amount of money is too much. As time progresses, all the money that students spend on transportation could add up to other necessities that could be more vital to their health. There are also a variety of students who get jobs to try and pay all of these extra expenses, which takes away from the time they could spend furthering their understanding of their education, and from the energy, they need during their classes.
I agree with your statement since many students struggle to get to school because of the lack of transportation. Many students come late every day because they have to walk to school instead of going on the bus. If students had free passes for CTA I think it would make their routine easier and most efficient.
I believe this is a really beneficial idea and great way to ensure students can get to school without having the worry of how they going to pay for the bus. Not only this but if the school accepted the student knowing how far they lived they should provide the student with the transportation.
I agree with this idea because there are a lot of students who need to use public transportation everyday and they have to spend a lot of money to use trains or buses so a free U pass will have some relief on the funds and make public transport easier to use.
I feel as if you are right and that CPS students should have access to free transportation . However do not abuse the power of having free access to the CTA as like trying to have it free on the weekends.
I agree with this idea because I know of many people who walk it to school everyday and it can be tough for some especially if the weather is bad. Many people also don have enough for a ventra and it causes them to be late to school.
I agree that people should get free pass but it is also unrealistic. Due do that loss of income they might lose the opportunity to maintain jobs. Even if its handful those jobs can be a live hood for someone else. I like the idea but how can we execute it.
i agree with this idea for the free transportation when attending school because students that don’t have mobility or can’t afford it for the entire school year should at least be provided with a way to get to school.
I think this is a great idea! I know there have been situations where students don’t attend school because they don’t have money to get to school. They should be allowed to get to school without worrying if they have enough money to get there. Free ventras should be an option for students in order to get to school.
I think this is a great idea and agree that for it to work, it should not be abused. It would definitely improve the situation for many students. To put this into perspective, in elementary and middle school my friend would walk 15 or 20 minutes from and to school everyday, no matter the weather condition. Realizing now, a little kid walking that much of a distance to get to school/home is pretty dangerous and while taking the bus would’ve been safer and quicker, they couldn’t afford bus fare everyday.
Dear, Janely, I truly support your argument and have the same points of view for which you come from. But yet, I believe the the biggest argument the schools would use could be the abuse of this card, and the loose of money, not only from the schools but also the city. This is a great cause you are fighting for and I suggest to find a even bigger solution to the abuse of the U-pass.
I agree with idea of providing students with a free ventra card for school because from what I’ve seen a lot of student struggle with receiving money to pay for the bus affair and something end up not going to school because of it. I read this article about European countries using plastic items to pay for the bus affair to help their environment. I think doing something similar to this will not only benefit the environment but also educate the students about recycling and remind them about keeping the environment clean
I agree with this idea because some families do not have a sable method of transportation, this affect their arrival times at school, and possibly the child is missing out on their vital education because they aren’t as fortunate as others. I think students should be allowed free transportation over the city to have the most opportunities in education as possible, all year round because learning doesn’t stop over the summer or weekends.
I completely agree with this post and I think the U pass would be a great idea for all students. I think that students really struggle with going to and from schools. Some students might not be able to provide the sufficient funds needed to ride the bus or train. Even though it might look like a small amount of money, but it adds up within the entire year. I guess this is a reason why people decide to go a school chose to home, but students shouldn’t have to worry about not having enough money to ride transportation to determine where they want to get their education.
I do feel that the idea of having free transport is a good idea. This is because students no longer having any excuse to be late or even miss any class time.
Personally, I think that this is a great idea. This would not only be beneficial for those students who don’t work but also those who are in financial issues. In my opinion, I think that money shouldn’t be a reason for student’s to get late or not even go to school. This idea would help encourage students to continue going to school, not only as a student but as a person too. However I was thinking, will this only apply to CPS students or anyone who is under 18 years old, who is currently a student?
I totally agree with this idea, personally i don’t need to take public transportation to get to school but i have seen people struggle to get there and back and paying should not be an option if you’re just going to school.
This is a great idea, because like many people have said that students struggle with coming up with the money to pay everyday for public transport to go and come back to school. Having this free ventra will help kids come to school instead of having to walk through harsh weather conditions and be on time
I agree with this idea, although seveny five cents may not sound like alot over time this amount accumalates up to an excessive amount that some students are not able to afford. I also agree with the fact that if we want this idea of a U-pass to work studentś cant abuse this pass because this is just making the students who actually need it look bad.
Hi Janley!
I’m from a city and though it is much smaller compared to Chicago I can understand how difficult it could be. I also spend my summers in Chicago and while its very accessible for pedestrians its difficult to get to on side to the other. I support this campaign and here’s some information on the CTA website (https://www.transitchicago.com/reduced-fare-programs/).
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts!
Sophia
Dear Janely, I thought that free CTA pass for high schools students was interesting in your post. I agree when you say that most students come late because, they don’t have transportation to school, I feel like if they gave students free CTA passes kids would be on time everyday for school. Your post has me thinking if the admin at the school understand what we are saying and if they’re on the same page as us.
Dear Janely,
I thought that your idea of the upass was interesting in this post. I agree when you say people may not have enough money to pay for bus rides all school years because when I was a freshman I relied on my parents to give me bus fare to get to school but, I felt this was a burden to put 15 dollars on my bus card every week. Your post has me thinking of some questions. I wonder, did you think about who we might have to contact to make this happen, if so who?
Hello Wiliam.
My group actually met up with the “Active Transportation Alliance” yesterday. Lynda, who is the organizer of this group had the idea of allowing 18-year-olds and above to have 50% off the already reduced fare. while students below 18 travel for free- since most don’t have jobs yet.
I think this is a good idea because many students struggle to find a way to get to school and don’t have the money to pay for a ride. By getting this students won’t have to worry about any of that and will be very helpful.
I think this idea is beneficial for a lot of students who struggle to get to school. This could help increase attendance rates therefore improving the education of students.
I personally think this is a great idea since many students not only do not have everyday transportation but lack the funds to be able to pay for a bus ride or two on weekdays . This would make students education a lot easier as they would not have to worry about getting to school everyday.
I agree with your statement because many students struggle with transportation when it comes to coming to school and going back. Students shouldn’t have to struggle with transportation when it comes to school since school is mandatory and since we have a time when they want us to come in.
I agree with this idea, I honestly think that this will be good for students. Yet, is it for all Cps or high school students? Anyways this can work and have a positive impact on the students as a whole.