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Beaumont approves semester student bus pass for Lamar, LIT and trade-school students
Summary
The City Council approved an ordinance creating a low-cost semester pass for higher-education students to ride Beaumont’s Zip bus system unlimited times while school is in session; eligibility, cost and implementation details were discussed during a public hearing with Lamar University and LIT officials.
The Beaumont City Council approved an ordinance establishing a semester student mobility pass for the Beaumont Zip public transit system, intended to give students at Lamar University, Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) and accredited trade schools unlimited rides while classes are in session.
The program will offer a photo ID pass valid for a full regular semester (115 days) or a summer session (45 days) for a proposed recovery fee of $5 per session, according to Claudia San Miguel, general manager of Beaumont Transit Management. “Once and if approved, passes to be purchased today would only be purchased at our office,” San Miguel said during the council presentation.
The council and transit staff framed the pass as a cost and convenience measure. San Miguel described the pass as a one-time payment per session that allows unlimited rides during the published operating hours — roughly the system’s service day beginning at first trips through the evening schedule — and said the pass would be valid only while the student is enrolled for that session.
Nut graf: City officials and university representatives said the pass will reduce transportation barriers that they said prevent students from reaching classes, medical appointments and jobs, and city staff said it could be incorporated into financial-aid packages to reduce or eliminate out-of-pocket costs for students with demonstrated need.
Lamar University officials spoke in support at the public hearing. Sean Gray, associate vice president for student affairs at Lamar, said transit access improves students’ ability to reach medical and counseling referrals. “We have found … students are having difficulty getting to those referral appointments,” Gray told the council. Elizabeth Dela Rosa, dean of students at Lamar, said the pass would help students who do not own cars and may not carry cash. “The opportunity to provide a discounted rate, and even more so to be able to introduce that into their financial aid package … is profound,” she said.
Key program details presented to council and included in staff materials are: proof of current enrollment at an accredited institution to qualify; a one-page application with institutional validation; issuance of a photo ID card for the session; a $5 recovery fee as the proposed initial price; unlimited rides during the session; and sale of passes at the transit office. San Miguel said staff will work with institutions’ financial-aid offices to seek treatment of the pass as a financial-aid-eligible expense so the cost could be covered for qualifying students.
Eligibility and related questions discussed at the meeting included an internal recommendation to limit eligibility to people age 17 and older, to address concerns about unsupervised younger riders. Council members asked about cost savings compared with monthly passes; staff explained the semester pass is intended to be simpler for students and could save roughly the cost of one or more monthly passes over a full semester depending on ridership patterns. Council members also asked whether the program could be extended or adapted for veterans; transit staff said a separate veterans program already provides no-cost transportation to veterans and active service members through an existing one-page application and local partnerships.
The ordinance passed by voice vote; the council recorded “aye” and the mayor declared the motion carried. The ordinance gives staff authority to implement the new fixed and paratransit fares and to proceed with coordination with Lamar, LIT and other eligible institutions.
City staff said next steps include finalizing ticketing and ID production procedures, publishing instructions for students and institutions, and beginning sales once operational details are complete. San Miguel told the council staff will immediately begin working with school administrations to finalize enrollment validation and to pursue any financial-aid integration.
Ending: Council members and university officials said they will monitor uptake and student feedback once the program starts. Staff indicated they will return to council with operational updates if needed or with adjustments to fare policy once data on use and revenue are available.
