A PATH to Greater Public Transit Access

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Hat tip, a listserv I'm on

A PATH to Greater Public Transit Access

The PATH to College Act, introduced earlier this month—and included in the House’s version of the Build Back Better Act—would make public transportation more accessible for students at community colleges and minority-serving institutions.

By Alexis Gravely
November 29, 2021

In an unusually quick turnaround for federal politics, a report published in May inspired the introduction of bipartisan legislation just this month that would improve access to public transportation for college students, an investment that is widely supported by higher education advocates.

It all began in January, when researchers at the Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation set out to answer the question “Do students need a car to attend community college?” What they found captured the attention of lawmakers: only 57 percent of primary community college campuses are within half a mile of a transit stop, even though 99 percent of community college students live off campus. Further, 25 percent of those campuses that aren’t accessible could be made accessible simply by extending an existing transit line.

“What you’re talking about is adding a transit stop to a route that already exists—building one bus shelter or changing the route a little bit,” said Abigail Seldin, CEO of the foundation. “It’s having a bus go two more miles down the road. From an infrastructure standpoint, that’s just so easy. It’s right there.”

The foundation shared its findings both on and off Capitol Hill. The report especially hit home for Higher Learning Advocates, an organization that advocates for solutions that break down systemic barriers and support the success of today’s students, who saw the prospects of working across the aisle to solve “a solvable problem,” said Julie Peller, executive director at Higher Learning Advocates.

The outcome was the Promoting Advancement Through Transit Help to College Act, or PATH to College Act, led in the House by Representatives Conor Lamb, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, and Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican from Pennsylvania, and in the Senate by Senator Bob Casey, a Democrat from Pennsylvania.

“A lack of reliable transportation should never stop a student from achieving their dreams,” Casey said in a release. “This legislation will improve public transportation so students can pursue education and training beyond high school, allowing them to focus on their education instead of how they’re getting to school every day.”

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[mopinko]

1. kinda hard to believe no one ever thought of this.

the cc i went to would be a great candidate. it was in the cornfields when i went there, tho it's outer chicago burbs now. only need about 10 more miles on the commuter lines, and a bus route of about 20 miles.