Schools
Northwestern Students Will Ride CTA No. 201 For Free
Partnership between University and Transit Authority will allow anyone with a University ID to use the service from September until June.
Anyone with Northwestern University identification will be able to ride the CTA’s No. 201 bus for free from September 2015 until June 2016 as part of a partnership between the two entities, the University announced Wednesday.
The agreement, which allows NU-connected (students, faculty, employees, etc.) riders to travel to and from the University and other Evanston attractions, will take the place of the Ryan Field Shuttle “and offer more buses, longer service hours and extended routing,” according to the University.
“At the same time, local traffic congestion will be reduced with the consolidation of redundant transit options.”
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The No. 201 bus route extends from the CTA Howard bus and rail terminal to the Northwestern campus, with stops in the Evanston business district, at Ryan Field and down Central Street to the Westfield Old Orchard shopping mall in Skokie.
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“We have been wanting to provide such a transportation service for many years,” said Brian Peters, assistant vice president for University Services. “It’s definitely a win-win for the Northwestern community and the city of Evanston.”
Under the new five-year agreement, the University has agreed to reimburse the CTA for the cost of $2 fares for Northwestern riders who must show a valid University photo identification card to ride the No. 201 bus for free during the school year. Riders will be charged the standard CTA bus fare for service in July and August. Students still will be able to use the Ventra U-Pass for discounted travel during the summer.
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“This first-of-its-kind agreement with Northwestern exemplifies the value of public-private partnerships,” CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. said. “This benefits not only the University, but also the surrounding communities by making it easier to connect to local communities and neighborhoods and reducing local traffic congestion and harmful emissions as a result of fewer buses traveling many of the same roadways.”
About 600 weekday riders are expected to use the service.
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