In a partnership with Cal State Long Beach and LBCC, Mayor Robert Garcia announced Wednesday the College Promise Pass, a program that will offer Long Beach college students free or discounted transit passes for Long Beach Transit, with Garcia soon to ask Metro Los Angeles for additional support.

Based off the city’s College Promise and backed by both academic presidents as well as Long Beach Transit, Garcia will form a working group that will spend six months augmenting the current programs in place at CSULB and LBCC.

Following that, an all-in-one pass will be created.

The initial creation of the pass will cost $350,000, split between the city and Long Beach Transit. After the all-in-one pass is implemented and the details behind its full operation understood, Garcia said he is “committed to fund the program every year.

“Our Long Beach City College and Long Beach State students deserve accessible and safe transportation to school and work,” Garcia said. “The new Promise Pass will support students who currently ride the bus, and hopefully encourage new riders to use the system. This new College Promise program is a partnership with CSULB, LBCC, and Long Beach Transit and we are looking forward to developing a model system in the months ahead.”

The move comes after Cal State Long Beach students expressed outrage over rising transit costs earlier this year—and marks much-needed municipal support of student transportation as well as a tangible outlet for the city to meet its climate change goals.

Brian Addison is a columnist and editor for the Long Beach Post. Reach him at [email protected] or on social media at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.