New Pilot Program Offers Free MBTA Passes to SMFA Degree Candidates

Beginning this fall, students enrolled in degree programs at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) at Tufts will have free, unlimited local MBTA subway and bus access.

That's thanks to University Pass (UPass), a two-year pilot program just launched by the MBTA. Tufts was the first university to sign onto the program.

To qualify for the pass, students must be enrolled in a degree program at the SMFA. Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible for the program.

Nearly 700 students qualify for UPass. All students who are eligible for the program are automatically enrolled, with no additional steps needed on their part. All those eligible received an email from the university's Transportation and Parking Office with instructions on where to pick up their pass and how to use it.

The passes have been distributed through a variety of venues, with first-year students and returning residential students receiving the passes when they checked in upon their return to campus. As the semester gets under way, Transportation and Parking Office staff will be stationed at SMFA shuttle bus stops to give passes to eligible nonresidential students who are riding the shuttle. The passes are also available in the school's Student Life Office.

This new transportation option has been made possible by the completion of the Green Line Extension, which extended subway service to the Medford/Somerville campusin December 2022.

"For our students-many of whom commute to class from Medford and Somerville every day-having a convenient and sustainable transportation option is conducive to a healthy and generative learning experience," said Alyssa Baker, associate dean of student life at the SMFA. "The UPass program gives our students options for moving between campuses in ways that best align with their schedules. This is a significant benefit to our students."

The university has no plans to discontinue the shuttle service that connects the SMFA and Medford/Somerville campuses; instead, UPass represents an additional option for student travel.

"Whether it's a traffic jam on Route 93 or unforeseen maintenance on the Green Line, the reality is that things happen," said Jason Novsam, associate director of transportation, "That's why providing options in the form of both the shuttle bus and the Green Line is going to be a big plus for our students."

In addition to offering flexibility and convenience in travel between the two campuses, UPass also creates sustainability benefits, Novsam notes.

"Incentivizing student use of public transportation is integral to the carbon-reduction goals of both the university and the broader region," he says. "Compared to driving a personal vehicle, the Tufts shuttle is a comparatively sustainable option, but it still generates some emissions. When our students ride the Green Line, we're able to reduce that carbon factor even more."

"The pass gives you full access to MBTA bus and subway service throughout Boston, including later in the evening when the Tufts shuttles are no longer running," said Baker. "No matter where you live, or where you need to go for jobs or internships or exhibits, you can get there with the T and UPass."

In addition to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in SMFA degree programs, students enrolled in the university's dual degree program with the New England Conservatory are also eligible for UPass.

At mid-semester, after SMFA students have had a chance to use the program, the Transportation and Parking Office plans to do a survey to gather rider feedback to inform future offerings of the program.