Commuter Options: U-Pass

U-Pass 

The ASU U-Pass offers unlimited access on Valley Metro bus routes and the METRO light rail.

Students
Student U-Passes for 2009-2010 cost $40 per semester or $80 for the full academic year.
$40 Fall Semester: Valid through Jan. 29, 2010*
$40 Spring Semester: Valid Jan. 19 - May 15, 2010*
$80 Academic Year: Valid through May 15, 2010*

Students registered for the spring 2010 semester are welcome to bring their Sun Card and method of payment (cash, personal check, Visa or MasterCard) to any ASU campus PTS office (Downtown, Polytechnic, Tempe or West) to purchase a U-Pass. 

*Students must remain enrolled in classes throughout the semester and be classified as a student in ASU's human resources management database, PeopleSoft; otherwise, the U-Pass will be deactivated.

Charging for the Student U-Pass is a new policy for this year. Please see the recently issued press release and Frequently Asked Questions page for more information.

Employees
Employee U-Passes for 2009-2010 are valid July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010. The cost is $390 annually for a Local pass and $520 annually for an Express pass.

A Local pass grants access to the METRO light rail and Local Valley Metro bus routes.

An Express pass grants access to the METRO Light Rail and Local, Express and Rapid Valley Metro bus routes.

View the list of Local, Express and Rapid Valley Metro bus routes.

An employee who takes classes at ASU may not necessarily be classified as a student. An employee's primary affiliation with the university is determined by ASU’s human resources management system, PeopleSoft. This information is then passed on to the Parking and Transit Services database, which is how PTS identifies U-Pass customers as either student or employee.

Employees with questions are invited to view our U-Pass Frequently Asked Questions page. 

How to Use a U-Pass
The U-Pass you receive from PTS is already activated. However, you must validate every trip before boarding the light rail each time. Simply touch the back of your U-Pass to the orange card reader ("target") located on the transit vending machine kiosk at each boarding station.

Upon touching a valid U-Pass to the orange target, an audible "ding" can be heard, the screen will display a "thank you" message and will show the expiration date of the U-Pass, and the target light will turn from yellow back to green. No type of printed confirmation or ticket is issued.

Be prepared to show proof of a valid fare to METRO fare inspectors by always having your U-Pass and Sun Card with you while riding light rail and by always validating the U-Pass before boarding the train. By validating your U-Pass, you avoid fare violation fines which range from $50-500.

Remember: Touch, Hold and Go
Touch the pass on the orange target.
Hold for the confirmation ding or until target light turns from yellow back to green.
Go and enjoy your ride.

Valley Metro routes and schedules