SCAT Kick-off Encourages Free Student Bus Rides

Eastern Florida State College students can start the year right by saving money thanks to free rides aboard Space Coast Area Transit buses.

The transit system will get things rolling Jan. 15 during its 2nd Annual "Resolve to reThink Your Commute" day, which will kick-off with a 10:45 a.m. ceremony in front of the King Center for the Performing Arts on the Melbourne campus.

The goal is to encourage people throughout Brevard County to reconsider their transportation options, including riding buses, carpooling and vanpooling, biking, walking and telecommuting.

The results can save money, decrease traffic congestion, improve air quality and conserve natural resources.

Eastern Florida students currently ride the bus free thanks to a funding agreement with SCAT. EFSC students took nearly 150,000 trips on SCAT buses under the plan in 2014, putting dollars in their pocket instead of the gas pump.

Bus stops on the Titusville, Cocoa, Melbourne and Palm Bay campuses are convenient, with drop off and pick up for students just steps away from their classes.

The college-SCAT partnership will be renewed at the 10:45 a.m. kickoff, followed by events on all four campuses focusing on coordinating carpools and vanpools, and registering commuters for reThink’s Emergency Ride Home program.

EFSC students can ride the bus free each semester by picking up a special sticker from any campus library or cashier's office. Once placed on an EFSC student ID card, it allows the student to ride SCAT buses free that term.

On January 15 area residents and workers can bring a print-out of the event coupon/ticket offered through RideSCAT.com as their pass to ride the bus for free that day.

The Resolve to reThink Your Commute campaign is led by reThink, a program of the Florida Department of Transportation.

For more information about commuting options, visit https://www.rethinkyourcommute.com/ or call 1-866-610-RIDE (7433).