City council will vote on an intergovernmental agreement with the Regional Public Transportation Authority at its March 6 meeting, providing Platinum Passes to Tempe city employees and youth riders.
Sue Taaffe, senior management assistant, wrote in a city staff report that the five-year intergovernmental agreement allows Tempe to provide fare media, which are known as Platinum Passes, to employees and residents ages 6 to 18.
“The city of Tempe and Regional Public Transportation Authority desire to provide a seamless and affordable regional public transportation system,” Taaffe stated.
Taaffe wrote that the purchase of these passes should not exceed $250,000 annually, and the funding is provided by the city’s transit fund. This agreement, if approved, shall continue through June 30, 2029.
Tempe provides free transit to all employees as part of the Maricopa County Trip Reduction Program, which was created because of a 1988 air quality bill that requires a trip reduction program for employers with over 50 employees.
Annually, Tempe’s trip reduction program costs between $25,000 and $75,000 based on usage. Taaffe wrote in the report that monthly charges are capped at $64 per card for local routes, light rail and streetcar boardings, and $104 per card for Express/RAPID routes.
Tempe will only be charged for the actual number of boardings annually, and the cost of each Platinum Pass is $2.
The Tempe Youth Free Transit Program also makes use of the RPTA’s Platinum Passes. This program was implemented in 2005, and it allows youth residents ages 6 to 18 to take Valley Metro bus routes, the light rail and Tempe Streetcar without charge for one year.
Taaffe stated in the report that the annual cost of this program ranges from $80,000 to $150,000 based on usage. Monthly charge caps are $32 per card for local routes, light rail and streetcar boardings only, and $104 per card for Express/RAPID routes.
Tempe City Council will meet at 6 p.m. March 6 in the city council chambers at Tempe City Hall, 31 E. Fifth St. Meetings can also be watched via Cox Cable Channel 11 and at www.tempe.gov/tempe11.
Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines. Reporter Caroline Yu can be reached at cyu@iniusa.org
Meet Caroline Caroline Yu joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2020 as a summer intern covering Scottsdale. As an intern, she continued her coverage of Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Tempe. After graduating in 2022, Caroline became a full-time reporter for Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. She is currently reporting for the Tempe market.
Community: She is a supporter of the environment and tries to get involved with related community events.
Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications, with a minor in French.
Random Fact: She used to be a ballet dancer for 10 years.
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