CityBus to charge for off-campus loops in August

Purdue students, faculty and staff will no longer be able to ride off-campus loops for free when they return to campus in August.

A semester-long pass, which will be valid between Aug. 11 and Dec. 15 in the Fall and Jan. 13 and May 18 in the Spring, will be available for $99 through Token Transit, a mobile ticketing app, according to a CityBus press release.

Purdue affiliated riders will still have free access to on-campus loops, which include 13-Silver, 14-Black, 15-Tower Acres, 20-South Campus and 28-Gold, but will have to pay to use all other loops.

The change goes into effect Aug. 19, the release says, in response to increased costs without corresponding fare increases.

“We haven’t increased our base fare in over two decades,” CityBus CEO Bryan Smith said in the release. Off-campus trips make up half of the agency’s 4.4 million trips in 2023. “While CityBus is no longer able to offer unlimited access to off-campus routes for Purdue University affiliated riders, we are committed to offering affordable options.”

CityBus Manager of Customer Experience Bryan Walck said the company announced the change now in an effort to inform students before they leave campus.

“Additional adjustments to the fare policies and structures will be considered by the Board of Directors in the coming 12 to 18 months as part of an ongoing effort to ensure the long-term financial stability of the agency,” the release said.