WashU Transit Pass: Sign Up!

WashU Transit Pass: Sign Up!

So, I finally listened to the MayorSlay.com Podcast featuring me. It actually turned out OK, although I do think it's funny that they say Janie Papaccio sent out the "MayorSlay.com reporter" when, obviously, it's Callow who does it. I guess a youthful voice sounds better.

I also caught the podcast featuring Rollin Stanley and Kate Shea, where the tension seems just under the surface; and the one with Vince Schoemehl, who notes the 'technology' improvements made during the early days of his administration: replacing 3-person garbage trucks with today's "one-armed bandit" dumpster system; and buying backhoes for fixing water mains instead of using a crew of workers with shovels.

He also noted that when he was inaugurated in April 1981, the city had about 11,300 employees. Within 9 days, they had proposed a new budget to the Board of Aldermen to lay off 1,600+ workers, and eliminate 2,000 vacant positions. After 3 years, the city had only 4,500 employees remaining. (Of course, much of those cutbacks are attributable to the closure of Homer G. Phillips and later City Hospital; but even at CDA, most of the city planning staff was laid off in 1981.)

Anyway, back to my original subject: mass transit! Washington University is famously offering a free transit pass to full-time students, faculty, staff, and employees of contractors with daily tasks. If you are one of the several thousand people who, like me, fall into these categories, sign up today!

You must sign up online, and the login is either your WebSTAC account if a student, or your HRMS account if faculty/staff. I'm not sure how it works for people who work for Aramark, Top Care, Bon Appetit, etc. That might be a separate process, unfortunately.

In any event, it will be really interesting to see how this works, especially the changeover of WashU shuttles to integrate into the Metro transit system. As of July 1st, these passes will be valid. But you can sign up now, and either pick up the U Pass as early as June 19th, or have it mailed to your home or campus address.

Sign up today!