U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) took a significant step towards improving college students’ access to public transportation on Wednesday. He introduced the Promoting Advancement Through Transit Help (PATH) to College Act, aiming to establish a new grant program for public transit providers.
The PATH to College Act received a parallel introduction in the House by U.S. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1), demonstrating bipartisan support for the initiative.
“A lack of reliable transportation should never be an obstacle to receiving an education,” Senator Casey declared during the introduction of the legislation. “By expanding access to public transit, this legislation will help students spend more time on their studies and less time worrying about how they’re going to get to school.”
The proposed Act authorizes funding for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to award grants to institutions of higher education and transit agencies. These grants aim to improve transit accessibility for students attending community colleges and Minority Serving Institutions. This improvement could be achieved by adding public transit stops or routes or similar third-party transit options that serve college campuses and surrounding areas.
Priority for these awards would be given to postsecondary institutions with a large number of Pell-eligible students, ensuring better access improvements for low-income students most in need.
The PATH to College Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).
Endorsements for this bill come from the Higher Learning Advocates, the Institute for Higher Education Policy, uAspire, and the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. These endorsements reflect a broad range of support from various sectors of education and policy advocacy, emphasizing the wide-reaching potential benefits of the PATH to College Act.
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