The Bobcat Pass Program allows Ohio University students, faculty and staff to have access to Athens public transit free of charge by showing an OHIO ID.
OU enrolled in the program with Athens Public Transportation for approximately $55,185 in fiscal year 2023, Dan Pittman, a university spokesperson, said.
“Bobcat Pass is a partnership that we have with the city of Athens and Athens public transit,“ Tia Hysell, director of VPFA auxiliary services, said. "The university provides access to students and faculty staff on any Athens public transit route."
OU began this program in 2016 with Athens Public Transportation to extend transportation options throughout the community for faculty, staff and students, and was deemed a success after a one-year pilot program, Hysell said.
Athens Public Transportation is operated through Hocking Athens Perry Community Action, or HAPCAP, a non-profit organization in Southeast Ohio, said Carolyn Conley, transportation director of HAPCAP.
HAPCAP is funded equally through local and federal funds, and OU is included in local funding through the Bobcat Pass Program, Conley said.
“Each OU student, faculty or staff that gets on the bus shows their ID, they get on the bus for free, but we track that and then we actually build the university a reduced fare of 90 cents per passenger trip,” Conley said.
Aside from Bobcat Pass, OU students and personnel have other options for public transportation to move within the Athens campus, which are also free of charge, including daily campus shuttles and CatCab.
The daily campus shuttles are on a fixed loop route Monday through Friday and can be used by students, faculty, staff and any university guests, but this service is not as utilized by guests as it is by university personnel, Hysell said.
CatCab is another free transportation option offered by OU, and is available Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. but can also be accessed on the weekend from 6-11 p.m. The university also offers CATS Late Night which can be accessed via the TripShot app from 5:30-11 p.m. on weekdays and 6-11 p.m. on weekends at certain campus locations.
“There is a registration process that's involved with (CatCab), but it is more of a door-to-door up to one mile from the center of campus which we consider Baker University Center,” Hysell said.
The service is designed to assist with topography challenges on campus and those that may need access. To use this method of Transportation one must have a referral from a physician or register with the Office of Student Accessibility Services.
However, the service is not available outside of campus such as locations on East State Street, or beyond Stimson Avenue.
The Bobcat Pass Program utilization varies from year to year, Hysell said, but typical trends include 90-95% student ridership and 5-10% faculty and staff ridership.
Conley said providing an extra source of transportation services throughout the Athens community to college students is important because they tend to be a transit-dependent population.
“(It’s used by) particularly underclassmen don't have vehicles here on campus to get around but they still have needs,” Conley said. “They need to get around to the grocery store, they need to be able to access different school activities or even just community activities.”
Hysell said because of OU’s rural location access to transportation is an important resource for students who do not have a personal vehicle in Athens, and providing this resource helps build connections within the community.
“(Access to transportation) helps to create just access to areas and two communities within Athens, so it's not only campus, but it's also the surrounding community structure that is available through that support,” Hysell said.
