Tufts to offer Fine Arts undergrads free MBTA passes this fall

Starting this fall semester, undergraduate students enrolled in Tufts University's School of the Museum of Fine Arts will be granted unlimited local MBTA subway and bus access as part of a new two-year pilot program known as "University Pass."

While any college or university in the Boston area is welcome to apply to participate in the program, Tufts is the first school to sign up.

More than 600 undergraduates are enrolled in an SMFA major and qualify for the pass, according to Tufts officials. Administrators said they chose this cohort of students since the majority of SMFA programs take place in the Fenway area of Boston, versus Tufts' main Medford campus. Typically, undergraduates who live in student housing on the main campus rely on a university shuttle bus, which runs every 45 to 60 minutes, to take them to Boston.

"For us, it's sort of a no-brainer in terms of cost efficiency and convenience to the students," said Jason Novsam, Tufts' associate director of transportation.

The T's recent completion of the Green Line Extension that expanded T service to Medford for the first time ever in late 2022 — played a role.

“The MBTA’s Green Line is uniquely positioned to provide direct service between Medford and SMFA at Tufts at a frequency that private shuttle service just can’t match," said Barb Stein, Tufts' vice president for operations, in a statement.

The University Pass pilot program is similar to the MBTA's "pay per use" fare program for local employers. The cost of U-Pass will depend on student ridership data collected during the first year, leaving the total program cost unknown for now.

"I think it is very advantageous because you're just paying for what you use," Novsam said. "I just personally can't wait to see how the students engage with it and what our opportunities are to expand it in the future."

The MBTA said in a press release the new pilot is separate from the "Semester Pass" program offered by more than 40 area colleges and universities that provides an 11% fare discount off unlimited bus and train travel.

After the two-year pilot, MBTA officials said they will "evaluate options to potentially expand the pilot further." In the meantime, they encourage other schools to apply.

"We hope SMFA at Tufts students take full advantage of the T, making it part of their daily routine," MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng said in a statement. He added such partnerships like the one with Tufts "set the example for all to follow" as T officials "seek to encourage a more environmentally friendly means of travel."