SPRINGFIELD — The Academy of Arts & Academics won Lane Transit District’s inaugural Take the Bus Challenge, a competition between 10 area high schools to determine which school could take the most bus trips per capita using their free Student Transit Pass during a two-week period in November.
Nearly 17% of A3 students participated in the challenge. Bethel’s Kalapuya High School came in second place at 16.52%, followed by Thurston at 8.95%, ECCO High School at 8.78%, and North Eugene High School at 7.77%.
During the two-week challenge, the combined efforts of all the high school students participating in the challenge resulted in keeping approximately 116 metric tons of carbon dioxide from going into the air from vehicle tailpipe emissions.
“A3 has greatly appreciated the free bus passes for our students,” A3 Principal Ame Beard said. “In the past, we paid $2,100 per quarter for bus passes. Freeing up these resources has meant that our students have been able to enjoy increased art programming.”
For the students’ commitment to using their free Student Transit Pass, A3 received a $1,000 prize to invest in a sustainability project that benefits the school. A3 is using its winnings to replace paper cups with reusable stainless steel mugs that will save more than 3,600 paper cups per school year from being deposited into the local landfill.
Area students in Kindergarten through 12th grade are eligible for a free Student Transit Pass. During the 2021-2022 school year, nearly 10,000 free Student Transit Passes were issued. The free Student Transit Pass program is funded through a grant to LTD from the state of Oregon’s Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund (STIF) approved through House Bill 2017.
