Metro teams up with Virginia Tech on U-Pass program at campuses in National Capital Region

The program will give students convenient, affordable transit options and coincides with Virginia Tech’s expansion in the region with the future Innovation Campus expected to open in 2024 next to Metro’s new Potomac Yard Station. 

Full time students at the Innovation Campus, Northern Virginia Center, Virginia Tech Research Center, and Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center— will receive a specially designed U-Pass with the Virginia Tech logo. The pass will be valid during the fall and spring semesters during the 2023-24 academic year. 

"We welcome Virginia Tech to the U-Pass program which will help students save money and encourage a new generation of transit enthusiasts. Virginia Tech campuses are conveniently located near Metro stops,” said Metro EVP and Chief Customer Experience and Engagement Officer Sarah Meyer. “U-Pass opens opportunities across the region for students to access jobs, internships, recreational activities and travel from two major airports and train service." 

"We are thrilled to introduce the U-Pass program in partnership with Metro, as it marks a significant milestone in our efforts to enhance transportation accessibility and sustainability for our students," said Lynsay Belshe, Virginia Tech’s Vice President of Auxiliary and Business Services. "By providing access to Metro buses and trains, U-Pass not only offers a cost-effective transportation option, but also encourages our students to make eco-conscious choices. We are excited about the positive impact this program will have on reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality, and fostering a more sustainable community in the greater D.C. area." 

Metro’s U-Pass also offers students the convenience of adding their U-Pass to their Apple Wallet on iPhone or Apple Watch to use Metrorail and Metrobus. It’s easy to add, and once the mobile U-Pass is in your Apple Wallet you won’t have to carry a plastic card again. 

The mobile U-Pass works just like a physical card at any of Metro’s 98 rail stations and all buses in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Students can also use UPass in Apple Wallet or Apple Watch to pay at the faregate or farebox and with Express Mode turned on there’s no need for Face ID, Touch ID or to unlock the device. 

Virginia Tech joins over 30 colleges and universities with campuses in the DC region participating in the U-Pass program. Since starting in 2016, U-Pass has provided tens of millions of trips to students. 

For more information about the U-Pass program and how to use U-Pass in Apple Wallet go to wmata.com/u-pass.