For once, being a student can actually make something less expensive. New Jersey Transit, New Jersey's main provider of public transportation, is offering free rides on its trains, buses, and light rail lines between September 8 and September 15 to college students with their student ID card.

The free trips are part of a statewide effort to make college students aware of public transportation options in New Jersey. NJT Executive Director George Warrington said that "[t]he week of free travel gives students the opportunity to experience how easy it is to use NJ TRANSIT to reach thousands of destinations throughout the State."

New Jersey Transit is also working with several colleges in New Jersey to provide discounts to students on monthly passes. Stevens is not yet a participant, though New Jersey Transit hopes to open the program to the rest of New Jersey's colleges next year.

The offer should be especially appealing to Stevens students, as Hoboken is a major transportation hub for the state, with plenty of options available. The rail lines operating from Hoboken include the Main/Bergen County line, the Morris & Essex line, the North Jersey Coast line, the Pascack Valley line, and the Montclair/Boonton line. Transfer is also available from these lines to the Northeast Corridor line and the Raritan Valley line.

New Jersey Transit's bus routes, including the #126 bus to and from New York City, are also free during this period. Travel on the Hudson-Bergen light rail, which runs through Jersey City into Bayonne, is also included.

For New Jersey Transit, offering a week of free travel to students is an investment for the future. "Our hope is that once they become a part of the workforce, students will already know the benefits of using public transportation for their daily commute," says Warrington.

More information can be found on New Jersey Transit's website, http://www.njtransit.com/ or from a customer service representative at the Hoboken rail terminal.