DVC students can expect to ride the bus for free anywhere in the central Bay Area by Spring 2017 if the Associated Students of Diablo Valley College and The County Connection transportation service can reach an agreement.

The current plan, which is still being figured out, would allow all DVC students to ride any County Connection Bus for free with proof of their student I.D.

Wesley Xia, ASDVC President, presented this idea to ASDVC about three weeks ago when the plan was just an idea. He has already met up with two executives from County Connections and has them scheduled to talk more about the plan at next weeks ASDVC meeting.

“They’ve worked with ASDVC before and they’re really happy to collaborate with us again,” said Xia.

According to Xia, having free bus fare through County Connections will cost between $160,000 to $300,000 a year.

Depending on how many DVC students like this idea, starting in Spring 2017, students will pay an extra fee to pay for this service. The amount has not been estimated yet.

Quantitative data surveys will be distributed in the future to get an idea of how many students would find this service useful, “We need to gather at least 2,000 student responses,” said Xia.

Xia thinks this plan will be both useful for DVC students and for the environment in hopes that more DVC students will use this bus service instead of driving their cars which would decrease the amount of carbon print emitted into the air.

According to Xia, “There are County Connection bus stops within a 1/4 mile radius of everyone’s house who lives in the central Bay Area.”

DVC students are encouraged to attend next week’s ASDVC meeting in the Student Union room from 2- 4 pm on Tuesday, April 26, to ask The County Connection representatives whatever questions or concern they may have about the free bus fare plan.