Jon Marinaro | TIMES STAFF
SJCC students board the northbound 62 bus line at Bascom Avenue and Moorpark Avenue on  May 17.

Efforts that would save students money on Valley Transportation Authority fares have stalled.

The EcoPass has been brought up for years in the Associated Student Body’s meetings. No practical results came out.

“We are still keeping it on the map until I know what Evergreen (Valley College) is going to do,” Associated Student President Mike Casas said, adding that all he can do now is wait.

There are four bus lines currently going to San Jose City College: 25,61,62 and 65. For a monthly pass, a student has to pay $70. For an annual pass, it is $770.

As stated in the VTA Transportation Handbook, the EcoPass is an annual photo ID pass that entitles the bearer to ride VTA buses and light rail vehicles anytime seven days a week.

San Jose State University and De Anza College have worked with the VTA on the EcoPass program.

According to the De Anza College website, all enrolled De Anza students are eligible for the VTA De Anza Associated Student Body Pass.

While part-time students pay $4, full-time students pay $5 per quarter. This means the EcoPass costs part-time students $12 and full-time students $15 a year. This is 77 times less than an annual pass.

“If we have EcoPass, it’s going to help students save a lot of money,” said Obadiah Magaji, 24, computer science major.

The AS from SJCC and EVC are seeking the special deal from the VTA. They are looking for 15,000 full-time students or more to enroll in the program, so the fee will be only $9 per student per year.

The VTA has an option for schools with low enrollment. For institutions that have between 3,000 and 14,999 full-time students, the pass will cost $36 for each person, instead of $18.

Considering rising parking fees, enrollment fees and gasoline prices, many students may think about using public transportation to go to school.

“When you compare the price of the EcoPass and the money you pay for monthly pass, it actually makes sense to get an Eco Pass,” Magaji said.

The AS still does not have an exact answer for the EcoPass program.

Casas said it will only take a month to get down the agreement with VTA and Evergreen. He said he could bring it to the May election, but nothing from the AS about the EcoPass was heard during the election.