Jule Bus Fares Waived for Dubuque College Students for 2023-2024 Academic Year
Students attending Dubuque’s colleges will now be able to ride The Jule, the City of Dubuque’s public transit system, for free this school year.
The Dubuque City Council voted in August 2023 to waive fares for college students ahead of the beginning of the 2023-2024 academic year. College students had previously been charged the adult fare of $1.50 per ride. The elimination of fares for college students will provide an additional opportunity for students to travel around the city of Dubuque for shopping, entertainment, dining, recreation, and jobs.
“The thousands of students who choose to come here for their higher education experience are a true asset to the Greater Dubuque region. Engaging them in all our community has to offer while they're here is a priority of our work at Greater Dubuque," says Nic Hockenberry, Director of Workforce Programming at Greater Dubuque Development. "The more positive experiences our students have in the community, the greater the chance they will be retained upon graduation. Transportation is one critical area the community can invest in our students.”
To take advantage of the free rides, college students will be required to display a valid school ID for the 2023-2024 school year until physical or digital passes through The Jule’s mobile app (MyJule) are available. The physical passes are expected to be ready in mid-September. The digital pass functionality is expected to be in the app in September.
The free rides will be available for students attending the following Dubuque institutions of higher learning:
- Capri College
- Clarke University
- Emmaus Bible College
- Loras College
- Northeast Iowa Community College
- University of Dubuque
- Wartburg Theological Seminary
This new program is in addition to the City of Dubuque continuing to offer free Jule rides to K-12 students who register for an annual Student Pass. A K-12 Student Passes can be obtained by completing the form here and returning it to the Intermodal Transportation Center at 950 Elm St in downtown Dubuque. K-12 Student Passes are valid from August through July and must be renewed each school year.
Additional information about The Jule, including route schedules, maps, and bus tracking tools are available through the MyJule app and by visiting www.cityofdubuque.org/Jule. Contact Ryan Knuckey, Director of Transporation Services for the City of Dubuque via email or phone at 563.589.4341 for questions about the fee waiver for college students or the K-12 Student Pass program.
For more information about Greater Dubuque Development's college engagement and outreach efforts, contact Nic Hockenberry, Director of Workforce Programming at nicholash@greaterdubuque.org or Mandi Dolson, Director of Workforce Recruitment & Retention at mandid@greaterdubuque.org.
