University Transit Rider Innovation Program Act of 2015 or the UTRIP Act

This bill authorizes the Department of Transportation (DOT) to make grants to designated recipients, local or state governmental authorities, private nonprofit organizations, or operators of public transportation services (recipients) to increase the use of public transportation by undergraduate or graduate students attending an institution of higher education (covered students).

A recipient may use amounts provided under a grant to:

• offset decreased revenue resulting from providing discounted fares to covered students,
• provide general operating assistance to public transportation services and routes designed to better serve institutions of higher education, or
• pay for capital costs associated with expanding and maintaining public transportation services and routes designed to serve such institutions.

To be eligible for a grant, a recipient must provide to covered students a discounted fare for public transportation that is: (1) not more than 75% of the fare, and (2) applicable to both monthly and single-ride fares.

DOT shall apportion amounts made available to carry out this Act to large urbanized areas, small urbanized areas, and rural areas based on the relative numbers of full-time equivalent covered students in such areas, according to a specified formula, with specified exceptions.