Universal transit pass
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In North America, Universal Transit Pass (U-Pass) is a program that gives students enrolled in participating post-secondary institutions unlimited access to local transit. Programs are typically funded through mandatory fees that eligible students pay in each term in which they are registered. Fees are transferred to the local transit authority to fund the required transit service. Because fees are collected from a large participant base, U-Pass prices are lower than the amount students would otherwise pay for monthly passes or tickets over the course of a term. The U-Pass price charged to students depends on a variety of factors which differ among municipalities, transit systems and post-secondary institutions.
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[edit] Potential benefits
U-Pass programs offer students a way to lower their transportation costs while at school and also benefit the local community and the environment. U-Pass programs can facilitate:
- Transit service improvements to the institution
- Reduced traffic congestion around the campus and local community
- Contribute to fewer emissions, and
- Reduce demand for parking facilities (less resources spent on building parking facilities)
[edit] Canada
In 1973, Queen's University became the first university in Canada to implement a universal transit pass program. The "Bus-It" program was implemented with Kingston Transit.[1] Nearby St. Lawrence College also participates in this program. Students are required to pay for the service as part of student activity fees. Twelve Canadian universities have implemented a UPass program, including the University of Ontario Institute of Technology which offers travel on GO Transit buses in addition to Durham Region Transit buses.
[edit] Ottawa
In 2011, a study by the City of Ottawa showed that after students at Carleton University and the University of Ottawa adopted the U-Pass program, the gains of transit use came mostly from walkers and cyclists (75%) as opposed to car drivers (25%). Furthermore, at the University of Ottawa, car use as a transportation method to campus remained unchanged after implementing the U-Pass [1]. This raised some doubts as to the supposed environmental and social benefits of the U-Pass, considering that walking and cycling produces no pollution, whereas bus use causes pollution.
Some students at University of Ottawa have taken their student union, the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO), to court to recover U-Pass funds after allegations arose that the SFUO did not properly administer the U-Pass referendum question. The matter has not yet been decided at court.
At Carleton University, at least one newspaper reported that students faced overcrowded buses as a result of the U-Pass. [2]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
[edit] Canada
- Transport Canada
- UVic U-Pass
- UBC U-Pass
- SFU U-Pass
- SMU U-Pass
- Calgary Transit U-Pass
- City of Edmonton U-Pass
[edit] USA
[1] http://www.thefulcrum.ca/articles/42705 [2] http://centretownnewsonline.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1795&Itemid=127
