U-Pass BC

File:UPass 2007.jpg

The uPass design for the 2006/2007 winter session (actual passes bear the holder's photograph).

The U-Pass is a student public transportation pass, implemented in September 2003, valid on the TransLink system in the Greater Vancouver Regional District, British Columbia.

The pass is sponsored by VanCity and is currently available to UBC and SFU students only, though other post-secondary institutions are currently in negotiations with Translink, with plans to include more schools in the programme.

Pass holders also get discounts at some businesses and a discount on the West Coast Express.

Fee

TransLink fare map, as of February 2006 (click to enlarge).

The fee for the U-Pass, based on the available funds to the university, is currently $22 per month for UBC students (the cost is $25 per month, but a UBC subsidy means UBC students only pay $22) and $24.50 per month for SFU students. The U-Pass allows unlimited travel in all zones on buses, SkyTrains and the SeaBus. This represents a significant savings over the current $69 fee for a monthly regular one zone pass and fast trax sticker previously required, or a savings of $352 over eight months.^[1]

Fees for the entire semester are paid along with tuition and student fees, and all students (regardless of whether they are taking classes on campus, taking distant education courses, or even on Co-op term) are obliged to purchase the pass, though in some circumstances students may opt out.

The passes are valid for one or two semesters (depending on the individual student's programme), and the cards are mailed to students shortly before the start of the term, at no extra charge. The replacement fee for lost or stolen cards is currently $20.

The price is guaranteed at UBC and SFU until 2008, at which time any proposed increase will be subject to a student referendum. Eligible low-income students may apply for subsidies for the U-Pass fee.

Method of use

Unlike other monthly passes, which can simply be shown to the driver (when riding a bus), the U-Pass is designed to be inserted into the fare box. Individual cards may be disabled if they are lost, stolen, or if the student drops out of his or her programme, or fails to pay his or her fees.

U-Passes are non-transferrable. Fraudulent use may result in criminal charges. Students are supposed to carry supplemental identification when using the U-Pass.

Popularity

According to the UBC U-Pass site, since the UBC U-Pass was implemented, transit ridership now accounts for 42% of all trips to UBC, a figure which is expected to grow by ten percent per year. In a referendum at UBC, the students voted 92% in favour of continuing the program. According to the U-Pass Final Review, Transit ridership at UBC has increased by 63% since the implementation of the U-Pass, 37% of UBC students reported that they have been able to avoid buying a car as a result of the U-Pass and 69% have been able to reduce their reliance on a car due to the pass.

According to the SFU U-Pass site, in a referendum held at SFU in March 2005, students voted 83% in favour of continuing the U-Pass program until at least September 2008, and 88% of SFU students currently use a U-Pass. Transit ridership to SFU's Burnaby, BC Campus has increased 48% since the launch of the U-Pass program. In addition, one third of SFU students reported that they avoided the need to purchase a vehicle and over 60% reported a reduced reliance on automobiles since the introduction of the Pass.

Environmental Benefits

According to the U-Pass Review Final Report, Translink has estimated that by May 2005, regional green house gas emissions had been reduced by 3,000 tonnes as a result of the SFU U-Pass program and 8,000 tonnes as a result of the UBC U-Pass program. According to the UBC site, current estimates put the U-Pass benefits at a greenhouse has emissions savings of over 16,000 tonnes per year.

Problems and controversies

Initial implementation

The initial introduction of the U-Pass was met with resistance from some students who drive or ride bicycles to campus as their primary method of transportation, whether because they live a significant distance from campus, or for other reasons, or who live on campus and rarely use the bus. Some students argued that it was unfair that they had to subsidise the U-Pass programme for other students, despite rarely themselves using the public transportation system. A counter argument was that students would only have to make 10 trips by bus per month to break even on the program, and not have to worry about paying bus drivers as well.

Students also complained of long lines at Pass-distribution locations at the start of term. This problem was solved by switching to the current system of mailing the passes shortly before the start of term.

The introduction of the programme also resulted in significant crowding on buses heading towards the UBC and SFU campuses, and many students complained that already overcrowded buses were failing to stop to pick them up. This was a particular problem for riders who board the bus closer to campus. Translink responded by adding more buses and increasing the number and frequency of trips, as well as by introducing new routes. Overcrowding has remained a problem on some routes and at certain times of day.

Ongoing issues

File:99-BLine.gif

The 99 B-Line's route map

The introduction of the U-Pass coincided with a new policy of boarding via all doors at certain stops on the 99 B-Line and the #145 for passengers with valid pre-paid fares (such as U-Pass and monthly passes). Many passengers initially complained that the system was poorly implemented, and that drivers sometimes failed to allow all-door boarding, even at approved stops, or forgot or refused to open the rear doors, resulting in passengers being unable to board, or being unable to find a seat, despite having been at the front of the line. It has also been argued that the occasional visual inspections of U-Passes at the rear doors (at the Broadway and Commercial terminus, for example) simply slows down the boarding process, since it is impossible to tell, just by looking at a U-Pass, whether the individual card is still valid (unless it is past the expiration date printed on the front).

In September of 2005, it was discovered that there was a problem that caused all U-Passes to be read as invalid by Translink fareboxes. This was an issue with the fareboxes and new cards were issued in January 2006, and students were permitted to simply show the old cards in the meantime. This has resulted in a large number of drivers continuing to allow U-Pass holders to simply show their card when boarding a bus, without inserting it into the farebox.

There have been complaints from students (including a recent editorial in the Ubyssey, one of UBC's student newspapers) that the official policy--which states that each U-Pass must be inserted into the farebox on each trip, except at the discretion of the operator--is inconsistently applied. ^{[citation needed]} While most drivers simply wave U-Pass holders onto the bus, some drivers insist that each pass be inserted. ^{[citation needed]} Some students argue that this is an unnecessary inconvenience ^{[citation needed]}, since Translink cannot accumulate any useful ridership information via the U-Pass ^{[citation needed]} as it is only inserted into bus fareboxes (and not scanned for boarding SkyTrain or the SeaBus), and only at the request of a few drivers system-wide. It is further argued that requiring each U-Pass holder to insert his or her pass into the farebox slows boarding time and causes bottlenecks at the front of the bus. ^{[citation needed]} This is especially frustrating when riders are simultaneously allowed to board via the rear doors without any inspection of their passes.

Illegal parking

There have been complaints that some students who normally drive to campus have taken advantage of the requirement to purchase a U-Pass by driving partway, then illegally parking in residential areas near campus and taking a bus the rest of the way to avoid the high parking fees on campus.

Implementation at other institutions

Implementation at institutions besides UBC and SFU has been hampered by disagreements over the monthly cost to students. Translink is currently arguing for a higher monthly cost, while the colleges refuse to consider a monthly fee higher than that being paid by UBC and SFU students.^[1]^[2]