City approves bus pass for UNB graduate students

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[url]http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/rss/article/756832[/url]

Graduate students at the University of New Brunswick will be riding city transit buses armed with their own universal bus passes after city council Monday night approved the proposed agreement with the 1,500-member organization.

Earlier this spring, graduate students voted 2-1 in favour of purchasing a $100-per-year student transit pass that permits unlimited travel on public transit.

The deal is similar to one that St. Thomas University's student union negotiated for its members. At STU, students pay 75 per cent of the cost of the pass and the STU administration kicks in the remaining $25.

UNB's administration has said it can't afford a similar deal, so the graduate students will pick up the $100 tab themselves for the pass under the one-year deal.

The agreement applies only to the full-time members of the graduate students, about 1,000 of its 1,500 membership.

"A person has to be taking three courses in a semester to be eligible for the universal pass," transit manager Sandy MacNeill said.

"There is an agreement for pro-rating if a grad student starts their school (year) in January, they pay for half a year."

The agreement is a win-win for both the city and the students, the transit manager said.

"It provides a steady, convenient mode of transportation, very environmentally friendly for the students represented by the grad students' association, and on our side it provides a steady, predictable stream of revenue with which we can offer additional services, not just to the grad students, but to all of our clients," MacNeill said.

The decision came after a referendum in 2009 that saw UNB graduate students vote in favour of a U-Pass. It's basically the same as the U-Pass program in place between the City of Fredericton and STU students, which is going into its sixth year.

"Several changes have been made over the years that have improved the transit routes serving the St. Thomas University and University of New Brunswick campuses," said Coun. Tony Whalen, chairman of the city's transportation committee.

"The U-Pass has worked very well for the students of St. Thomas University and we are excited to have the UNB Graduate Student Association on board."

The U-Pass program allows students to live in areas of the city where more affordable housing options may be available and to save on vehicle maintenance and parking fees. The program also helps reduce traffic congestion near universities and maximizes ridership on transit routes, helping to guarantee their success for others, Whalen said.

During the same referendum where UNB graduate students voted in favour of the U-Pass, UNB's undergraduate students voted against participating in the program.

"The more students we can get using the bus, the better our bus system will be. Hopefully, we can segue this into some type of agreement with UNB undergrads in the future," said Whalen.

MacNeill said his door is always open to the UNB undergraduates if they can secure a vote to negotiate an agreement.

Coun. Jordan Graham, who represents the UNB/East End ward, said it may take a more creative approach to get the UNB undergrads to come aboard the transit U-Pass idea.

A student monthly transit pass is normally $40 a month. An adult pass costs $65 a month. Cards for 10 rides are $18. A single transit fare is $2. Until Oct. 31, a reduced transit fare of 50 cents is in place weekday evenings after 6:45 p.m. and all day Saturday.