The U Pass

Ok im not saying this is a bad idea, but when this $125 fee is added to my tuition for a service I have no use of... I cant help but feel unjust.

TransLink - South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority

I think what bugs me the most, is not only am I paying to help the deduction cost of others public transit fair, but the fact that it is a MANDATORY fee (few exceptions) for ALL students. I mean really, why ALL students? Is it because the majority cant afford a vehicle that the ones who can are forced to take a bus now? Why not force those who commute to work down town everyday to pay this fee? Why not force the fee on those who live a block away from a sky train or major bus station?

What else shocks me is that I dont see any exceptions for those who ride their bike to school. So are you encouraging those who ride their bike to pay the fee and than add on to the amount of people taking the bus?

[Courtney]

I think its funny that now i'm leaving they are actually doing it.......
They should have had it along time ago...all universities do so why shouldn't colleges too?
Yes, you are fortunate enough to have a car and although you may feel robbed I feel this is a small price to pay in terms of how many people will benefit from this not only now but for years to come
At least this fee is for positive, considering all the other fees like 500 bux a textbook I don't think this one is so bad.....and plus it was a vote...majority voted for it which means they won what they were voting for

[Courtney]

I don't know many people that ride bikes to cap college let alone from november-februaryish

[SEAN!]

Originally Posted by R Wellbelove

Ok im not saying this is a bad idea, but when this $125 fee is added to my tuition for a service I have no use of... I cant help but feel unjust.

TransLink - South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority

I think what bugs me the most, is not only am I paying to help the deduction cost of others public transit fair, but the fact that it is a MANDATORY fee (few exceptions) for ALL students. I mean really, why ALL students? Is it because the majority cant afford a vehicle that the ones who can are forced to take a bus now? Why not force those who commute to work down town everyday to pay this fee? Why not force the fee on those who live a block away from a sky train or major bus station?

What else shocks me is that I dont see any exceptions for those who ride their bike to school. So are you encouraging those who ride their bike to pay the fee and than add on to the amount of people taking the bus?

your subsidizing everyone else, and your opposed to this, are you sure youre NDP voter?

^Who said im an NDP voter?

What I want to question is that it ONLY applys to students. If they're wanting to increase bus usage and reduce single car driving than why not make those who commute down town pay a fee as well?

The majority of students all ready take the bus, so why are they focusing on encouraging more too? And why make the small percentage of tuition paying students who dive, pay for the extra at a large cost?

What im getting at is why not include this fee in taxes to the general public. Now that would be fair.

Parking fairs already help subsidize the U pass fair. So really diving tuition payers are paying more than those who take a bus.

Courtney, Ive been seriously contemplating on buying a bike to ride to school. Rain or shine.

[ebbomega]

Y'know what? Deal. There's an awful lot of students who are living off their student loans, can't afford vehicles and really need this service.

In each university this was voted on in student referendums and it passed. Complaining now is pretty moot.

Save gas and spend one day a week using transit, you'll get your money's worth.

What are the goals of the U-Pass?
The goals of the U-Pass Program are to:

• Increase transit ridership
• Reduce single occupancy vehicles and congestion
• Build partnerships
• Build transit culture and future market share
• Revenue neutral – freezes revenue
• Provide lower-cost travel for students

I cant help but notice that lowering the cost for students is at the bottom of the goal list. Reducing single car traffic seems like a nill issue as this issue is much bigger with Down Town commuters. The rest of it seems like a business benefit for Translink. Maybe if Translink wasn't privately owned, Id have a different view on this.

[ebbomega]

Yeah, fuck the environment. What's it ever done for us anyway?

[Courtney]

Originally Posted by R Wellbelove

^Who said im an NDP voter?

What I want to question is that it ONLY applys to students. If they're wanting to increase bus usage and reduce single car driving than why not make those who commute down town pay a fee as well?

The majority of students all ready take the bus, so why are they focusing on encouraging more too? And why make the small percentage of tuition paying students who dive, pay for the extra at a large cost?

What im getting at is why not include this fee in taxes to the general public. Now that would be fair.

Parking fairs already help subsidize the U pass fair. So really diving tuition payers are paying more than those who take a bus.

Courtney, Ive been seriously contemplating on buying a bike to ride to school. Rain or shine.

With so many problematic/lack of social policies I think this is one of the least important to focus on. This is like a sprinkle on a rainbow cake...I suck at analogies :embarrest: but you know what i mean.....
I don't disagree with you I just think more good than bad comes out of this and on an individual level it may suck but looking at the big picture it is actually a benefit to society as a whole....afterall these bus taking brokeass students are our future :nuts at least give us something haha

[Courtney]

Courtney, Ive been seriously contemplating on buying a bike to ride to school. Rain or shine.

contimplating is not doing...do it and then we will talk!! :D and if you ride the bus at least 5 times inbetween this biking of yours the upass is still a good thing and worth your while! :)

Originally Posted by ebbomega

Yeah, fuck the environment. What's it ever done for us anyway?

^Dude your totally missing my point. I never said it was a bad idea. If the goal was the environment, than shouldn't they be focusing on down town commuters?

[Courtney]

Originally Posted by R Wellbelove

What are the goals of the U-Pass?
The goals of the U-Pass Program are to:

• Increase transit ridership
• Reduce single occupancy vehicles and congestion
• Build partnerships
• Build transit culture and future market share
• Revenue neutral – freezes revenue
• Provide lower-cost travel for students

I cant help but notice that lowering the cost for students is at the bottom of the goal list. Reducing single car traffic seems like a nill issue as this issue is much bigger with Down Town commuters. The rest of it seems like a business benefit for Translink. Maybe if Translink wasn't privately owned, Id have a different view on this.

It is not a nill issue at all......think of how many commuters come from lions gate and second narrows everyday.....traffic congestion is more to do with people travelling to and from cities- not directly in it. I think your definition of what it is may be a little bit off.
Of course they want something out of it but the first two seem to be environmental plans to me-or at least pretending to be ha

^Before I bang my head on a wall...


ALL THAT TRAFFIC IS NOT FROM STUDENTS!!!

[Courtney]

U PASS = UNIVERSITY PASS

If nobody was paying they would make no profit there has to be a line that is drawn.....

Originally Posted by Courtney

U PASS = UNIVERSITY PASS

If nobody was paying they would make no profit there has to be a line that is drawn.....

Funny thing is, the only way they profit is by making it MANDATORY in tuition costs.

Maybe if Translink provided a better service (I participated in their survey) than maybe more people like me would be happy to take the bus and they wouldnt be relying on a mandatory fees from students.

[Sykonee]

Langara U-Pass works out to around $40/month for all transportation needs in the lower mainland. Compared to the monthly upkeep of a vehicle, it sounds like a hell of a bargain to me.

(love my U-Pass!)

[crookedking]

can't you sell somebody the u pass?

[mojo]

No thanks. I will be keeping an eye out at school and showing support against this.

[Disco_Whore]

The U-pass is something that STUDENTS asked for, it's not just being imposed unfairly on the part of the city/translink. Sure it's too bad that the deal cut meant that all students had to pay in order for some (let's be real: the majority) to benefit from a discount bus pass, but that's the way most of the fees at school work. You can't just pick and choose which benefits you want from the fees and which you don't; that's not how it works.

[mojo]

I don't know all the facts so I won't pretend to do so but I doubt students asked for a blanket policy that would force all students to pay a mandatory fee regardless of whether or not the use the transit system. My beef is not with the pass itself, I think it is a terrific idea, but what I am against is the fact that it is compulsory for all.

[Disco_Whore]

Oh yeah, one more thing:

It is physically impossible for me to take advantage of said $125 you are complaining about paying because I live in Victoria, even though I'm paying UBC student fees on top of UVIC student fees.


(NB:I have "more of a right to complain" and yet I'm not having a spaz over it because it's a fact I just have to live with. Please heed example.)

[Disco_Whore]

Originally Posted by mojo

I don't know all the facts so I won't pretend to do so but I doubt students asked for a blanket policy that would force all students to pay a mandatory fee regardless of whether or not the use the transit system. My beef is not with the pass itself, I think it is a terrific idea, but what I am against is the fact that it is compulsory for all.

That's a beef with the service provider in question, but it's a standard rule for ALL of the services included in the fees; yes even health and dental because you can't opt out without proof of coverage.

[stringbeans]

this has been an issue since it started about 3-4 years ago, welcome to the future! im surprised they still have it mandatory, but in all honesty ebbomega is right. more than half of students at universities are starving and VERY POOR, and paying $125 for a 4-month all-zone bus pass is the greatest thing ever. and for those who can afford a car, im sure you can also afford to shell out an extra $125 every 4 months. thats like ONE DAY of hourly wage for most people

also keep in mind these issues all have been voted on, so majority rules (just as in all politics).

neener

[Erin]

Originally Posted by stringbeans

this has been an issue since it started about 3-4 years ago, welcome to the future! im surprised they still have it mandatory, but in all honesty ebbomega is right. more than half of students at universities are starving and VERY POOR, and paying $125 for a 4-month all-zone bus pass is the greatest thing ever. and for those who can afford a car, im sure you can also afford to shell out an extra $125 every 4 months. thats like ONE DAY of hourly wage for most people

also keep in mind these issues all have been voted on, so majority rules (just as in all politics).

neener

Hey! I work hard on that ONE DAY! If it was mandatory for me to shell that out when I have a car that I already pay for, I would be pissed! Who the hell are you to tell me that just because I can afford to drive a car I can afford to pay for your poor ass to get to school?

Just sayin...

[stringbeans]

you're right! it is unfair to the non-bus rider to have to pay that mandatory fee on top of their car
payments.

but lets look at it this way.

suppose the universities didnt opt into the u-pass program. all the non-bus riders wouldnt have to pay that extra $125 (its actually more like $105) every 4 months. However, for all the non-bus riders, which by the way im assuming are the majority since the opt-in was VOTED on, they'd have to pay around $100 per MONTH.

so the idea of the opt-in was to help "balance out" the costs of all students.

i mean i'd be pissed too if i had to pay that mandatory fee without having a use for the u-pass. but the way i see it, if you're a car owner with a u-pass, you'd be saving so much more money in the end by using the u-pass if you subtract all your gas/parking/maintenance costs for your car.

also, cut and paste from sfu's site

"The U-Pass Program is a student initiative approved by student vote in Simon Fraser Student Society referendums in November 2002, March 2005, and November 2007."

"In the November 2007 U-Pass referendum, students voted 92% in favour of a small fee increase to sustain the U-Pass program until at least September 2011. "