Red River College students vote on the U-Pass
The Students’ Association is throwing the question out there – Should Red River College students adopt a U-Pass program?
A U-Pass is a Universal Bus Pass that would give RRC students unlimited access to transit throughout the school year at a deeply discounted rate. U-Pass programs involve mandatory participation, making it similar to the Students’ Association Health and Dental benefits program. While some individuals may benefit more directly than others, U-Passes work by benefitting the student group as a whole.
Why would I want a Red River College U-Pass?
Here are 8 reasons why the U-Pass program might work for you.
Save Money! A post-secondary transit pass costs $ 65.50. The monthly cost for a U-Pass would be $32.50. That’s a savings of 50%.
For drivers switching to the U-Pass, the savings are even more considerable. It costs a whopping $4,278 to own and operate an average car. Switching to transit can save the you anywhere from $1,800 – $4,000 annually. You can figure out your actual vehicle ownership costs, based on your vehicle type and mileage driven, with CAA’s Driving Costs Calculator.
Reduce your environmental impacts Choosing public transit instead of driving a car lowers air pollution. Operating one bus replaces the emissions of 50 cars in rush hour and reduces air pollution by 10-25 times. Breathe easier!
Convenience No more hassles with transfers or correct change. The U-Pass gives you unlimited transit ridership- anytime, any day.
Better transit service The adoption of the U-Pass at Red River College would bring additional transit service to our campuses to accommodate increased passenger volumes.
Works for Drivers Students who still want to drive to school will benefit from the U-Pass. The U-Pass brings increased transit ridership, which means less traffic on the road and reduced demand for student parking – making it easier to get a spot!
Works for Out-of-Towners Students who live outside of the perimeter will also benefit from the U-Pass. Students can park at one of the 12 Park and Ride locations throughout the city and hop on the bus to school.
Works after school hours The U-Pass gives you a safe and reliable ride home from your after-school events. No need to deal with parking hassles or flagging a cab after an evening out.
Good for our city U-Passes are not “business as usual” for transit systems. Jumps in campus ridership of 50% or more are common. In other cities, many students who used the U-Pass continue to use transit as their primary mode of transportation after graduating.
How can Red River College get a U-Pass program?
The U-Pass must be approved by a majority (50% +1) vote of the student body through a referendum set out by the Students’ Association Bylaws. The vote will take place online between March 28th and April 3rd alongside the Students’ Association executive election. Each student will receive an email to their academic email containing a link to the online ballot, and their unique password allowing them to vote for both the U-Pass and the incoming executive.
Want to learn more?
Information sessions will be held to give students more information on the U-Pass and answer all questions. Winnipeg Transit will also be on hand to talk about the technologies that make riding Transit easier than ever. All attendees will be automatically entered to win an iPad mini- the perfect transit commuting toy. 🙂
Wednesday, March 19th from 12:00 – 1:00pm in the Black Lecture Theatre (NDC)
Wednesday, March 19th from 1:00 – 2:00pm in the Black Lecture Theatre (NDC)
Thursday, March 20th from 12:00 – 1:00pm in P107 (Roblin Centre)
Thursday, March 20th from 1:00 – 2:00pm in P107 (Roblin Centre)
Happy riding!