The Livable Blog

Well Campbell has made a very important move towards getting the province off dirty oil and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that are cooking our planet. This is a great step and Premier Campbell and Minister Bond should be congratulated.

“Not only will the U-Pass BC Program make transit more affordable for post secondary students, it will create a transit culture resulting in more people leaving their cars in the driveway, leading to less congestion and reduced greenhouse gas emissions,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Shirley Bond.

But take a closer look and you may be puzzled. Translink is basically on life support, and BC Transit is not in much better financial shape (for example there has been discussion of cutting nighttime bus service to UVic). When the U-pass was introduced to UBC traffic congestion disappeared on the approaches to the campus, and buses immediately became jammed across a whole swath of Vancouver. Translink had to scramble to put enough buses on the road to keep pass ups from becoming the norm on many routes.

The Province will invest over $20 million through April 2013 to support implementation of the U-Pass BC Program in Metro Vancouver. In all other regions, the Province will provide funding as required to ensure the U-Pass rate remains below $30 per month or to enable new institutions to join the U-Pass BC program at existing rates.

$20 million is just a small down payment on what is needed, given that the transit system is already leaving thousands of passengers behind (helpfully informed that the bus is full by the fancy new signs on the front of buses).

U-pass across the province could have a major positive effect, but without increased funding for more bus service the effect will be buses jammed with so many students that other bus riders will have to rush out and buy cars.

So, Premier Campbell and Minister Bond, where is the money to operate more buses? You already know my suggestion, the $2 billion or so you plan to spend on the South Fraser Freeway could buy and operate a lot of buses.

For Immediate Release
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June 9, 2010

Office of the Premier
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

U-PASS BC TO SAVE STUDENTS ON TRANSIT FARES

VANCOUVER – B.C. is the first province in Canada to offer an affordable, universal U-Pass transit program to students at all publicly funded post-secondary institutions, Premier Gordon Campbell announced today.

“This fulfils our commitment to establish a universal U-Pass program for all students studying at B.C. colleges and universities,” said Premier Campbell. “Students will enjoy the benefits of discounted transit passes to help with the costs of getting to and from school.”

Once implemented, U-Pass BC will be the most comprehensive student transit program in Canada, providing significant savings for students. In Metro Vancouver, post-secondary students will pay $30 per month for a system-wide U-Pass, compared to $81 they would pay for a monthly pass. Students will have the opportunity to vote in referenda on whether to join the new U-Pass BC Program.

Starting Sept. 1, 2010, U-Pass rates at Langara College and Capilano University will be decreased to $30 per month. Rates for students at the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University will stay as they are now until Sept. 1, 2011, when they will be eligible to enjoy the same subsidized rates as other students.

“Not only will the U-Pass BC Program make transit more affordable for post secondary students, it will create a transit culture resulting in more people leaving their cars in the driveway, leading to less congestion and reduced greenhouse gas emissions,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Shirley Bond.

“The Province and TransLink are to be congratulated for implementing a common U-Pass program for Metro Vancouver at an attractive price,” said Nimmi Takkar, Canadian Federation of Students’ B.C. Chairperson. “Affordable transit will be of tremendous benefit to post-secondary students in British Columbia and the communities where they live.”

“The new U-Pass BC program is a great opportunity for students in our region and the province as a whole, and the partnership that made it all happen opens up great new opportunities for us to move forward and fulfill our region’s transportation goals,” said chair of the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation and the mayor of the City of Langley Peter Fassbender. “The Province, TransLink and regional partners have created something that will generate sustained, widespread and long-term benefits right across Metro Vancouver.”

The Province will invest over $20 million through April 2013 to support implementation of the U-Pass BC Program in Metro Vancouver. In all other regions, the Province will provide funding as required to ensure the U-Pass rate remains below $30 per month or to enable new institutions to join the U-Pass BC program at existing rates.

“The U-Pass program has the potential to help almost 439,000 students across B.C. achieve their educational goals,” said Moira Stilwell, Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development. “I’m so pleased we’ve been able to work with our partners to support so many of our students.”

The U-Pass BC Program is a partnership of the Province, TransLink, BC Transit, local governments, post secondary institutions and students.

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