Brock Press
Driving to Brock is always a fun and exciting experience. First there is the surprisingly large amount of people who refuse to go over 40 km/hrs on the roads and because of the massive amount of traffic; you can’t pass them! Furthermore there is the soaring price of gas, insurance, tuition and everything else it seems. Then there is the joy of driving around the free parking lot for 15 to 30 minutes trying to find a space. You could spend $90on a parking pass and still try to find a spot that is close to the buildings but good luck. The only solution to this madness is public transportation.
It costs about 40 cents a kilometer to operate a car in this area and the price is going up with the price of gas. The car is a very convenient vehicle but public transportation is a cheaper and cleaner alternative. The price of public transportation in this area is also very high at $2 a ride or $ 100 a month with a pass. It’s cheaper to ride the Toronto transit system at $1.60 a ride.
At the University of Guelph there is a system where every student pays $47 an academic year and rides the transit system as many times as they want. They can use the pass anywhere Guelph Transit goes. The transit system has even been willing to adjust to the routes and schedules for the students.
“We feel that everyone wins in this situation,” Robert Coghill, General Manager for Guelph Transit said. “The student’s win with more mobility with less cost and our ridership has almost doubled since the pass was introduced.”
The Guelph transit system is not making a large profit because of new demand and new equipment. In fact they are at a break even point and even losing a bit of money in some years. “The city has a responsibility to provide service to the university as a key part of the community,” Coghill said.
The pass has given the students, who live on campus, more mobility because there isn’t the need for a car. “It’s great because I don’t have to bring my car from home and pay parking charges,” Guelph first-year student Mike Meyer said. “It also helps the environment with less cars on the road.” Queens and Trent Universities already have similar systems in place.
There has been two referendums, in 1991& 1992, on the issue of a universal St. Catharines bus pass for Brock Students. It was defeated by a narrow margin of 55% against the idea in the last round (only 1183 students voted). Then the cost of the idea was $48 a semester. The strongest voices of opposition came from those who drive to school. With the increases in maintaining a car and the cost of tuition at the same time, there could be a renewed interest in the idea.
Since the last vote, the St. Catharines Transit Commission has made agreements with Niagara Transit, Welland Transit, and Thorald Transit to service Brock. It is now possible to live in Niagara Falls or Welland and get to Brock by bus. An idea would be a universal bus pass for all the public transit commission in the region is possible for around $100 an academic year. Again this would lessen the demand on the car and provide a cheaper cleaner alternative.
“I think a regional unlimited pass is a great idea,” said Sandy Casey, General Manager for Niagara Transit.
“Would BUSU be interested in administering another referendum?” is the only question Eric Gillespie, General Manager St. Catharines Transit Commission, has. A BUSU representative was unavailable for comment at the time this article was written.
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