Conestoga votes for bus pass

Student U-pass still needs approval of regional council

CAMBRIDGE — A universal transit pass is closer to reality for Conestoga College students.

The college’s full-time students within Waterloo Region voted 2,293 to 1,656 in favour of bringing in a mandatory universal Grand River Transit pass in an online referendum held over the past week.

A universal pass — with $274 added to yearly tuition for 12 months of unlimited transit service — could come in as early as next September.

A 10 per cent voter turnout was required. About 25 per cent, or 3,950 students, voted online by Monday’s deadline. One vote was cast blank.

Yet, the universal pass isn’t quite a done deal.

“There’s a few more hurdles in place,” Conestoga student union president Aimee Calma said Tuesday. “But we’re happy and excited and ready to keep it going on that path.”

Before Conestoga full-time students can join their Laurier and University of Waterloo counterparts as mandatory U-pass holders (Conestoga students would pay $137 per semester compared to $98.60 for university students) next fall, the college’s board of governors must approve the plan.

And the new regional council, elected later this month, must sign off on the budget implications of expanded service to Conestoga, where ridership has grown more than 65 per cent the past two years.

Budget approval is unlikely before January.

Transit service to Conestoga was recently expanded by 125 trips a day as enrolment at the Doon and Cambridge campuses topped 14,000.

A yes vote to the universal pass is nothing new at Conestoga. Students voted yes to the U-pass in 2011. But the idea of extending the U-pass to Conestoga students died at the regional table.

“Primarily, it was a very difficult financial period there where I believe there was a lot of provincial downloading of responsibility,” said John Cicuttin, the region’s manager of transit development.

“I think just those fiscal realities made it difficult.”

Two years ago, students shot down the U-pass option with a 57 per cent no vote.

This time, as the college eyes a bus link to light rail transit’s Block Line Station, the yes side got about 58 per cent.

Cicuttin is optimistic the region will go for a Conestoga Upass this time.

“We’re hopeful that the financial situation at the region is a little more stable and promising to undertake the program in 2019,” he said.

Conestoga students currently pay $292 for a four-month transit pass.