A recent student survey showed that 1 out of every 4 students was in support of students to having free bus service on Utah Transit Authority buses. That?s 7,500 students who said, ?Yes.?
A student pass from UTA costs about $28 a month (purchased through the university) while a regular adult pass costs $40. That?s about $340 bucks a month while attending school.
While the bus pass has its merits, it would help students if university administrators would enter discussion with UTA to review bus schedules and routes.
There are 23,000 full-time students and as many as 7,000 part-time students who could benefit from the passes. If even half of the students take advantage of the pass, it would be a majority of the ridership in Utah County using the buses, probably more than any other business. (UVSC students who ride the bus too may benefit from such discussions.)
Administrators could arrange bus schedules to meet the student demands, create new routes and stops closer to the campus, and provide additional, more convenient routes near larger housing complexes.
At President Bateman?s Q&A, he said students need to look at what can be done to continue the bus pass. He suggested raising parking fees modestly as a possibility to encourage student usage. Higher parking fees may discourage some from driving. Additionally, the university has hinted faculty and staff parking fees will be imposed.
Right now, BYU students pay a $40 parking fee in the fall and $25 in the winter semester for the rights to park on campus. Even a modest increase would be nothing when compared to places like University of Utah ($120 a year) and UCLA which pays a monthly and a quarterly fee (equivalent to about $64 a month), and Texas A&M which pays about $133 per month for parking privileges.
The bus pass is a good environmental decision for all, but additional work on whether or not to order student compliance through raised parking fees may need some further consideration.
