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U-Pass Fact Sheet


The City of Spruce Grove knows that transit service for students is important

The City values education and wants to make it easier for post-secondary students to live at home while undertaking their studies. In 2006 / 2007, before the U-Pass was introduced, The City of Spruce Grove designed its commuter service, and was routed past NAIT External, Grant MacEwan University External, and the University of Alberta External to accommodate students as well as regular commuters. The impact of the U-Pass on the Spruce Grove service is currently under review and the City is in early discussions with the student unions.

 

Spruce Grove’s Route 197 is not part of the Edmonton Transit System (ETS)

The City of Spruce Grove contracts Edmonton Transit External to provide our commuter service, and although it uses ETS buses it is a separate system entirely. This is why there is no transferability between Route 197 PDF and the rest of the ETS system. The Fort Saskatchewan and Leduc services also operate this way. To ride the ETS system, a separate ticket or monthly pass must be purchased from ETS.

 

Honouring the U-Pass at this time would have a significant impact on the viability of Spruce Grove’s transit service

Revenue generated through U-Pass sales is shared amongst participating transit operators based on the formula agreed upon at the time of negotiations with the Student Unions. These agreements are based on three-year contract cycles with the next round of negotiations to be held and voted upon by the students in 2013. The City of Spruce Grove was not included in the last round of negotiations.

Spruce Grove’s transit program is already heavily subsidized (as are all transit services). Participating in the U-Pass program prior to the next contract cycle will place an undue burden on taxpayers. In addition to the lost revenue associated with Route 197 pass sales, U-Pass program participation would likely increase ridership which would in turn require us to contract additional service from ETS. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it would come at significant cost, which must be considered as part of the City’s long term budget planning process. The City of Spruce Grove is in the early discussions with the Student Unions to see whether and how this program could be viable for our students and taxpayers in the future.

 

Other municipalities participate in the U-Pass program because they operate their own separate transit systems and participated in negotiations with the Student Unions

Among other communities in the greater Edmonton area, only St. Albert and Strathcona County currently participate in the U-Pass program. These municipalities operate their own transit systems which have been in place longer and serve a larger population. As operators with a relatively large fleet, these two communities have added flexibility and resources to participate in programs such as the U-Pass. These communities also were part of the U-Pass negotiations with the Student Unions and ETS to determine associated program costs and the revenue sharing formula.

 

The City of Spruce Grove is working to improve its commuter transit service

Increasing our capacity, ridership, and service levels is our long-term goal. We are currently reviewing our transit system and preparing a business plan on how the service should evolve in the future. As part of this we are looking at the U-Pass to better understand its associated costs and our options for participation. We are also working closely with other municipalities in the Capital Region to create a better regional system and explore funding opportunities from other levels of government. Despite its current challenges and limitations the City is committed to making transit work – it just takes time and resources to develop.