Celebrating the UPass: Expanding transit pass programs

This week’s tenth anniversary of the U-Pass is a great opportunity to celebrate a major local success story. The university bus pass program has led to a 300 per cent increase in transit ridership to UVic. The program was the first of its kind in Western Canada, and has been replicated at Universities across BC.

The remarkable shift to public transit as the preferred method of commuting is due to the low-cost of the pass, an aggressive campus transportation demand management (TDM) strategy, high quality transit service on routes that connect to the campus, and a safe and attractive campus walking environment.

UVic made a strategic investment in changing its car culture on campus. Providing incentives to staff and students to take the bus, cycle, or walk, and disincentives for those who drive, has changed the face of campus commuting. It has also dramatically reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and freed up parking lots for walk- and bike-friendly campus expansion.

For me, the most important part of this success is how easily the formula can be replicated off-campus. Large employers and institutions (including municipal governments) around our region can learn from UVic’s example. Let’s work with BC Transit to provide a low-cost employee pass program and apply TDM measures to encourage transportation alternatives and curtail automobile dependency. We must increase transit service on all routes so that commuters have a high-quality and reliable alternative, and ensure our major commuting destinations are safe and convenient for walking.

Let’s set a target -- that ten years from now, we’ll be celebrating U-Pass-type programs all over our region. Not to mention enjoying a greener, healthier, and less-congested community.