Transit Windsor is seeking approval to launch a new tuition-based bus pass for students at St. Clair College called SaintsPass.
When the City of Windsor's Environment, Transportation and Public Safety Standing Committee meets Wednesday afternoon, they will be asked to authorize a three-year agreement between Transit Windsor and the St. Clair College Student Representative Council. The proposed agreement would run from Sept. 1, 2022 to Aug. 31, 2025.
The pricing for the pass for September 2022 has been set at a rate of $91.33 per semester and $274 for the academic year, with an annual increase based on the higher of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Transportation for the preceding year, or two per cent each Sept. 1st.
Tyson Cragg, Executive Director of Transit Windsor, says this is a win for St. Clair College because it provides students with unlimited transit at a reasonable rate.
"It's a benefit to Transit Windsor because it provides consistent revenue and also the potential for increase ridership, which is good for us as well," he says. "Ridership equals revenue and gas tax implications there with respect to increased ridership. So it really is a win-win for both parties."
SaintsPass is being modeled on the University of Windsor's U-Pass, a universal bus pass was permanently instituted at the school in 2019.
In recognition of the fact that some students live in an area that does not have access to Transit Windsor services, an opt-out clause was also negotiated as part of the proposed agreement. The opt out is based on a 40 per cent maximum as Transit Windsor needs 60 per cent participation for the program.
Cragg says the St. Clair College Student Representative Council will determine who is eligible for the opt-out, which is based on your home address.
"Let's say you're a commuter from Chatham who comes in, or Tilbury, or some place like that, where Transit Windsor doesn't provide service. I know there's a number of those students, so those students would not be expected to take a pass," he says.
The estimated annual gross revenue from the SaintsPass for 2022 is approximately $1.7 million. The annual net revenue from the bus pass program, as presented in the 2022 Budget, is projected at $260,000.
The City of Windsor's Environment, Transportation and Public Safety Standing Committee meets Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
If approved by the committee, the agreement would still need final approval from City Council.