Transportation Advisory Committee

This forum concerns the free bus pass program. As of 2007–2008, free passes will be distributed to incoming and transfer undergraduates and graduate students only. See http://www.parking.cornell.edu for more details.

i am a graduate student in city planning. it has come to my attention that the school is going to be cutting back bus pass subsidies for the next academic year. if this is the case, i think it is a poor decision and am posting this comment to explain this stance.

coming from a very progressive university in california, where greening is taken seriously, and bus passes are subsidized for every student or faculty, it was a shock to find that the illustrous cornell was not in fact a leader in sustainability- that there had been protests to the previous administration’s act of cutting down stands of important trees for the building of even more impermeable asphalt parking lots.

though i was encouraged to find the engineering department finding fun ways to support less auto use, it is depressing to find the administration trying to make more money off of students through parking permit sales.

the free bus pass is especially important here as weather makes walking or bike riding to school even more unfeasible for some students. I think it would be a travesty for a university to take buses from it’s students - (are the finances really that bad here? somehow the underfunded school districts of the state manage to provide bus service all across tomkin’s county inspite of its cost).

the new administration has an opportunity to step forward with a real policy towards the environment, the way humans interact with the world, and the way people interact with each other. bus riding reduces carbon emissions and it builds community. instead of competing with one another for that last parking space, or waiting alone in our idling cars for another spot to open, riding the bus, we squeezing close to each other to let just one more person in. it lets us celebrate our journey to school together rather than one in convenience driven isolation.

we listen to the bus drivers tell their humorous and sometimes boring stories, we interact with the community of ithaca. The buses promote a sense of identification with each other and this place we call home for now.

our university must exemplify the sustainability that it teaches, and the community it proports to encourage. OUR energy use must be conserved, OUR recycling must be improved, OUR bus riding must be supported. OUR needs as students must be heard.

the administration can join US in this “green revolution”, or it can become the target. i think people are pissed off enough right now to actually do some thing about this, so i would again kindly suggest that

budget cuts from student bus subsidies are no way to say that environmental stewardship is a strong value at cornell. instead, it is saying, “students we don’t really give a damn how you get to school, or about the quality of your life, - real life means nothing. enviornmental ethics are a sham, and we’re not going to financially support them.”

The message is loud and clear thus far; i among others look forward to change from cornell - while it remains OUR university.

Since TCAT is putting card readers in all the buses next year, I believe that there is a system that can implemented (and I would be more than happy to implement it) that could still give all students a bus pass and eliminate TCAT’s free and infrequent ridership by some students who only use the service sparingly - what I am guessing is the source of cutting off free bus passes to the rest of the Cornell community.

I completely understand that bus service costs money. I also believe a pledge of sustainability does not end with the university, but must be practiced by ACTIVELY by students as well.

If the ability to track individual ridership will exist in the future, then a use-it-or-pay-for-it system should be used. This would involve the issuance of Omnipass stickers to all students with the caveat of MINIMUM ridership, i.e., they MUST use the service a certain amount of times a semester for the pass to remain free.

If the student does not ride the bus the minimum amount of times, the university should charge for full price for the student pass at the end of the semester.

I know the tracking element hints of Big Brother, but the fact remains that these are free passes to ride a very good municipal bus system. The ability of TCAT to get federal grants is tied to its ridership, and if the ridership is more consistent, it can secure these monies and still provide a free service.

I do not see the point of giving out free bus passes to the new comer.Basically it just raised the tuition charged, or just that they are free-riding on the existing students. And we have way too much support for the university staff as well. It is a public service that is supported by all the taxpayers and the students at Cornell. A uniform policy on price on everybody should be just fine, in my personal view.

As a first year graduate student here I was thrilled when I found out that public transportation was subsidized by the university. Specifically because I felt I could depend on said subsidy, I felt I could finally sell my car and begin to take the steps to green my lifestyle (which was virtually impossible in the part of California I lived in before coming to Cornell.) I use the bus AT LEAST once a day, riding not only to and from campus but to the grocery store, the laundrymat, etc. Specifically in the foul weather, the bus is absolutely necessary to get to campus. It is a quality of life issue for many of us grad students, and it’s a shame that the university is no longer supporting such a program (especially considering the university’s recent push to establish a carbon-neutral, sustainable campus).

It’s about time they discontinue ALL of the free bus passes! I am a 4th year grad and have had to pay every single year. Why should MY student activity pay for YOUR bus pass?

I’ve been at Cornell for 5 years, and the 5 years I had to pay for a bus pass… how is this fair? For all I care, 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students should pay for all the years they rode for free. This whole free pass campaign didn’t make any sense from the beginning! If it was about encouraging people not to drive to campus, they should have offered the “free pass” to ANY student regardless of year who didn’t buy a parking permit, not only the new ones. If Cornell has the money to pay for these free passes for certain privileged students, they probably have the money to reduce the price of the bus passes for EVERYBODY, that way ALL of us can share the benefits, not only the lucky ones who happened to have applied to Cornell in 2004 or later. Rent, utilities, food, gasoline, clothes, books, etc.. their prices don’t change according to student seniority, we all spend the same. TAs, GAs, RAs, GRAs and the like all make the same amount, they don’t pay more if you are a senior so why only new students are elegible for the benefits? Why should I pay for another student’s bus rides again? I’ve been doing it for 3 years, I’m tired. If you want to be fair to all students, give those free passes to the senior students who have paid every single year for it (the 4th, 5th and beyond-year students) and then dismantle the whole thing. Use that money to bring down the cost of the pass for EVERYBODY!

Much of my decision to live in downtown Ithaca as a grad student was dictated by free and easy access to campus. This is incredibly disappointing.

I’m a 3rd year grad who has had to pay for a bus pass every year I used it. When the free pass was introduced it was upsetting that only 1st years would get it. Now why don’t you implement the free pass for older students who better knw the value of money and who have a record of using their passes? Make the younger students pay for it to give them time to decide if they’d rather drive or bus to campus. By the way, at my undergrad which consists of students not quite as rich as most Cornellians, all bus rides were free. If they can have a good sustainable bus system that’s fair to everyone why can’t we?

the free bus passes were the result of major negotiations between Cornell students and the administration. It is unfair to revoke these privileges because of the compromise they represent, even though most Cornellians perhaps are unaware of the backdrop. We need to continue to provide this service to Cornell students (whether it is with subsidized rates or whatever) as representative of our environmental policy.

The only people who should be made to pay the fiull $660.00 price to park in B-lot are people who are located in the vet school or anywhere else within about two minutes walking distance of the B-lot. The idea that people who require a bus ride from B-lot to get to their primary location should be paying the same amount as people who are parking in lots minutes away from their primary location makes no sense in terms of a free market economy. The only context in which this makes sense is if the underlying objective is to discourage people from buying a parking permit if they can’t get one close to their building. A free bus pass essentially amounts to a discount on parking spaces in the B-lot, which is “far away” for the vast majority of folks who park there. This is fair given that many other people are parking within easy walking distance of their buillding and paying the same amount for the privelege. The kind folks at Transportation and Parking Services clearly never took a microeconomics course and don’t understand the concept of supply and demand.

As a first-year student I was attracted to the inexpensive rent prices out of town, so I chose to pay for a parking pass. Since TCAT has infrequent and limited service in that area I declined to receive a free Omnipass. When I made this choice I thought that paying the equivalent to about $50/month for parking on campus was not much compared to the $300/month I was saving by living out of town. After several months of this arrangement I decided that living so far away from the conveniences of town and the hassles of getting to classes in inclement weather were not worth the savings of living out of town. I thought I would prefer to spend more on rent to live downtown and take the bus for free. Now I am faced with a more difficult decision. If it will cost me over $200 to get a yearlong bus pass, the cost of living downtown is now greater. I’m not sure if the convenience is worth it. Without the free bus pass I’m afraid more of us will choose to live out of town and pay for on-campus parking. If Cornell is serious about getting people out of their cars then the University will invest in the free bus passes. Raising the cost of the bus pass is simply a punitive measure that will force people to commute farther distances and therefore drive more.

I am a first year grad student and part of my decision for choosing Cornell was the school’s commitment to support and implement sustainable practices, such as free bus passes. I am extremely disappointed that ALL students are not given a free bus pass for their ENTIRE time at Cornell. It is understandable that this is a costly program for Cornell however I feel our tuition more than compensates you to offer us such an amenity.

I’m a 4th year graduate student and since I joined Cornell I had to pay the $200 for a bus pass. The beginning of a new Fall semester is a nightmare for my pocket. Since the Dental plan is not free ($248�and btw it doesn’t even include the extraction of an impacted wisdom teeth), then $200 for buss pass and $145 for gym (since Ithaca has an 8 month winter period difficult for outdoor exercises), I have a bursar bill of $593 or more that makes a very difficult start of the semester. Every year these rates increases and I thank God that I have perfect vision, if not I have to add $140 for an Eye care plan. I think this is a lot for a graduate student that has many other bills to pay. It is kind of upsetting to know that 1st and 2nd year students are receiving free bus passes saving them up to $400 for both years. I think it is time for older students to get this type of privileges.

The bus passes should be free for everyone and since the student population negotiated so hard to maintain this for everyone, it would be very unfair on the part of Cornell to revoke that considering students already pay an arm and a leg for living in Ithaca. But to make it even harder for those of us who can’t afford to live closer to campus (and especially those who cannot live in Ithaca) to pay even higher fees for the bus pass is rediculous as it won’t reduce the amount of cars on campus or make Cornell/Ithaca more green as has been the recent push by the administration.

If Cornell’s purpose is to maintain a lower level of cars on campus, then this is the wrong way to to do it. My husband and I live at Hasbrouck because it’s cheaper than trying to live closer to campus with the stipends we receive. We were also thrilled and made our decision based on being able to bus to campus for free (especially if we bought a parking permit on top of paying rent for living in a townhose unit that should include parking considering it’s for families), although it has turned out that in my case, I had to pay an additional fee to recieve a bus pass because I am disabled and must have a handicap permit. Since I can’t bus to campus, then I need to be able to at least park on campus especially when the weather gets bad, but I don’t need to park on campus most of hte time and would like to take the bus as often as possible to reduce the amount of emissions and also to keep Cornell more pedestrian friendly. As a result, I did not buy the extra bus pass this year because I have to pay extra sinceI have a handicap permit, even though having a Hasbrouck parking permit is supposed to allow you to have a free bus pass. This not only discourages people who can leave their cars parked away from campus, but it is also discriminatory against those of us with disabilities who can still get around without driving all the time.

I still walk and bus (although I have to pay for each trip) to campus as much as I can but it’s starting to seem as though I should just drive all the time as it would be easier on my body and my budget. But if we are charged for parking in front of our homes, and our bus pass are taken away, and then on top of that we will be charged even more for living further away, then Cornell is doing a major disservice to its graduate students.

I second opinions that support subsidized free passes for ALL graduate students. It is about time that the university would start practicing what it preaches and limit it to paper-less bursary bills.

How about have say 30% subsidy on bus pass for all students irrespective of their being 1st year or second year grads ?

In my personal view, bus pass fee should be the same for all the students.

I have received free bus pass for the last two years. And I know it has been a source of frustration for those who had to pay for it. However, it is true that the free buspass does help keep Ithaca greener. Therefore, I support free bus pass for all and if that is not possible maybe a 30–50% subsidised bus pass. That way Ithaca stays greener, we have to pay less, and nobody is discriminated against.

I think it is sad that the university charges Hasbrouck residents $660 to park outside their home. Charging residents extra for a bus pass will just prevent them from using the bus to go to the mall and forces them to use their car more. The bus is free for everyone at UMass Amherst and some other places. What happened to Cornell’s big green campus initiative?

If Cornell wants to have a “greener” campus, they should encourage students to use mass transportation (i.e. the TCAT bus system). How do you encourage students to ride the buses instead of driving cars? Give them all free bus passes. Every single one of them. A year’s expenses at Cornell is quickly approaching $50,000. Cornell University can easily afford to give every student a FREE bus pass. If the administration can’t find a way to do that, they do not deserve to be running this school. Cut the crap, Cornell University administrators. Give us our bus passes.

Cornell is making a huge mistake by discontinuing the free bus pass for all students except incoming undergraduate and graduate students. If Cornell wanted to discourage students from bringing cars to Ithaca, it would continue to phase in free bus passes for the entire student body, while working to change parking regulations and working with TCAT to create a bus system that caters to the needs of faculty, staff, and students. By creating what amounts to a congestion pricing scheme, Cornell will not encourage public transport use among its student population. While there will be no fare evenings and weekends, the service at those times is inconvenient and infrequent. For example, many areas are not served during those times. Additionally, routes 92 and 93 which provide most campus service at night have waits of up to 45 minutes between buses for large parts of the night. Weekend service on campus is provided by one route operating once an hour. Assuming the Route 30 returns to its pre-Thurston Avenue Bridge construction route this fall, West Campus has no weekend bus service, aside from the once an hour Route 85 which circulates on campus. What disincentive is there for an upperclass undergraduate living in Collegetown or on West Campus, who is probably more likely to consider having a car in Ithaca, with this policy? Unless the amount of weekend and evening service is increased or better scheduled to minimize waiting times, free rides during those times, especially when routes 92 and 93 are already free, will do little to encourage additional transit use.

The University of Massachusetts-Amherst, University of Maryland-College Park, Purdue University, and many other colleges and universities with student body sizes and faculty body sizes in towns and cities similar in size to Ithaca offer free rides on the local buses to ALL students. Cornell should strive to do the same, instead of trying to discourage the use of public transit with the policy that is to be put in place for next year.

By taking away the passes for all but incoming freshmen, Cornell has yet again proven that their pocketbooks speak louder than their concern for the environment, let alone their reputation as an environmentally-conscious university. Way to go assholes.

No bus pass AND the bridge is closed. The Cornell Transportation System needs some serious re-evaluation so students, staff, and faculty members can get around the campus.

If Cornell wants to have a “greener” campus, they should encourage students to use mass transportation (i.e. the TCAT bus system). How do you encourage students to ride the buses instead of driving cars? Give them all free bus passes. Every single one of them. A year’s expenses at Cornell is quickly approaching $50,000. Cornell University can easily afford to give every student a FREE bus pass.

$200/year isn’t a lot. But it’s enough to encourage folks to take a car instead of taking the bus, just because they need to make an affirmative choice to buy the pass. If the price has to be raised to cover costs, increase the cost of the parking passes, or increase tuition by the difference between average parking pass purchase and the cost of providing the bus pass.

If cost is the problem, why can’t TCAT charge Cornell based on actual usage? If they want to encourage ridership, bus passes should be free to everyone, not just people who don’t buy a parking pass. That would discourage people from stupidly driving to campus when the weather is terrible, just because they’ve already paid for their parking permits. It would encourage people to take the bus on days when they don’t need their car.

As a former undergrad and current law student, I’d like to protest the re-imposition of a fee to obtain a bus pass. Freshman on north campus need free bus passes the least out of any group of students on this campus. Walking to and from north campus is simply not a big deal, and most students use a meal plan so they have no need to take a bus to the grocery store. By contrast upperclassmen and graduate students who do not live on campus and do not have meal plans use the bus frequently to commute to school from various areas around Ithaca, to get to the store for groceries and other essentials, and to visit friends. I don’t know what sort of studies were done to ascertain the comparative use of the bus system of among students in different programs, but in my admittedly limited and anecdotal experience many if not most graduate students use their bus passes enough to justify providing them free access.

This is of course completely separate from Cornell’s repeated assertions that it is dedicated to sustainability and the environment. Even if providing all students is not cost effective, the message that Cornell is committed to public transportation is an admirable one, and one that I hope you do not abandon.

On the last Cornell’s transportation survey, it said that maintaining parking spots on campus cost 1000 dollars a year. The question was if we thought rather or not this policy was fair, since they charge about 660.00/y.

If that was true (maybe not…) why would Cornell be subsidizing parking spots, but won’t subsidize bus riders?

I agree that bus passes should cost the same for every student, and the price should be zero.

It is said and disappointing to see selfishness and jealousy dominating people that are against the bus passes for the newcomers, just because they are not for everyone… it is not the solution, but it is not bad that at least some, if not all, will get free passes.

What is the price we are willing to pay, as a community, to protect our environment?

Transportation has announced that bus passes for students who buy a B-Lot or a Grad Residential permit will be free. No more $100 fee.

Free bus passes for all.

One of most appealing factor that attracted students in the first place to Cornell was the Omipass. Since the campus is located on a very slopping setting, the bus provides excellent means of transportation for students in the winter. Since Cornell is both bitterly cold and slippery, walking would be a living liability to the school. Additionally, many Cornell student rely on the bus system to travel to places such as the movie theater and mall. Without the buspass free, students will have to provide alternate means of transportation which leads to more cars on campus making both parking and traffic a hasel.

I need an OmniRide bus pass for next year! Please don’t make me pay $1.50 both ways to a job that I earn $8/hour from. At least reimburse me for the transportation cost from my work study money.