Students at Toronto universities and colleges could be in line for steep discounts on TTC passes, as part of a new program designed to provide financial relief to cash-strapped young people while boosting transit ridership. In a report published Tuesday, the TTC recommends the agency’s board endorse the so-called U-Pass program, which would allow post-secondary students unlimited travel for as little as $70 per month, less than half the price of an adult monthly pass. “A U-Pass will make transportation more affordable for post-secondary students and could potentially unlock additional economic, educational and cultural opportunities,” the report states. The board will debate the issue on March 20.The report notes the average income for college and university students is less than half the provincial average, and at current prices a post-secondary pass costs $930 each eight-month school year.There’s a catch, however. For the U-Pass program to work, participation would have to be mandatory for all students at an institution, with the cost added to their student fees. A portion of students at the city’s colleges and universities already buy monthly post-secondary passes, which cost $116.75. By spreading the cost of the U-Pass evenly across all students, the program would lower the price of travel for those who currently buy passes, while increasing costs for most who don’t, and keeping the program revenue neutral for the TTC. For instance, of the 40,000 full-time undergraduate students at the University of Toronto’s St. George campus, the TTC estimates just over half use transit frequently. Each month 13,200 buy a post-secondary pass, and 10,800 don’t buy a pass but spend about $99 on single rides, generating $2.6 million in revenue for the TTC. Under the U-Pass program, all 40,000 students would pay $70 a month to get a pass, generating $2.8 million for the TTC. The cost of the program is based on at least one of Uni ...
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