The Edmonton Transit System (ETS) announced that the U-Pass will be accessible to students from Fort Saskatchewan, Spruce Grove and Leduc starting January 1, 2017. This means that students who live in these municipalities and attend NAIT, University of Alberta, MacEwan University and Norquest College can use ETS services without needing to buy extra fares or passes. The city believes that this change will make public transit more appealing for students living in these areas and will provide benefits to the city.
“I look forward to that number continuing to rise, and the benefits continuing to accumulate to the community,” said Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson.
The premise of the U-Pass will remain the same, that being a sticker placed on a student’s ID card which allows them not only transit to and from school, but to other places across the city and all municipalities included in the U-Pass.
“Students who attend a participating post-secondary institution in Edmonton but live outside of the city faced additional daily transit fees in order to reach classes. On the flip side, all students faced the same barrier if they needed to reach surrounding communities for practicums, classes or other activities. Expanding the U-Pass program means more affordable and convenient transit for these students,” said Robyn Paches, vice-president operations and finance of the University of Alberta Students’ Union.
The U-Pass was first introduced in 2007 as a pilot project which connected the City of Edmonton, Strathcona County and St. Albert with students attending the University of Alberta and MacEwan University. The pilot project ended in April 2010 to become a permanent program with NAIT joining the program later in the year and NorQuest College joining in 2013.
