Carleton University Graduate Students’ Association

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Student Bus Pass Age Cap

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The City of Ottawa is implementing an age cap on student bus passes limiting them to only students under 19 years of age. Tell the Mayor and City Councillors that this is unacceptable. You can read the letter the 7 students' unions in Ottawa sent to the Mayor and City Councillors for more information below.

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I am writing to express opposition and disappointment with the City's decision to eliminate student monthly passes for any person over 19 years of age. An age cap on student passes is discriminatory, unnecessary, and ill informed.

No consultation with the student population of Ottawa was conducted regarding this change and no justification for an age cap has been given from elected representatives or city officials.

This year, you voted to eliminate student semester and annual passes -leaving student monthly passes as the only option for students at La Cité collégiale, St. Paul University, Algonquin College, and Adult High Schools.  Students at the University of Ottawa and Carleton also rely on these passes during the spring and summer months. In particular, graduate students and summer students remain enrolled throughout the spring and summer. Regardless of their age, these residents deserve access to a student pass.

The Mayor, Transit Commission Chair and many Councillors have demonstrated a lack of leadership by not recognizing the importance of students to the Ottawa community and economy.

I urge you to cancel the implementation of this age cap and demonstrate to the residents of Ottawa that you value the role students and accessible transit play in creating a vibrant and inclusive community.

Sincerely,

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Monsieur le Maire, Mesdames les Conseillères, Messieurs les Conseillers de la Ville d'Ottawa,

Je vous écris pour vous faire part de mon opposition et de ma vive déception par rapport à la décision de la Ville d'éliminer les laissez-passer étudiants mensuels pour toute personne de plus de 19 ans. Une telle limite d'âge est discriminatoire, injustifiée et n'est certainement pas nécessaire.

Aucune consultation avec la population étudiante d'Ottawa n'a eu lieu concernant ce changement, et aucune justification n'a été fournie par les représentantes et représentants élus ou par les autorités municipales à propos de l'imposition d'une telle limite d'âge.

Cette année, vous avez choisi d'éliminer les laissez-passer étudiants semestriels et annuels, ne laissant ainsi que le laissez-passer mensuel comme seule option pour les étudiantes et étudiants de la Cité collégiale, de l’Université St-Paul, du Collège Algonquin et des écoles secondaires pour adultes. Les populations étudiantes de l'Université d'Ottawa et de l'Université Carleton dépendent également de ce laissez-passer au printemps et à l'été. Les étudiantes et étudiants diplômés et estivaux demeurent inscrits pendant cette période et ont donc besoin d'un laissez-passer étudiant, quel que soit leur âge.

Le maire, le président de la commission du transport en commun, ainsi que maints conseillers et conseillères, font preuve d'un grand manque de leadership en ne reconnaissant pas l'apport des étudiantes et étudiants à la communauté et à l’économie d’Ottawa.

Je vous enjoins donc d'annuler la mise en place de cette limite d'âge, et de montrer ainsi aux résidentes et résidents d'Ottawa que vous appréciez à sa juste valeur le rôle que la population étudiante, de même qu'un service de transport en commun accessible, jouent dans la création d'une communauté vibrante et inclusive.

Cordialement,

Note you don't need to include your name as a signature after "Sincerely," as your name will be added automatically to the end of the letter. Your email and information sent through the GSA website will be kept confidential. We may contact you with updates regarding the age cap campaign.

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RE: Elimination of student monthly passes for students over age 19

Dear City of Ottawa Councillors,

We are writing to express our opposition and disappointment with the City’s decision to eliminate student monthly passes for any person over 19 years of age. While the implementation of the Presto Pass system may be beneficial for rider convenience, the imposition of an age cap on student passes is both unnecessary and ill informed: there is no justification for linking an age cap to the introduction of the Presto Pass.

In its 2009 budget, and despite protests from students, City Council voted to disqualify students over 26 years of age from the semester and monthly student pass programs. Students organized a broad campaign against this decision and in September 2009 students were successful in having City Council amend its budget mid-year and cancel the age cap on the student passes.

After 10 years of student lobbying, the City of Ottawa finally agreed to the creation of a Universal Transit Pass program for students at Carleton and the University of Ottawa. This year, the City not only raised the cost of the pass by nearly $40 per semester, but also eliminated student semester and annual passes – leaving student monthly passes as the only option for students at La Cité collégiale, Saint Paul University, Algonquin College and Adult High Schools. This new age cap of 19 years now eliminates all student pass options for these residents. Is it the intention of the City of Ottawa to simply reject the concept of affordable transit for students, or is the City attempting to force students into a mandatory U-Pass program that is the most expensive of its kind in Canada?

Students at Carleton and the University of Ottawa are not eligible for a U-Pass during the summer and, along with students at other institutions, rely on student passes for access to affordable transit. In particular, graduate students and summer school students remain enrolled throughout the summer and, regardless of their age, deserve access to a student pass.

A 2012 Economic Impact Study released by the University of Ottawa reveals that the university contributes an estimated $4 billion dollars annually to the Ottawa-Gatineau economy. As students are the driving forces behind such economic stimulus, we are appalled at the treatment students have received from this City Council. Based on ridership surveys at UOttawa and Carleton, 50% of post-secondary students used a student pass prior to the U-Pass. By eliminating monthly, semester, and annual passes for students at La Cité collégiale, Saint Paul University, Algonquin College, and Adult High Schools the City is taking millions of dollars from students every year.

The Mayor, Transit Commission Chair and many Councillors have shown a distinct lack of leadership in recognizing the importance of students to the Ottawa community and economy. The disrespect shown towards nearly one hundred thousand residents is truly appalling.

Unfortunately, this decision is just another in a series of poor decisions that have negatively impacted the tens of thousands of students and their families who rely on affordable public transit in this city. City Councillors can expect to hear from our memberships on this and other issues. Students can be any age and we will not let the issue of affordable transit drop.

Sincerely,

Kelly Black

President

Graduate Students’ Association, Carleton University

pres@gsacarleton.ca

613.520.2600 x8271

Taiva Tegler

External Commissioner

Graduate Students' Association of the University of Ottawa

613.562.5800 x6671

external@gsaed.ca

Elizabeth Kessler