“We don’t feel that the county can balance the budget on the backs of the students.” – Kyle Duerstein, SA director of legislative affairs

From a quick ride to school in the rain to an hour commute from the suburbs, thousands of students make use of the Milwaukee County Transit System every day by showing their UPasses.

But with increased operational costs and the rising cost of gas come increases to bus fares, as Scott Walker’s county budget released Sept. 28 indicated.

According to the proposed 2007-’08 budget, rider fees for fall 2006 would include a $3 increase in the UPass per semester, from $41 to $44. This would mark a 25 percent increase since 2002. At the same time, adult cash fares would stay the same and all routes would remain intact.

The UPass program, funded out of student segregated fees, started in 1994 as a way to ease parking and driving congestion around campus. It now consists of four schools: the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Marquette University, the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and Columbia College of Nursing. Milwaukee Area Technical College is also considering adopting the UPass program.

The yearly contribution of UWM students to the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) is an estimated $2,311,744 for 28,192 students, said Kyle Duerstein, director of legislative affairs for the Student Association. If the UPass price increased to $44, UWM would be contributing an additional $169,152 per year.

These increases reflect a more than $6.5 million increase in transit operation costs due to retirement benefits and increased gas prices.

According to the budget, “Diesel fuel is budgeted at $2.35 per gallon for 2007, resulting in an increase of $1,260,000 over the 2006 budget.”

Over the summer MCTS talked about cutting routes, but after hearing feedback from students and others in the community, they decided to raise fees instead.

“They (students) would rather pay more to keep routes intact,” said County Executive Scott Walker when asked about his decision to raise fees.

Everything in the proposed budget must go through the finance committee and be approved by the board.

“The transit budget is scheduled to be discussed Oct.12, and no plans are yet finalized,” said Joe Caruso, marketing director for MCTS. “The county board wants to hear from the people who will be affected.”

In 2005, the initial cost of the UPass for the 2006 budget was higher than the final numbers in the budget because it “was modified by the activism of the people on campus,” Caruso said.

Duerstein said he plans to lobby the county board to keep the UPass at $41.

“We don’t feel that the county can balance the budget on the backs of the students,” Duerstein said.

SA plans to discuss ideas for how to manage a potential increase at its next meeting, said SA Sen. Tyler Drahein.

There are many options to consider, according to Duerstein: SA could deal with it, ask the university to cover the increase rather than direct segregated fees, negotiate optional participation or opt out.

But there are disadvantages to all options. If the university opted out completely, “(we) would make up for it with a comparable cut in services,” Caruso said. That would mean fewer routes and fewer stops to campus.

Caruso also said optional participation in UPass would not be a choice.

“We would not be able to implement (a partial program),” Caruso said. “What you have is UPass, which is currently worth about $280 for this semester. If there wasn’t a UPass, what you would end up with are people buying tickets.”

Currently all students have to pay the $41 segregated fee for the UPass whether or not they pick it up or use it. According to Caruso, nearly 40 percent of students do not pick up the pass, but he said he is pleased with the nearly 60 percent who do annually make use of the system.

Other changes to the system could include a $3 increase in adult ticket books and weekly passes from $14 to $17, a $2.25 increase in student special weekly passes from $13.75 to $16 and a decrease in service to Waukesha County.

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