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Exposé analytique

Canada’s transit systems are forging a strong and enduringbond with young people in the communities they serve.

While many Canadian communities have been built tofavour car travel rather than more sustainable forms of transportation, many youth cannot drive or cannot afford tobecause of increasing insurance and fuel costs. Instead, theyrely on mobility alternatives such as transit, walking andcycling to reach school, work and play. For longer distancetrips and in winter weather, their reliance on transit becomeseven more pronounced.

But just as young people depend on transit, so do transit systems depend on them. Canada’s youth account for one-third of transit ridership, nation-wide. In Vancouver, youngpeople 16 to 24 years old are responsible for 28% of ridershipbut only 14% of the area’s adult population.a In small andmid-sized cities, they can make up an even higher proportionof transit users—as high as 65% of all riders in cities likeCornwall, Ont., Red Deer, Alta. and Moose Jaw, Sask.b

Young people are highly attuned to environmental issues likeair pollution and climate change, and are also sensitive tothe cost of travel by different modes. Their natural flexibilitymakes them much more likely than adults to “mix andmatch” different modes for different trips. Canada’s youthare key stakeholders in the development of more sustainableurban transportation and many of them, as transit’s nextgeneration, will continue to use transit into adulthood.

This issue paper reviews several ways that Canada’s transitsystems are creating partnerships with young individuals and others, strengthening the bonds that tie them together.These partnerships are focused on universities and colleges,secondary schools, and even across whole communities.

See www.cutaactu.ca/issuepapers toview or download previous editions

Colleges and universities Meeting the challenge of campus transportation

University and college campuses are natural focal points for publictransit. They bring together thousands of people who have activelives, irregular schedules and financial priorities that often placetuition, books, rent and food ahead of car ownership. Canadiantransit systems have responded by supporting the needs of post-secondary students, who in return have become a major transitmarket and an important source of revenue for both large andsmall transit systems.

Even so, campuses across Canada—both new and old, in suburbsand downtowns—are grappling with major transportation challenges.Growing enrolments are putting pressure on campus roads, parkinglots and transit services. Driving to school is now a more commonoption for students than it was in past decades when many campuseswere planned and built. In short, schools are home to more people,and more of them are bringing cars along.

For educational institutions, adding costly and space-consuming parkinglots is usually unpalatable if not impossible—many, in fact, are planningto replace parking lots with greenspace or improved research, teachingand residence facilities. Public transit, on the other hand, typically playsa vital role in improving campus transportation options.

Across Canada, transit systems are working with campus plannersand managers to expand and enhance service to universities and colleges. Some notable developments include:• At Simon Fraser University (Burnaby, B.C.) a new SkyTrain stationon the Millennium Line is just a quick shuttle bus away from thecampus, offering greatly improved access from across the region forstaff and students.• In the 1990s, Brock University (St. Catharines, Ont.) and four transit commissions crafted a major overhaul of transit service to the Brock campus and the surrounding Niagara Region. Originally,St. Catharines Transit provided the only service to campus via a half-hour reverse-direction route from the city core. Together, thepartners created a major transfer point in the middle of campus thatlinks St. Catharines Transit services to those from adjacent Welland,Niagara Falls and Thorold.• York University (Toronto, Ont.) and several transit providers haveworked to greatly improve transit services and facilities on and nearthe campus (see profile, inset).• At Carleton University (Ottawa, Ont.) a new O-Train light rail station in the middle of campus offers new travel and lifestylepossibilities to staff and students (see profile, inset).

Transit’s Next Generation:Working with Canada’s Youth

CUTA announces Centennial Scholarship to encourage new transit professionals

At the Annual Conference in St. John's, CUTA announced theintroduction of its Centennial Scholarship program, sponsored bythe Trapeze Software Group for an initial period of three years.The program’s five annual scholarships are offered to full-time students attending accredited post-secondary institutions, in aneffort to encourage career awareness and career opportunitieswithin public transit, and to sustain growth and improvementthroughout the industry.

The deadline for applications for the first year is 1 October 2004.Winners will be announced at the Fall Conference in November2004. For more information, call Nancy Sladich at 416-365-9800(ext. 102) or visit www.cutaactu.ca to download forms, eligibilitycriteria or a promotional poster.

The U-Pass:A new chapter in campus transportationMore and more, student groups are actively proposing, negotiatingand implementing a program known as the universal transit pass,or U-Pass.

A U-Pass gives all students, or members of a student group, unlimitedaccess to transit for the entire semester, school year or calendaryear.The U-Pass fee is typically much lower than the cost of buyingregular monthly passes or tickets. U-Pass programs are universalin nature, and mandatory participation makes them similar to publichealth or pension plans.While some individuals may benefit moredirectly than others, U-Passes work because they have substantialbenefits for the student group as a whole.

Two of the most recent U-Pass programs in Canada, at Saint Mary’sUniversity (Halifax, N.S.) and Brock University (Saint Catharines,Ont.), have led to substantial ridership increases of 100% and over200%, respectively.This fall, the University of Sherbrooke (Quebec)will become the most recent entrant into the Canadian U-Passcommunity with the institution’s groundbreaking commitment tofund all program costs.

U-Passes are typically designed to be “revenue neutral” from atransit system’s perspective.That is, any changes in transit costsand revenues arising from the U-Pass should cancel each otherout and not affect the operator’s bottom-line financial performance.U-Pass programs typically boost transit revenues from the studentbody, with gains used to pay for new routes, extended schedulesor more frequent service.

CUTA, with assistance from the Canadian Federation of Students, BC Transit and Transport Canada, has produced a new U-Pass Toolkit.This comprehensive guide to planning andimplementing a U-Pass program is available free from CUTA’swebsite at www.cutaactu.ca/pdf/U-PassToolkit.pdf.

Other transit systems are working to increase campus ridership bymaking student fares more affordable. Some systems, such as theSociété de transport de Montréal, offer a discount to post-secondarystudents when they purchase monthly passes (see profile, inset). Others are partnering with student groups to sell universal transitpasses at a discount to the entire student population through tuitionor activity fees. The growing U-Pass phenomenon has now reachedmore than 20 institutions in a dozen communities across Canada(see profile, inset).

On some campuses, transit improvement and promotion are an integral part of comprehensive transportation demand management(TDM) programs that are reshaping the travel habits of faculty, staffand students:• The TREK Program at the University of British Columbia(Vancouver, B.C.) increased transit use by 100% and reduced single-occupant vehicle use by 20% (both on a per capita basis)between 1997 and 2003.c Much of this change is due to enhancedtransit services and the introduction of a U-Pass in 2003, which givesall students unlimited transit use during the academic year for theequivalent fee of $20 per month.• The ACT (Alternative Commuting and Transportation) Office at McMaster University (Hamilton, Ont.) was created in 2002 to promote transit, walking, cycling and ridesharing by students and employees.d• York University (Toronto, Ont.) has an active TDM program and isa key partner in the local transportation management association(see profile, inset).

Ottawa’s O-Train: Getting students on trackThe City of Ottawa’s O-Train, a diesel-powered light rail service runningon an existing rail line through the urban area, started up in October2001.The eight-kilometre line has five stations, including one located inthe heart of Carleton University’s campus.

The O-Train represented a substantial improvement in transit service forCarleton’s 22,000 students, who took to the train very quickly. Over3,300 Carleton students used the O-Train on an average weekday duringthe 2001 and 2002 academic years.This volume increased to over 4,900per day in 2003, and then to 5,250 per day in 2004.

These ridership increases are explained by a growing student populationand increased awareness of the O-Train service, and possibly by somestudents choosing to relocate from older neighbourhoods near campusto the less expensive and now more accessible south end of the city.

The O-Train has helped Carleton students build a richer relationship withthe city they live in. Students in residence are now just five minutes awayfrom a major shopping centre and major transfer points to the city-wideTransitway system.

Planning is now underway for a significant expansion of the O-Train concept to several parts of the Ottawa area.

See www.octranspo.com/train_menue.htm for more information.

Passengers await the O-Train at Carleton University

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Secondary schoolsBringing teens on boardSecondary students have just as strong a relationship with publictransit as their post-secondary counterparts. Although they may livecloser to their school, they are less likely to be licensed drivers andto have daily access to a car for commuting purposes. Their needscan be better met through innovative transit service planning, andthrough engaging outreach programs that encourage them to maketheir travel choices more sustainable, and show them how to spreadthe word among their peers.

Transit systems are finding that partnerships with school boards are win-win opportunities. By making use of spare capacity outsidepeak hours, systems can increase ridership without a proportionalincrease in operating costs. In return, school boards enjoy a cost-effective student transportation service. Canadian transit systems are increasingly offering customized services for trips toschool—in 2000, 60% of Canadian transit systems tailored theirroutes and schedules for student transportation. They could haveincreased student trips as a proportion of total ridership to morethan 30%, compared to 15% to 20% in areas that had comprehensiveschool bus programs.e

Outreach efforts that build ridership and improve mobility for secondary students can take different forms:• In Ontario, Mississauga Transit’s “Ride 2 School” program introducestransit to new secondary school students, many of whom haverecently arrived in Canada. Each student receives scheduling information linked to their school’s start and finish times, detailedroute and stop information, and guidance on how to use the system.• Communities in British Columbia and Manitoba have implementedthe innovative off ramp program developed by BEST (Better Environmentally Sound Transportation), a non-profit group based in Vancouver, B.C. (see profile, inset).

Montreal’s Carte Privilège: Helping students cut costsIn 2001, Montreal mayoral candidate Gérald Tremblay promised toreduce transit costs for post-secondary students.With Tremblay’selection win, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) launchedits Carte Privilège in January 2002.

The special card gives full-time students aged 18 to 25 a large discount on their monthly transit pass—currently, they pay just $31 for a regular $59 pass.This is the largest discount among theseveral Canadian transit systems that offer similar programs forpost-secondary students. It is also likely one reason that Montrealis home to the Globe and Mail’s 2003 University Report Card’sthree top-ranked institutions forquality of public transit.

The 61,000 students that tookadvantage of the program in 2002have since grown to about 80,000.

See www.stm.info/English/info/a-privilege.htm for more information.

York University: Boosting transit through partnershipsOnly a few years ago, inexpensive parking and inadequate transitservice contributed to gridlock around York University in Toronto,Ont.Then, in 2001,York joined with the City of Toronto and otherarea employers to form the Black Creek Regional TransportationManagement Association (now the Smart Commute Association of Black Creek).

In just three years, several measures have doubled transit’s share of campus travel, from 30% to 60%:• More frequent, direct transit routes that send over 1,000 busesto campus each day• New regional express bus services on Highway 407, a toll road• A new GO Transit commuter rail station near campus• Discounted Toronto Transit Commission passes• A guaranteed ride home program for regular transit users, cyclistsand carpoolers• Increased campus parking fees

With these changes, the university has deferred the $33M construction of two parking garages, and has freed up parking lands to enable new academic and residential developments.

Campus transit users are now looking forward to a new rapid bus service between the York campus and the TTC’s Downsviewsubway station, slated to begin by 2006.

See www.csbo.yorku.ca/Transportation and www.sc-bc.ca for more information.

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Inter-regional GO Transit buses arrive at York University

off ramp: Helping youth taking action on sustainable transportationVancouver-based BEST (Better Environmentally Sound Transportation) hasdeveloped off ramp, a program to change the attitudes of secondary studentsand encourage them to get to school more often by transit, walking,cycling, skateboarding, in-line skating and carpooling.

The off ramp program recruits, trains and supports student leaders whowill develop strategies targeted to their peer group. BEST provides ideas andtools, including a catalogue of fun and effective activities that youth leaderscan use to get their peers out of their cars. Each activity (e.g.“teen transitadventure”,“fortune cookie campaigns”,“funky flash pass”) has its owninstruction sheet with helpful hints and examples.

off ramp has been implemented in several British Columbia communitieswith the assistance of BEST staff, and is now being demonstrated inManitoba (in partnership with Resource Conservation Manitoba),Albertaand the Yukon.The program has reached over 12,000 secondary studentsand teachers since 1999. In 2000, it was selected by the Organisation forEconomic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as an Education andYouth best practice.

See www.offramp.ca and www.resourceconservation.mb.ca for more information.

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Printed in Canada on recycled paper. August 2004

The Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) is the voiceof Canada’s public transit industry. For additional information,including research reports, industry updates, news bulletinsand more, please contact us or visit our website.

Suite 1401—55 York StreetToronto ON M5J 1R7 Canada416-365-9800416-365-1295 (fax)transit@cutaactu.cawww.cutaactu.ca

The International Youth Summit on Sustainable UrbanTransportation: Meeting the transit leaders of tomorrowThe 2004 International Youth Summit on Sustainable UrbanTransportation took place from May 26-31 in Ottawa. Under CUTA’scoordination, the event brought together 80 Canadians aged 17 to 24with others from around the globe.

The Summit addressed topics like urban and transit planning, event andcampaign organization, youth-targeted programs, social marketing,fundraising and media relations.Technical tours highlighted the applicationof important planning principles.After returning home, participants metwith municipalities, transit systems and environmental groups to sharetheir experience and encourage action on local transportation initiatives.

The success of the inaugural Youth Summit in 2002 laid a solid foundationfor this year’s event. "It was an amazing experience—it gave us a chanceto network, brainstorm, and learn about sustainable transportation initiativesfrom across the country," said 2002 participant Sarah Webb, who nowworks as Sustainability Coordinator for the University of Victoria.

Many other participants also remain active in the field. For example,2004 Youth Summit delegates have pledged to undertake actions such as:• Working to make student fares more affordable• Promoting transit in schools• Writing letters and articles in support of public transit and sustainable travel • Joining or starting local advocacy groups

See www.cutaactu.ca/youthsummit for more information.

Youth Advisory Panel:Talking with young Calgarians Calgary Transit has created a Youth Advisory Panel with members15 to 24 years of age who are dedicated to pursuing sustainabletransportation with a focus on transit.

The panel lets members act as transit advocates, and encouragesthem to research, plan and implement their own ideas. Membersmeet regularly to discuss transit issues, provide input on CalgaryTransit’s communications, marketing and service strategies, andchannel feedback from other young people.

The panel has helped develop anti-vandalism and bus courtesycampaigns (i.e. Priority Seating, Noise on the Bus, Move to theBack). It has also been active in developing the community-wideRace Around Calgary Event (the RACE) that showcases the City of Calgary Corporation and exposes a large number of youth to transit.

See www.calgary.ca for more information.

Local and national groupsPutting transit on the youth agenda

Talking to young people in the context of their school can be adirect and meaningful form of engagement. However, successful initiatives can also bring the transit industry and youth together at a community, regional or national level. Two successful examplesare described in the accompanying profiles.

2004 Youth Summit participants ride the bus during a technical tour

Referencesa) TransLink, Customer Satisfaction Survey—Quarter One, 2003

(available at www.translink.bc.ca)

b) Data provide by CUTA members

c) See www.trek.ubc.ca for more information

d) See http://act.mcmaster.ca for more information

e) Canadian Urban Transit Association, STRP Synthesis #2—Transit and School Transportation: Experience and Alternative Approaches,2000 (available at www.cutaactu.ca)

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RACE participants navigating with the help of a Calgary Transit route map