THUNDER BAY – Lakehead University students have until Tuesday at 11:59 p.m. to vote on if the student union’s U-PASS will go up by 11.5 per cent per year over the next three years.
In place for over 15 years, the U-Pass provides for unlimited access to all conventional and specialized public transit services.
According to the LU student union, they're currently paying the equivalent of $18.81 a month for Thunder Bay Transit's universal bus pass for students.
Under a new contract with the city, this will rise to $20.98 in the coming school year, $23.39 the following year, and $26.08 monthly in 2026-27.
In contrast, the cost of an adult's monthly pass for members of the general public is $87 a month starting in April.
Although the U-Pass provides bus service to Lakehead and Confederation College students at a heavily discounted rate, it also generates considerable guaranteed revenue for Thunder Bay Transit because most students cannot opt out of the deal.
All full-time undergraduate students living within Thunder Bay Transit's service area pay for the pass as a mandatory ancillary fee.
Students living outside the service area, or those with medical issues, can opt out with documentation.
Part-time and graduate students can choose whether to opt in.
In 2022-23, over 3,800 LU students were eligible for the U-Pass, and another 850 chose to opt in.
LUSU's governing documents require that a referendum be held because the pending increases are more than five per cent.
Voting was supposed to end on April 5, but it was extended until April 9.
If you are a Lakehead student who wants to vote, you may do so here.
Anyone who enters will have a chance to win one of five $100 Visa gift cards.
According to Thunder Bay Transit, Lakehead and Confederation students historically constitute more than 40 per cent of overall transit ridership.
The city reached a new U-Pass agreement with the college's student union late last year.
It means the current annual full-year fee of $225.75 will rise to $251.71 next year, followed by 11.5 per cent increases each of the following two years.
With files from Gary Rinne.
