City of Whitehorse, College and Student Union partner to expand transit options for FT students

August 1, 2013

WHITEHORSE – Full-time credit students at Yukon College will have a compelling reason to ride the bus when school starts in September. A pilot initiative where students can use their full-time student ID card as a bus pass was announced today by Yukon Education Minister Scott Kent, Whitehorse Mayor Dan Curtis, College President Dr. Karen Barnes, and Yukon College Student Union President Daniel Ashley.

The transit initiative is backed up by an extension of city bus service into the evening Monday through Friday. This will accommodate students who have evening classes or who study at the College throughout the evening hours, College staff, and retail or service workers with evening shifts. The last bus will depart from the College at 10:00 p.m., with the last buses departing from downtown at 10:20 p.m.

Under this partnership between the City of Whitehorse, Yukon College and Yukon College Student Union, the City will provide a discount on the standard $62.00 cost of a monthly adult pass for nine months between September 2013 and May 2014. The College and Student Union will split the cost of covering the remaining $15.50 per student, per month. The program will cost the College and Student Union $77,000 for an estimated 550 full time students in the upcoming academic year.

“This is a great way to promote community sustainability while also assisting post-secondary students, many of whom are facing significant financial burdens,” said Scott Kent, Yukon Education Minister. “This initiative will get students in the habit of using public transit and hopefully that is something they will continue to want to use in the future when they enter the workforce.”

“The partnership is another great example of the City making the transit system more affordable and accessible to all,” said Mayor Dan Curtis. “We are looking forward to more of the student population using transit to support their independent living.”

“Encouraging greater transit use through this bus pass initiative and the extension of bus service into the evening, helps our students, helps the environment, and helps keep our transit system sustainable,” said Dr. Karen Barnes, Yukon College President.

“It’s something that has been talked about for years, so we are very pleased that the new city council have made it a priority and that we have been able to come up with an agreement that works for everyone,” added Dr. Barnes.

“Many of our students rely on transit as their primary means to commute to classes, and within the city. We feel this initiative will increase quality of life for Yukon College students and help foster a culture of sustainability on campus," said Daniel Ashley, Yukon College Student Union President.

“This will definitely be a huge help to me,” said 25-year-old Bryce Hierlihy, who will be relying on the bus every day to get him to the college from his home in Riverdale when he begins the business administration program in September. “I’m pleased that the City, College and Student Union came together to make this happen and happy to see student union fees going towards something I will get a lot of use out of.”

The college has designed new student I.D. cards to ensure the red F, for full-time, is large and easy to see for bus drivers as students climb aboard. The three partners will evaluate the success of the pilot program next spring.

-30-


For more information, contact:

Michael Vernon
Communications Coordinator
College Relations
Yukon College
867.668.8786
867.332.4722
mvernon@yukoncollege.yk.ca

Jacqueline Bedard
Director
College Relations
Yukon College
867.456.8619
jbedard@yukoncollege.yk.ca

Daniel Ashley
President
Yukon College Student Union
867.332.3677
MCprhyme@gmail.com

Gaelle Wells
A/ Manager Public Relations
City of Whitehorse
867.334.2400
gaelle.wells@whitehorse.ca

Matthew Grant
Cabinet Communications
867.393.6470
matthew.grant@gov.yk.ca

Eilidh Fraser
Communications, Education
867.456.6789
Eilidh.Fraser@gov.yk.ca