City hall is creating a “summer super pass” for high school students so they can ride the bus and access recreation venues for one price that’s more than half the cost of regular rates.
This $95 ticket would grant students aged 13 to 17 access to transit services and recreation venues between Monday, July 1 and Saturday, Aug. 31, while it would promote ridership, encourage attendance at recreation sites and allow each service to share its respective customer base.
City council unanimously supported the project during its May 27 regular meeting.
In 2023, a member of a city advisory board suggested the municipality create a joint recreation/transit pass for students, and after discussions between transit and parks and recreation, they determined that the “student summer super pass” was feasible, a council report said.
The pass will also help address the top three programming priorities in the parks and recreation master plan: drop-in and spontaneous recreation and leisure, funding for children and youths, and Yara Centre programming.
Ridership
The report noted that student bus pass sales between September and June comprise a “substantial portion” of all pass sales, although they decline significantly in July and August, the report continued. For example, during the 2023 school year, the city sold an average of 213 student passes monthly, while that number dropped to 53 passes monthly in the summer — a decline of 75 per cent.
“Transit studies have shown that when individuals become comfortable using transit services in their youth, they will be more likely to consider transit as a transportation optin into their adult years,” the report said.
“This initiative would support building ridership habits in our local youth, which may support future ridership and bus pass sales.”
Pricing
Until 2015, the transit department offered student monthly bus passes for $23 during the summer, compared to $46 per month during the school year, the report continued. Currently, a monthly student bus pass is $65, while a pro-rated student recreation pass is $32.50, or $97.50 plus taxes per month for both.
The new price of $95 for the super pass represents a discount of roughly 51 per cent compared to regular rates.
The city plans to split the revenue between the transit and parks and recreation departments, with the former receiving $62.50 and the latter getting $32.50.
Convenience and reporting
“The provision of a pass that encompasses both transit and recreation facilities would streamline convenience for families and offer an affordable option that would keep youth active and engaged with the community while school is not in session,” said the council report.
Youths with a current recreation membership can add transit during the summer; the city sold 18 youth memberships in 2023.
City hall will use several software programs to track and report the usage of the super pass at rec venues and for riding the bus, the report said. These two systems will determine the initiative’s success, while administration will report the results during the third-quarter reporting period.
“Although student summer super passes would be sold at an approximate 51-per-cent discount, it is projected that the increase in pass sales would compensate for the reduction in revenue resulting from the discounted rate,” added the report.
During the meeting, city administration said students at Saskatchewan Polytechnic are ineligible for the super pass since the target demographic is youths and not young adults enrolled in post-secondary education. However, college youths can still purchase a student bus pass if they are currently studying.
Coun. Heather Eby appreciated that the suggestion for this super pass came from a member of an advisory committee.
“I think it’s really good for (residents) to know that people on those committees do make a difference and can make changes to programs in the city,” she said.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, June 10.
