Ohio University students may get the chance to give their input on city transportation around Athens very soon.
The Mayor’s Transportation Committee and members of Student Senate will survey students’ opinions on local transportation before the end of the quarter.
Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl appointed the committee to improve city transportation.
Although the committee originally planned to propose an additional quarterly student fee to cover city transportation, the committee decided a survey to gauge interest was the best use of its time, said Bradley Evans, Student Senate’s Off-campus life commissioner.
“I don’t think I realized how much work it would be, and unfortunately, it will not get done this year,” Evans said. “It’s really going to be up to whoever is in my position next year to continue the work.”
The committee is currently creating the survey, which will measure students’ use of public transportation and their knowledge of local transportation, Evans said.
Currently, students and residents can purchase a one-way bus ticket for $1.50 or a one-year pass for $180 to ride Athens Transit. The city buses have three routes that run through The Plains, Richland Avenue and East State Street. The first bus runs at 7:05 a.m. weekdays and 9:05 a.m. Saturdays, and bus services end at 6:50 p.m. weekdays and 4:50 p.m. Saturdays.
The University of Cincinnati and the University of Akron also offer student-funded off-campus transportation.
Bowling Green State University’s shuttle service is funded by a $20 per student per semester fee, and it offers on- and off-campus transportation with no extra fares, said Fred Smith, senior superintendent.
Kent State University’s service is funded in part by local taxes and by student fees, said Rich Ciles, operations coordinator for the Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority (PARTA). Ciles said he did not know how much students paid in fees.
In 2004, Kent State merged its bus service with PARTA to improve its on-campus transportation, Ciles said.
“The only thing that we charge students for is for the Akron express or the Cleveland express, because they’re outside the county,” Ciles said. “General public is $1 per ride off-campus, and if they’re on the university, it’s free.”
Ohio State University offers two different bus services to students: Campus Area Bus Services (CABS) and Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA).
CABS is funded through parking fees, such as annual permits and hourly parking, and offers on-campus transportation to OSU students, faculty, staff, Columbus residents and non-residents free of charge.
Students are charged a $9 quarterly fee to ride COTA, the citywide bus service.
Faculty and staff receive a $5 discount on either the $55 monthly local pass or the $76 monthly express pass, according to the OSU website.
OU students who feel concerned about affordable city transportation, or lack of it, should keep an eye out for the survey on the Student Senate website, Evans said.
“I’m sure we’ll create a Facebook event,” Evans said. “(The survey will be) really simple and straightforward. We’re not asking for a lot of students’ time.”
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