Future price, structure of U. transit pass unknown

The future of PennPass, a system that offers discounted SEPTA fares to students, remains unclear due to recent company budgetary concerns and student disinterest.

While students can currently reserve a PennPass for next semester, organizers are unsure if the price or availability will remain the same in the spring.

Under the fall semester provisions, students had to use public transportation at least 193 times for the PennPass to be an economical alternative to purchasing individual SEPTA tokens.

According to Manager of Transportation Services Ron Ward, SEPTA has not informed the PennPass program of the new terms and conditions for the Spring.

"We haven't been able to get a read on anything," Ward said, adding that if there are major changes students will be allowed to cancel their reservations.

There are currently only eight applications for the spring, but Ward says the low number at this stage in the application process is consistent with years past, and added that he expects the number to increase. This Fall there were 389 applications by the official start of the semester.

According to Ward, the University subsidizes around seven percent of the cost of PennPass, while SEPTA contributes five percent.

"I do not believe that the University will contribute more funds," Ward said, adding that more information will be available once the state legislature came back from break.

Even if PennPass remains the same, many students are dissatisfied with the current system.

"There are [around] 390 students signed up for PennPass and over 3,000 students who live outside of West Philly ," GAPSA's Vice Chair for Policy Kevin Jude said. "Obviously PennPass as it stands is not living up to its potential."

Last Spring the Undergraduate Assembly and the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly passed a resolution asking the administration to make PennPass more cost effective, hopefully leading to wider use by Penn students, faculty and staff.

So far neither SEPTA nor the administration has followed up on the resolution. Suggestions made by GAPSA include using monthly passes as opposed to one pass per semester and allowing PennCards to function as SEPTA passes.

Calling SEPTA unresponsive, Jude said that the company "seems to be very short-term oriented" and "inflexible." He is hoping to find groups outside the University to enact change.

PennPass itself is looking for other ways to invigorate the program.

Officials are currently in discussion with the Pennsylvania Economic League to create a pass with steeper discounts that would service additional area universities such as Drexel and Temple.

Whichever proposal is chosen, change needs to happen soon, Jude said, adding that "people need a reliable way to get to school."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.