Many college students rely on the use of public transportation to get around town. Buffalo State College
is no exception, since we are located on a major bus route (Elmwood Avenue). Major in that, we are in a
centralized location for all things Buffalo, including local entertainment, and food.
As of the 2012-13 school year Buffalo State College included a mandatory transportation fee of
$38. This fee covers a student bus pass that is offered to all undergraduate students, which includes
unlimited use of NFTA busses and railways. This is a greatly discounted fee, considering the standard
monthly rate offered by NFTA is $75. However, the only problem is that it only runs from August to May
and does not cover the summer session at Buffalo State.
As aforementioned, many of us rely on the use of public transportation, and many individuals here
for the summer session do not have a reliable way to get off campus. Also, many commuter students
(including myself) would benefit from a summer bus pass, even if we were not taking classes.
During my time at Buffalo State, the United Students Government has sent around multiple surveys
about this issue. However, no changes have been made so far to include a summer session bus pass. It
is becoming apparent that there is not enough demand, but I feel it should be made available for those
few people who are interested.
If a student were to hypothetically purchase a bus pass direct from the NFTA, it would cost upwards of
$300. Many college students cannot afford this, and if USG included a summer metro pass, this would
greatly aid those students in need of public transportation during the summer session.
One option would be of selling discounted summer bus passes to all students. This would help those
without a car who may have a job, internship or just need to get around the city. The NFTA already sells
summer youth passes to local high school students for $60, and if the NFTA raised the age limit, it would
be possible for Buffalo State to get a discount on their summer pass.
Another option would be raising the mandatory transportation fee to extend the student bus passes
to an entire year (i.e., from August to August). This would cause a rise in tuition and fees only a little,
and it would greatly assist those who use their bus passes on a regular basis. However, those who do
not use or renew their bus passes may not like this idea. I, however, feel that it should not be a burden,
especially when we are paying so much money to attend college anyways.
Overall, I feel that having a summer bus pass is a great idea. Many of us long to explore the culture deep
within Buffalo, but do not have the means otherwise. Buffalo State students, commuters and dormers
alike could benefit from a summer bus pass.
Julia Lange can be reached by email at langeja01@mail.buffalostate.edu.