All info can be found here. The videos are fairly short and informative.

What are everyone's thought? These changes affect everyone, so make sure you vote! These referendums will be on the presidential election ballots.

Do you work for MSU?

Originally Posted by MrPlinkett

Do you work for MSU?

Nope.

Well having only just started wearing contacts, that could have helped, but I can't collect on it

Oral contraceptive coverage is awesome; baby-making in University is probably something to be avoided, and cash is tight enough as it is...

The 12 month bus pass is something I would have loved to have, but too late. I don't think it would benefit a majority of the students, to be honest, because it's an increase that wouldn't benefit those who are away for the summer at home or vacation. Increased service is always a good thing, and I believe extending services to 3am (and further?) is great for those special nights when you have loads of drunk students. Will definitely take a toll on bus drivers, however.

Originally Posted by Amaryll

Nope.

So how come MSU didn't post this thing on MI? Aren't everybody supposed to know about this?

Another MSU fail.

Couldn't they have added an option to opt out of the bus passes?
The bus pass is so useless for the people who live off campus (not in Hamilton). All they would have to do is have a different coloured sticker for people who opt out..

Originally Posted by *spark*

Couldn't they have added an option to opt out of the bus passes?
The bus pass is so useless for the people who live off campus (not in Hamilton). All they would have to do is have a different coloured sticker for people who opt out..

It's hardly as simple as just an additional sticker colour. If students could opt out, HSR would be much less likely to agree to the amazingly huge discount. There would likely either be no bus pass at all, or a much more expensive one.

Originally Posted by Amaryll

It's hardly as simple as just an additional sticker colour. If students could opt out, HSR would be much less likely to agree to the amazingly huge discount. There would likely either be no bus pass at all, or a much more expensive one.

True..
But still, there are plenty of people who don't use the hamilton buses. It would have been nice if they negotiated the option for people to vote on.

True..
But still, there are plenty of people who don't use the hamilton buses. It would have been nice if they negotiated the option for people to vote on.

It's better to have the option than nothing at all.
Also what makes you think people who use local bus are the minority?
Also don't forget, with how things are going, the university removing parking spots and all, that number will only increase.

12 month HSR is soooo good! $6 for 4 months of summer bus service. I really hope people do vote for this option.

Every 10 minute service is pointless during the day. Better planning or even schedule adherence, would do a better job than that. Better yet, instead of every 15 minutes during the morning rush, why not do every 10 minutes like the afternoon rush? That would help alleviate all the issues with buses skipping people in the mornings.

3am service wouldn't be bad, but I feel bad for the drivers. That would be a shit show. And it has the potential to hit the cabbies pretty bad, too.

Summer bus pass is lame. The potential for lost revenue seems rather high, which makes this perplexing, but perhaps they have a good idea how few students stick around during the summers and can justify it in that fashion.

hit the cabbies pretty bad, too.

I'd rather use the bus at 3 am than call the cabbie mafia.

Originally Posted by *spark*

Couldn't they have added an option to opt out of the bus passes?
The bus pass is so useless for the people who live off campus (not in Hamilton). All they would have to do is have a different coloured sticker for people who opt out..

Originally Posted by *spark*

True..
But still, there are plenty of people who don't use the hamilton buses. It would have been nice if they negotiated the option for people to vote on.

HSR will NOT do the deal if there is the option to opt-out. It's not financially feasible for them to offer such a discounted price if everyone who doesn't use it will opt out. No amount of negotiating will change that.

There is usually the option for no bus pass that people can vote for, but it never wins because most people like having it.

Originally Posted by eullwm

Every 10 minute service is pointless during the day. Better planning or even schedule adherence, would do a better job than that. Better yet, instead of every 15 minutes during the morning rush, why not do every 10 minutes like the afternoon rush? That would help alleviate all the issues with buses skipping people in the mornings.

3am service wouldn't be bad, but I feel bad for the drivers. That would be a shit show. And it has the potential to hit the cabbies pretty bad, too.

Summer bus pass is lame. The potential for lost revenue seems rather high, which makes this perplexing, but perhaps they have a good idea how few students stick around during the summers and can justify it in that fashion.

Well, assuming McMaster has 20,000 full time students, 20,000*$6 = $120,000

Now at a cost of $252 for a summer bus pass, taking $120,000/$252, you get 476 students.

So is it correct to assume there are less than 500 students taking summer school?

This seems to be the only way to justify why the MSU/HSR could compromise this. But on the other hand, the HSR is losing $252 per student who will no longer have to buy a summer bus pass, which is something I can't imagine being financially sane for them to do.......... but only works if these student numbers are right.

476 *$252 = $120,000 obviously, so there's the assumption that there are no more than that many students buying bus passes, which means the HSR is open to trade off the loss of individual bus pass purchase revenue in order to get the $120,000 6 months earlier into the fiscal year and scrap the need to do personal McMaster student bus pass (presented with your student card) along with the administrative logistics that accompany it.

Thinking about it all, it seems pretty reasonable, but if there are more than 476 students purchasing bus passes, the HSR is missing out. Chances are the numbers are much less than 476 purchasing bus passes, which means HSR is getting guaranteed revenue on at least 50% of summer students who would have had a car or walked.

In all, I think this is a plot by the city of Hamilton and Hamilton Street Railway to increase purchases at local business and an overall evil tourism ploy at the benefit of the city, MSU, HSR, and the students.

Originally Posted by RyanC

Well, assuming McMaster has 20,000 full time students, 20,000*$6 = $120,000

Now at a cost of $252 for a summer bus pass, taking $120,000/$252, you get 476 students.

So is it correct to assume there are less than 500 students taking summer school?

This seems to be the only way to justify why the MSU/HSR could compromise this. But on the other hand, the HSR is losing $252 per student who will no longer have to buy a summer bus pass, which is something I can't imagine being financially sane for them to do.......... but only works if these student numbers are right.

476 *$252 = $120,000 obviously, so there's the assumption that there are no more than that many students buying bus passes, which means the HSR is open to trade off the loss of individual bus pass purchase revenue in order to get the $120,000 6 months earlier into the fiscal year and scrap the need to do personal McMaster student bus pass (presented with your student card) along with the administrative logistics that accompany it.

Thinking about it all, it seems pretty reasonable, but if there are more than 476 students purchasing bus passes, the HSR is missing out. Chances are the numbers are much less than 476 purchasing bus passes, which means HSR is getting guaranteed revenue on at least 50% of summer students who would have had a car or walked.

In all, I think this is a plot by the city of Hamilton and Hamilton Street Railway to increase purchases at local business and an overall evil tourism ploy at the benefit of the city, MSU, HSR, and the students.

I more think they do it because either way the buses will run past Mac and not all summer students that live in the area will necessarily get the pass. It guarantees them funding so they can better plan ahead and the buses passing through Mac will likely not be filled to capacity so it will not cost them much more since they may not change the frequency of the buses due to other commuters from Dundas and other areas