SUBJECT:

UCSD Student Transportation Fee Referendum

A special election will be held May 19-23, 2014 for undergraduate, graduate and professional students to consider a proposed UCSD Student Transportation Fee Referendum. Students can vote at http://tritonlink.ucsd.edu.

More information about the policies related to special elections can be found at: http://as.ucsd.edu/elections/transportationReferendum.php

The referendum language will appear on TritonLink as follows:

Student Transportation Fee Do you approve the establishment of a new Student Transportation Fee of $49.96 per student per quarter? The fee will provide UCSD students with a Regional Transit Pass for all undergraduate, graduate and professional students who pay this fee. The Regional Transit Pass gives unlimited ridership during the fall, winter and spring quarters on all mass transit bus, trolley and light rail routes in the San Diego region provided by the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and the North County Transit District (NCTD) excluding the MTS rural and premium express routes.

The Student Transportation Fee will go into effect fall quarter 2014 and will not be assessed during summer sessions.

A Student Transportation Advisory Committee (STAC) will provide oversight of the funds generated by the fee. A student will chair STAC and at least 80% of the voting membership will be students. The Associated Students, Graduate Student Association, and Vice Chancellors of Student Affairs and Resource Management and Planning will write and approve the STAC charter.

The fee revenue will be administered by UCSD Transportation Services in support of STAC and its oversight role. No portion of this fee will be used to compensate University employees. Transportation Services will provide STAC annual revenue and expense reports on the use of the fee no later than October 1st for the prior fiscal year. Annual budget reports will be made public and provided to all UCSD student governments.

29% of this fee will provide financial funding to be awarded by the Financial Aid Office based on student need. This fee will be included in the determination of financial aid.

71% of this fee will be used to provide the Regional Transit Pass.

If the cost of the Regional Transit Pass is less than 71% of the fee revenues collected, excess funds will be redistributed to the STAC to improve the safety, sustainability, and infrastructure of alternatives to student use of single-occupancy vehicles, including but not limited to bicycling, bike sharing, carpooling, car sharing, skateboarding and walking.

UCSD Transportation Services will operate a city shuttle program while this referendum is in effect.

The entire Student Transportation Fee will increase every fall quarter, beginning in fall 2015, by 1.5% annually for inflationary cost increases.

This fee will expire after spring quarter of 2019 unless renewed by a student referendum in accordance with the constitutions of the Graduate Student Association and Associated Students and University student fee policies.

Modifications to this fee may not be made without subsequent student referendum held in accordance with the appropriate student governmental and University policies, unless other means are explicitly provided in this ballot language.

YES         __________
NO           __________
ABSTAIN __________

Associated Students Graduate Student Association