What is Measure 73?
Why was Measure 73 on the 2019 ballot?
Why doesn't the school or the Regents dedicate more money to this?
What is the fee schedule for Measure 73?
Why is the fee schedule front-loaded?
Why does the fee end after 11 years? What happens then?
How do students know that their fees are being used wisely?
Why can’t parking fees and citations pay for transit?
I already pay enough to go to school here; why should students be paying for this?
Do other UC students pay for transit on their campuses?
Why not stop increasing enrollment to better control the impact on transit services?
Why was Measure 73 on the 2019 ballot?
In 1972, the UCSC student body approved the first Student Transit Fee of $3.50 per student per quarter to fund a service agreement with Santa Cruz METRO to allow fare-free rides throughout Santa Cruz County for registered students. Eventually, this fee was also used to fund UCSC Campus Transit shuttles. Both of these transit services continue to be primarily funded through this compulsory fee.
Since 1972, UCSC students have voted to approve increases to the Student Transit Fee 11 time. Prior to Measure 73, the most recent was in 2008, to $111.66 per student. Over the course of that span, this fee became less and less sufficient to fund previously-provided levels of transit service. In Spring 2018, the Student Ballot included Measure 69, which proposed increasing the Student Transit Fee in order to maintain transit service to, and throughout, campus. Unfortunately, Measure 69 failed.As a result of this, in October 2018, Campus Transit operating hours and frequencies were reduced to balance the operating budget. After additional financial analysis of Fall and Winter quarter data, it was determined in April 2019 that additional Campus Transit service reductions were necessary.
What was on the ballot?
"Shall the undergraduates and graduate students of UCSC increase the current quarterly Transportation Fee of $111.66 per student by $10.34 in Fall 2019, an additional $14.00 in Fall 2020, an additional $15.00 in Fall 2021, an additional $12.00 in Fall 2022, an additional $8.00 in Fall 2023, an additional $3.00 each Fall Quarter from 2024 through 2027, and an additional $4.00 in Fall 2028 and Fall 2029 ($191 quarterly total) which will provide additional funding to sustain transit services provided through Campus Transit Operations and the service contract with Santa Cruz Metro Transit District?"
Why doesn't the school or the Regents dedicate more money to this?
In conformity with the University’s implementation of the Master Plan for Higher Education in California, adopted by the State Legislature in 1960, certain activities necessary to the operation of UC and CSU campuses have been restricted from receiving state funding. Thus, with very few exceptions, such as Disability Van Services, state money cannot be used for parking or transit.
What is the fee schedule for Measure 73?
Measure 73 proposed about $10 more per quarter for the first year. Annual increases vary per year for the following 10 years, designed to better keep up with rising operational costs. After 10 years, the fee is scheduled to revert back to its previous level. At that time, if the funding is still needed, TAPS will work with the Student Fee Advisory Committee (SFAC) on a subsequent fee measure.
| Academic Year | Current Fee | Proposed Quarterly Fee Increase | Total New Quarterly Fee | Portion to Transit | Portion to Return to Aid (RTA) |
| 2018-19 | $111.66 | $101.00 | $10.66 | ||
| 2019-20 | $10.34 | $122.00 | $107.93 | $14.07 | |
| 2020-21 | $14.00 | $136.00 | $117.31 | $18.69 | |
| 2021-22 | $15.00 | $151.00 | $127.36 | $23.64 | |
| 2022-23 | $12.00 | $163.00 | $135.40 | $27.60 | |
| 2023-24 | $8.00 | $171.00 | $140.76 | $30.24 | |
| 2024-25 | $3.00 | $174.00 | $142.77 | $31.23 | |
| 2025-26 | $3.00 | $177.00 | $144.78 | $32.22 | |
| 2026-27 | $3.00 | $180.00 | $146.79 | $33.21 | |
| 2027-28 | $3.00 | 183.00 | $148.80 | $34.20 | |
| 2028-29 | $4.00 | $187.00 | $151.48 | $35.52 | |
| 2029-30 | $4.00 | $191.00 | $154.16 | $36.84 | |
| Proposed fee increases sunset after Summer Quarter 2030 | |||||
| 2030-31 | -$79.34 | $111.66 | $101.00 | $10.66 | |
What is a “fee”?
All UCSC students pay various types of mandatory fees in order to enroll and attend school here, each funding different aspects of the University. These include Tuition, Student Services Fees and Campus-Based Fees/Referenda. The latter, Campus-Based Fees/Referenda, are voted on by students via the campus elections process, and includes the Student Transit Fee. Click on the following links to view complete lists of fees for:
Why is the fee schedule front-loaded?
The first four years of increases are designed to build a reserve capacity to help support the replacement of the aging bus fleet, including transition to electric vehicles and development of infrastructure to support those vehicles.
Why does the fee end after 11 years? What happens then?
Generally, students are hesitant to approve fees that never end, so the fee referendum includes a "sunset" to this fee increase after 11 years. At that time, if the funding is still needed, TAPS will work with SFAC on a subsequent fee measure.
How is the fee allocated?
ALL funds from the student transit fee are used for transit operations and do not include administrative costs. The FY 2023 transit fee was allocated as follows:
- Fare Free METRO Service = 36%
- A month-long METRO Pass retails for $65, which would be about $195 per quarter.
- Campus Transit Service = 22%
- Return to Aid = 14%
- For more information about Return to Aid, click here and see section 81.20
- Working Capital = 12%
- Electric bus and fleet upgrade fund
- Disability Van Service = 5%
- The Campus Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor has made a commitment to provide $200K in annual funding to help support Disability Van Services going forward.
- Equipment Depreciation = .5%
- Funds set aside to replace equipment at the end of its useful life.
- Operational Reserve = 10%
- A financial balance remaining in the annual operational budget that is carried over and intended to stabilize future operational budgets.
View all TAPS budget allocations
How do students know that their fees are being used wisely?
An annual meeting between TAPS staff and the Student Fee Advisory Committee (SFAC) is included in the referendum language. Each winter quarter, SFAC reviews the end-of-year Campus Transit budget, service delivery and ridership demand during the previous fall, and plans for possible transit service adjustments for the next academic year. Based on this review, SFAC can recommend reducing or delaying the next scheduled fee increase. Additionally, students have representation on the Advisory Committee on Campus Transit and Parking (ACCTP) and will provide quarterly guidance.
Why can’t parking fees and citations pay for transit?
With the exception of a small subsidy to support the Bike Shuttle, neither parking fees nor citation revenue pay for transit services. Cross-pollinating these two budgets will likely cause problems for the Parking/Programs budget as well, particularly the ability to maintain a reserve for maintenance, projects, and new parking facilities. Plus, it would result in parking fee increases.
I already pay enough to go to school here; why should students be paying for this?
In 1972, the UCSC student body approved the first Student Transit Fee of $3.50 per student per quarter to fund a service agreement with METRO to allow fare-free rides throughout Santa Cruz County. Since that first election, UCSC students have voted to approve increases to the Student Transit Fee 11 times—most recently in Spring 2019, when the UC Santa Cruz student body overwhelmingly approved Measure 73; it passed with 88% voting yes. With some small exceptions, Campus Transit has always been, and continues to be, primarily funded by student fees. Other funding sources include:
- External Grants
- CHES contributes to the operation of shuttle services during non-academic hours to accommodate the Campus Community
Do other UC students pay for transit on their campuses
Yes, many other UC campuses have similar models in place. Fees and fare-structures vary from site-to-site, as do levels of service. This is due to a multitude of factors, including the number of transit operators serving a particular campus, ridership data and the particular arrangements campuses have in place with their transit partners and student bodies.
For example, some UC’s transit fees do not cover service on a regional carrier, some UC’s have higher fees for other services, and some UC’s transit fees do not support on-campus transit at all. At TAPS, we do our best to responsibly and prudently use this student-approved fee revenue for its intended purposes.
Why not stop increasing enrollment to better control the impact on transit services?
TAPS responsibility is to provide and manage access to UC Santa Cruz and oversee the planning, design and operation of the facilities and programs associated with parking, transit services, rideshare and bicycle/pedestrian circulation, for all who wish to visit campus. Enrollment capacities are established by the Regents and UC Office of the President.
