Vote YES on Transit! YES on 73!

TAPS encourages students to vote YES for this important measure on May 13-22 by visiting elections.ucsc.edu. TAPS cannot continue present levels of transit with revenue currently generated by the mandatory Student Transit Fee. Despite rising costs, the transit fee has not increased in 11 years and is not enough to maintain current campus and countywide transit services. 11 years ago, our Frosh were in first grade, gas was $1.62/gallon and minimum wage was only $8/hour. A lot has changed in over a decade, but what hasn’t is our students' commitment to sustainability and equity on campus.

Adequate transit helps get cars off the road and a shared fee keeps transit fare-free for students from all backgrounds. Providing over 2 million rides per year, our buses are a crucial part of the campus ecosystem: everyone benefits from frequent transit, fewer cars, and more available parking options.

UCSC is a nationally-ranked sustainable campus and our transit is integral to maintaining our commitment to providing a means of travel to and around campus that does not involve single-occupancy cars.

A yes vote for measure 73 means TAPS will be able to:

• Maintain all students’ fare-free rides for campus and county-wide travel
• Maintain campus transit and METRO service levels for students on and off campus
• Build a reserve to help support replacing the aging bus fleet, including a transition to electric vehicles
• Implement technology to enhance efficiency and adjust to ridership trends

If Measure 73 fails it will:

• keep the Student Transit Fee at $111.66 per student, per quarter.
• cause service level reductions or eliminations for both METRO and campus transit every year until the transit fee is increased
• cause more crowding on any remaining transit services, resulting in additional pass-by’s, longer wait times and decreased ability to get to and around campus from certain locations
• impact parking due to more commuters driving to campus. Additional parking will not be added to mitigate this impact

NOTE - The Disability Van Service will not be affected by any proposed service cuts.

Find out more about Measure 73 here

There must be a 25% voter turnout for this vote to be valid AND at least 66% of those voters need to say YES on 73 to pass the measure. Be a part of your future and vote in the Campus Elections on May 13-22. Visit elections.ucsc.edu or go to a voting station on campus to exercise your right to vote. Make your voice heard and vote YES on Measure 73!