How do you encourage a possible 550 people to take the bus?

Provide them with a transit pass coverd by the fees they already pay.

At a press conference this morning, it was announced the long-awaited agreement among Yukon College, its student union and the city to offer bus passes to full-time students will begin in September.

The program comes about as the city gets set to expand the hours transit operates until 10:20 p.m. Mondays to Fridays beginning in September.

Under the agreement, the city is providing a discount on the standard $62 monthly adult passes between September and May.

The college and student union will split the discounted rate of $15.50 per student each month from September to May.

While exact student numbers for the year remain unknown, the college is anticipating it and the student union will spend $77,000 for the approximately 550 students.

Full-time students pay a student union fee of $30 per semester while part-time students pay a $10 fee per semester.

As student union present Daniel Ashley said this morning, the program has been in the works for some time.

Without the additional evening service, however, it likely wouldn't have come to fruition.

After thanking the city, college and other members of the executive of the student union, Ashley noted the difference such a program will make.

As he recalled, in his first year at the college, he often attended evening classes, but had to leave his vehicle home for his partner and young child.

That meant having to ask others for a ride and not really knowing on any given night how he'd be getting home.

"(This will) make such a difference,” he said.

Bryce Hierlihy will be coming up to the college from Riverdale.

"This will definitely be a huge help to me,” the incoming student said in a statement.

"I'm pleased that the city, college and student union fees going towards something I will get a lot of use out of.”

Ashley and others highlighted the fact that the initiative also has an environmental sustainability factor.

He hopes that by offering the passes to all full-time students, even those who already have vehicles will choose to use the bus system.

He pointed out student union fees are not going up with the addition of the pass. The union, he said, has a bit of a surplus that will go toward the transit program.

Meanwhile, Mayor Dan Curtis was quick to give credit to city staf.

They have been working on the project for some time with college president Karen Barnes.

Curtis also noted the collaboration that went into the project as well as the environmental benefits.

As for whether the program will be extended to include part-time students and/or staff at the school, college spokesman Michael Vernon said the three parties will meet next year to discuss how the program went and whether there should be any changes, including extending it to others at the college.

"It's early days,” he said.

Education Minister Scott Kent also praised the initiative, arguing like a similar agreement for high school students, it will offer more flexibility for college students.

Speaking as the minister responsible for the Yukon Housing Corp., Kent noted the move to longer evening hours will also benefit seniors living in the apartments at 600 College Dr.

Full-time college students will simply have to show their student ID (which will feature a large F for full-time student) to use the bus beginning Sept. 3.