The ValuPass, which provides discounted travel on city buses to UWindsor employees, has come in handy for James Gauld.

Head of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, he uses Transit Windsor for his daily commute to campus and was one of the first faculty members to sign up for the pass.

“Personally, I like the corporate pass due to its automated payment at a reduced cost,” Dr. Gauld says. “It supports and provides access to public transport.”

Changes to the service promise to make it even more attractive to riders, says Transit Windsor’s Dave Calibaba.

“The transit master plan approved last month by city council will invest approximately $145 million to transform the entire service: quicker routes, more buses, more drivers, more reliable transportation,” he says. “Now the implementation stage begins.”

He directs interested Windsorites to read the plan online.

The ValuPass, available to faculty and staff since 2017, offers unlimited use of the city transit system and provides a 15 per cent discount over regular passes. Its monthly cost of $81.35 will rise July 1 to $82.96, payable through payroll deduction.

The University’s sustainability advocate, Tanya Basok, says encouraging more ridership by public transit will help reduce the institution’s carbon footprint.

“We recognize the importance of addressing the warming of our planet,” she says. “We all have a responsibility to do what we can to mitigate rapid climate change and the destruction of our planet.”

She relates the investment in transit to the city’s plans for climate change adaptation and reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality.

For more information or to purchase a ValuPass, e-mail Dr. Basok at sustainability@uwindsor.ca.