Associated Students held the voting polls for students under the piazza.
Joseph Shonkwiler, Students Activities Admin. (left) , Presten Jimenez, A.S president (right)
Photo by: Michelle Kallon
On Tuesday, Feb. 25 and Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020, The Cypress College Associated Students held the OCTA voting polls under the piazza next to the Fine Arts building.
Students voted on whether they would be interested in paying a fee of $2.50 to obtain an OCTA bus pass or not.
If the OCTA proposal passes, it will take effect on fall semester of 2021.
Ester Plavdjian, Student Trustee of the Associated Students, answered questions about the OCTA bus pass proposal, and how this act may affect student life:
Q: Is this going to raise tuition cost?
A: If the OCTA vote passes, students will pay a mandatory bus service fee of $2.50 per semester. This pass will be effective from the beginning of the semester until the beginning of the following semester. Tuition will not be impacted greatly. If the vote does not pass, we will not be able to offer an extremely low-cost bus pass to the students who need this option. A student who purchases a bus pass every month for a year would be paying over $800. This vote, if it passes, will have a great impact on students that currently utilize the bus because it is an alternative to purchasing regular bus passes.
Recently Fullerton College partnered with OCTA to provide low cost transportation to their students. They have received a lot of positive feedback from the students who utilize the OCTA bus system.
Q: Will there be people to elaborate about what students are voting on?
A: The Associated Students President and Advisor will be at the booth both days of elections and will answer any questions students may have upon request. Executive board officers and members of Associated Students are informed of this voting process and can also elaborate on what the voting is for.
Q: What about students who do not want the $2.50?
A: Every student is entitled to making their own decision in the voting process. Students who do not want the bus pass can vote no on the ballot however, if this vote passes, all students will be required to purchase the fee.
Q: Where will these voting ballots be located?
A: The polling booth will be under the Piazza between Fine Arts, the Theater, and the CC-COMPLEX. The booth will be there from 11:30- 1:30 on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Q: How will this affect students who don’t take the bus?
A: Students who do not utilize the bus will not be negatively impacted. The implementation of OCTA transportation will provide an alternative option to students who drive to school. Students that walk, bike, or skate to school will also be provided with another mode of transportation if they choose to use the bus.
Q: Will parking prices increase/decrease?
A: The price of parking permits and day passes will not be affected.
