University of Wisconsin–Madison employees will be charged $24 for previously free bus passes beginning in August, according to a university press release.
The new charge is due to budgetary concerns and is aimed at maintaining a sustainable budget for the UW Employee Bus Pass Program, according to the release.
Approximately 7,000 of the 15,000 UW-Madison employees that currently hold a bus pass use the pass regularly each month, accounting for more than 1.5 million bus rides annually, the release said.
The Associated Students of Madison and Transportation Services will continue to fully fund campus bus routes 80, 81, 82 and 84, which provide free bus rides without requiring a bus pass.
ASM will continue to provide UW-Madison students with bus passes that cover all city bus routes and are paid for through student-segregated fees.
UW Hospital employees will also continue to receive bus passes from Transportation Services because the UW Hospital provides funding for employee bus passes, according to the release.
