Dean of the College Richard Feldman has proposed a mandatory $25 transportation fee to be included in undergraduate tuition. According to the Campus Times, the revenue generated by the fee would be used to fund transportation for both convenience and entertainment.

Any hike in tuition is not going to be well-received by students, and understandably so. A quick internet search of transportation fees at universities across the country reveals that $25 is on the low end of the spectrum. If students communicate with administration effectively, there is potential for the school to benefit. But, if communication lines fall short and bus lines are cut, the effects could be detrimental to the entire University community.

Transportation is important at UR. In a city that’s fighting brain drain, providing students with an easy means to get into the greater Rochester community is crucial. As UR develops the 19th Ward and Mt. Hope Corridors, the campus is expanding, but the “real” community is no longer at the footsteps of the River Campus. In fact, it seems as though after the proposed development projects are completed, students won’t have to go far for conveniences and entertainment. Without a doubt, the neighboring communities will benefit. But there is a chance (albeit a small one) that students will not venture out of the new college town, and they won’t learn, hands on, what opportunities exist in the city.

As the student body increases in size, UR has seen a growing number of students living off campus, something that up until a few years ago was a rarity. If the administration is encouraging students to live off campus, it is important that they provide a safe, reliable means for these students to get to campus and vice versa. Similarly, bus service between River Campus and Eastman is crucial to the entire UR community. Both the Students’ Association and University administration have been pushing to bridge the gap between the two campuses, but these plans and initiatives will undoubtedly fail if no solid form of transportation exists.

While the fee will undoubtedly be a charge that students won’t want to face, it’s important that they use this opportunity to preserve a transportation system that much of the University community has come to rely on. While $25 does, indeed, seem like a lot of money to go to the mall, it may also open doors to parts of the Rochester community that they may not have had access to before.