Questions Loom Over KnightLynx Bus Service Funding, Value to UCF
News, Night Life, UCF SGA — By Kevin Wolkenfeld on February 11, 2011 at 1:25 pmTwo weeks ago UCF launched KnightLynx, a late night bus service to local nightlife aimed at keeping drunk students off the road, much like the University of Florida’s Later Gator bus line.
But KnightNews.com has uncovered that although the purpose of buses are the same, the way both bus lines are funded is very different. And the way UCF funds its bus impacts the pool of money students use to travel to present research.
UCF’s Student Government Association is footing the entire bill for KnightLynx, which comes to about $100,000 each year for two lines. The money comes from mandatory UCF student activity and service fees collected by SGA, which fund things like student trips to national conferences to present research as well as the UCF gym and Student Union.
At UF, no Student Government money is used to fund its late bus service. Instead, the administration pays for the much larger bus line through a special fee set up to support transportation.
“For the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2011, the university has budgeted $625,000 for Later Gator,” UF spokesman Steve Orlando told KnightNews.com. “The money comes from student transportation fees.”
Video from the KnightLynx Ribbon Cutting Ceremony:
KnightNews.com has also uncovered that UF students pay less in transportation and access fees than UCF students do. UF students pay $7.33 per credit hour, while UCF students pay $8.19 — almost the highest in the entire State University System, according to the Florida Board of Governors.
When it comes to the activity and service fees SGA collects, which fund registered student organizations — and the KnightLynx bus at UCF — there’s also a disparity. UF students pay $13.94 per credit hour for activity and service fees while UCF students pay only $10.79.
The bottom line: Even though UF’s activity and service fee is higher than UCF’s, and UF’s transportation fee is lower than UCF’s, UF manages to refrain from using any Student Government money to fund its much larger version of KnightLynx. Orlando also confirmed UF pays the entire direct cost of putting those buses and drivers on the road each night.
Students we talked to were concerned that UCF SGA is spending student activity and service fee money that could go towards sending students to conferences or hosting bigger Late Knight or CAB events on a bus, even though UCF students already pay such a high transportation fee.
“I’m in the salsa club, Latin Rhythm, and I know thousands of other students are in clubs that like to go to conventions and host activities, but without funding we can’t do very much,” UCF student Laura Oergel told KnightNews.com, after we randomly asked for student feedback on Facebook.
KnightNews.com reached out to the SGA Vice Chairman of the Conference Registration and Travel Senate Committee, which allocates money to student clubs, to see if that $100,000 annually allocated to go toward the bus would make an impact in his budget to help students pay for conferences.
“It would be nice if we could find a way to save those (activity and service fee) ASF funds for more use for students conferences seeing as we are always close to running out,” Vice Chair Eric Katz said. “Since we already have transportation fees outside of our ASF budget it would make sense to use that money to fund knightlynx instead of the student’s Activity and Service fee money.”
KnightNews.com emailed SGA’s Public Relations representative this morning to ask if SGA tried bargaining with the UCF administration to see if it would chip in some transportation fee money to support KnightLynx. She did not immediately get back to us yet.
Another concern students have pointed out with KnightLynx is what they consider a lack of advertising of the service to regular students.
“I feel that if they better advertised the service and more importantly, how and when students could access it, more students would use it and the transportation fee would be more appropriate,” Oergel said, later adding that she does not approve of using SGA’s activity and service fee to fund the bus.
“As it is, most students either don’t know what it is, or don’t know when it’s available to them,” she said.
The bus has gotten mixed reviews from other students we talked with.
“I’m so happy my student fees get to take care of drunk people,” John Gavin posted on our Facebook page, sarcastically adding “awesome” at the end of his comment.
Other students, like freshman Albert James DeLaere, who didn’t have access to a car after the basketball game during KnightLynx’s first weekend in service, said he used it to grab ice cream with friends, and supports it.
“It allowed my friends and I to have a fantastic night out at Waterford the weekend it opened,
DeLaere posted. “IT IS AMAZING. but could use some nicer bus drivers, one wasnt so nice.”
But the question remains, is it worth about $100,000 a year in student fees?
Ridership hasn’t been huge. According to Matt Friedman, a spokesman for Lynx, the first weekend 358 people rode it while 350 people did so the second weekend. It’s a slight drop, but it shows the service is shrinking, not growing.
SGA spokeswoman Kayla Torpey said the first week’s attendance exceeded SGA’s goal and added that SGA shopped around to two bus companies, and went with Lynx because it was the lowest price and best deal for students.
SGA funding is only approved through the end of this fiscal year, so if the Senate isn’t convinced the program is attracting enough ridership and worth the $100,000 in student fees, Senate could put the brakes on the program, causing KnightLynx to make its last stop before July.
KnightNews.com will continue updating you on KnightLynx. We have a crew at its official launch ceremony right now, and will post video once we get it. KnightNews.com also reached out to FSU to find out details about its bus service, but we have not yet heard back.
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18 Comments
Gators gonna gate….a better deal than us.
They pay less in the transporation fee and get a $650k drunk bus. We pay more in that fee, and get nothing. Instead we get money taken from our clubs in the activity fee for SGA.
This is a joke.
Haters gonna hate.
SGA hasn’t done anything for us the past couple years besides free t-shirts and the study union.
Now they give us this useful bus service and people complain?
You say lets give this money to Late Knights? There budget is already crazy and nobody besides Freshmen go to those.
And Brock Running for SGA office? He’s already IFC President. Don’t really think he’s looking to spread his time that much.
Why did the Lynx spokesman say only 708 people used it in the first two weeks, but Brock said nearly 800 used it? This is coming from the SGA that hides its spending and expects you to “trust” them?
708 = about 700, not nearly 800. Why is this information being hidden?
Thank you knightnews, for interviewing someone responsible enough to tell you the truth.
To the “student” below me…
We’re complaining about using activities and service fees… for activities and services?
WHEN UCF PAYS A HIGHER TRANSPORTATION FEE THAN UF, AND A LOWER ACTIVITY FEE, AND SGA PAYS FOR A BUS INSTEAD OF THE ADMINISTRATION, THAT’S A CAUSE FOR CONCERN.
IF BROCK WERE PAYING FOR THIS OUT OF HIS OWN POCKET… NOT OURS… I BET HE’D HAVE TRIED NEGOTIATING WITH THE ADMIN TO CHIP IN. BUT SGA WON’T EVEN ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT IF THEY EVEN ***ASK*** ADMINISTRATION TO CONTRIBUTE.
IF DR. EHASZ THINKS THIS IS SO IMPORTANT, WHY DIDN’T SHE PUT THE MONEY INTO IT ALREADY? IF IT’S SO IMPORTANT, IF SENATE SLASHES IT BY $50K, WOULD ADMINISTRATION CHIP IN THE OTHER $50K OR LET IT DIE?
WHY DIDN’T ANYONE BOTHER TO ASK ADMINISTATORS IF THEY’D PUT THE TRANSPORTATION FEE TOWARDS THIS? WHY WAS THIS THING RUSHED THROUGH SO FAST? DIDN’T THEY CANCEL THE FIRST RIBBON CUTTING?
The money is going to have to come from somewhere.
Is there any proof that services have been denied to RSOs as a result of this program or overbudgeting?
I BELIEVE THEY HAVE A QUOTE FROM THE CHAIR OF CRT SAYING THEY’RE ALWAYS RUNNING OUT OF MONEY. $100K MEANS A LOT MORE TO CRT THAN IT DOES TO PARKING SERVICES, I’M SURE. SGA ALREADY SHOVELED A&SF MONEY OVER TO PARKING SERVICES EARLIER THIS YEAR FOR THAT JOKE OF A ZIMRIDE. HOW MUCH ASF MONEY DOES PARKING SERVICES NEED, WHEN IT HAS PRETTY MUCH THE HIGHEST TRANSPORTATION FEE IN THE STATE?!
We’re complaining about using activities and service fees… for activities and services?
I’m happy putting pennies of my tuition towards ensuring people can get to local places safely and without the need to drive. Isn’t Alafaya one of the most ticketed areas in the state for drunk driving? Clearly there is a need there.
Also, this service has been heavily advertised considering there have been local news reports, newspaper stories, posters, signs, etc. Besides that, it is a new service. It is going to take time to grow a following. To use two weeks of samples to conclude or insinuate the service is dwindling or failing is disingenuous.
Why not use this service? It takes you to most local areas and residences, there are no out of pocket expenses and only $2 for non-students, it runs at a more than reasonable time(8pm-3am Fri & Sat), and it keeps drunk people off the road. Why not promote something like this, rather than try to nitpick and tear it down? The money is going to have to come from somewhere.
Is there any proof that services have been denied to RSOs as a result of this program or overbudgeting?
Figures Adam Brock would come out with this program right before Mcann and him run for president and vice.so not only is he taking away funds that shouldn’t have been spent from our asf fees but now trying to represent us. good going. what exactly else have you done? you ended up taking thousands of student fees to pay your salary and accomplished nothing. basically knightlynx is paid for by us to a company to run so what do you do again? I dont think my student $$ should be going to basically a program to help brock or mcann win.
This is one of the most well-written, best sourced, eye-opening pieces of investigative journalism I’ve ever seen on Knightnews.com.
It says something when the SGA kids come on here to viciously attack the author instead of the facts. There’s a reason SGA never got back with the answer to your questions, Knightnews! DON’T TAKE NO COMMENT FOR AN ANSWER! Stay on ‘em!
Im really happy knightnews that you provide me with all these facts about my school. I am not in a fraternity but i am involved in many clubs. Kevin over the past year i have followed all your articles and you really are doing a great job. I do agree that we need a bus system. I just wish they would spend students money in a better and more efficient way. Im just a freshman but i heard you ran for VP of our school????. I dont know about everyone else but i think you should do it again.
Thank you
just a student
Yall need to chill! This story is not that bad its got quotes from sga people, students, Linx, and UF. Its just saying they shouldnt have used sga dollars but rather transportation dollars
Almost every point made by anyone opposing my viewpoint has in fact validated it:
Decal rates rise, therefore it would be an optimal choice to use a bus as transportation.
3 people? hardly, you honestly don’t have statistics and your advocation for the environment is hardly justification to criticize university sponsored transportation
Gas Prices: absolutely, unequivocally wrong, larger more urban areas get cheaper gas do to their proximity to ports/distribution sites. Case in point: LOWEST GAS PRICE IN GAINSEVILLE IS 3.12 as opposed to 32816 (UCF area) which is 3.01
http://www.floridastategasprices.com/GasPriceSearch.aspx
I’m honestly not affiliated with the SGA nor do I have any admiration towards them, but KnightNews, I implore you to STOP agenda oriented reporting. WE GET IT! YOU HATE THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION AND based on what you have reported, you have a right to, but it seems like you’re becoming more and more biased every day, and it may have a lot to do with someone losing a certain election at some point
An article about McCann and an article about Brock. Nothing gets past you KnightNews… Nothing but a disgrace to the world of journalism.
KnightNews, you are an atrocity. You should really take journalism ethics and pay close attention.
“For the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2011, the university has budgeted $625,000 for Later Gator,” UF spokesman Steve Orlando told KnightNews.com. “The money comes from student transportation fees.”
He said “from STUDENT transportation fees”, thus implying their bus service is funded by STUDENTS, just like KnightLynx is. The funds just come from two different places, yet the money still comes from the STUDENTS. What do you think administrative and transportation fees are? Money doesn’t fall from the sky for UF. They’re from tuition or from state funding.
Also, SGA is allocated millions of dollars to spend ON THE STUDENTS and provide them with cool services like KnightLynx. They do allocate money for travel and research but that certainly does not cost several million dollars. So hypothetically if they give out whatever money is requested for research/travel, they’re still left over with several million dollars. What do you want them to do with it? Let it sit there? The students want to see their money put to good use (gym expansion, bus service, free events, etc.) Which by the way, the gym expansion isn’t research and travel yet was funded by SGA. Where’s the outrageous article “investigating” why SGA used student dollars for that?
Furthermore, KnightLynx has been advertised so WAKE UP. The people in SGA were giving out free stuff and telling students about it in the student union. There are posters everywhere. The local news covered it extensively. There is a facebook page. Pamphlets are being handed out in front of the union. If a student doesn’t know about it, then that is their problem. They have every opportunity to learn about it. And finally, for all you people who think it’s a drunk bus, do some research. This bus travels to Waterford and other shopping plazas so that students can go grocery shopping, see a movie, or go to dinner. If you want to use it to get home safely after a night of drinking, then it can be used for that, but make no mistake KnightLynx was designed for dozens of purposes, not just to get wasted people home.
@ questions. First i bleed black and gold but unlike this Knightnews article which is fair and true. your post is NOT
1. Decal Fees- i bet you and your sga friends read knightnews all the time. So you caught the article of former Justice MCCANN pushing to raise the decal price? And for those students who live off campus dont most complexes have a shuttle during the day that brings them to campus? So how does that save them money on a decal
2. Speeding/parking tickets. Parking tickets are going to increase because the price on the decals are rising and the knightlynx shuttle cant pick up during the day. Sstudents who now cant afford the decals will parking in the teachers lot.
3. Speeding will always happen. I used your bus service and the driver was speeding trying to make a light to get back onto campus.
4. Gas- of course going on a bus can save us gas. but if only 3 people ride it. Environmentally it hurts the world more then if they drove themselves. (Bus still has to make all the stops)
Maybe if brock wasn’t so concerned with getting knightlynx launched so he could run for president… he would have been in a better position to negotiate.
Our administration is not stupid, as much you may disagree with them. They knew time was on their side. Why the hell should they pay anything from the transportation fee when they know brock and kilbride will dump all the student money into this so he can use it for his election goal.
I just hope people realize, once SGA starts paying for something, UCF never will. Just look at Late Knights. Brock’s doomed us to paying this with ASF dollars for good. Thanks!!!!
RSO’s get cut all the time. Bills get cut all the time. It’s not the current senator’s faults at all… they are only given a certain amount to hand out.
The whole point that vice chair was making, is an extra $100k would be nice because it’s hard turning qualified students away from presenting research.
You are ignoring the fact that UCF already pays a higher transportation fee than UF students. Did you click on that link they posted? I did. And guess what else they left out…. most schools don’t even charge that fee! The fact that UCF is charging that fee and not CONTRIBUTING ANYTHING WHILE UF CONTRIBUTES MORE THAN A HALF MILLION BUCKS SHOWS SGA DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO NEGOTIATE.
This is a joke. SGA should spend that money on its lobbyist on hiring an auditor to compare what else we pay for that UF students don’t. I bet SGA could save big bucks if someone with a brain was watching over the finances.
Your questions are already answered if you ask me, and you seem to be putting out misinformation.
#1.UCF has more students than UF, so it likely collects more in decal fees.
#2. UCF probably issues more parking tickets than UF for the same reason. But I don’t have the stats and neither do you.
#3. Gas is cheaper in North Florida and rural areas like Gainesville. The rule seems, Miami is most expensive and it gets cheaper as you go north in Florida. Think about it.
Knightnews posted a link to the route map at UF. It looks much bigger, with more lines, buses, etc. than the UCF route: http://go-rts.com/campus-routes.php
Also, did you not see the quote:
“For the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2011, the university has budgeted $625,000 for Later Gator,” UF spokesman Steve Orlando told KnightNews.com. “The money comes from student transportation fees.”
You are missing the point: WHY IS A&S MONEY BEING SPENT ON A BUS WHEN UCF STUDENTS ALREADY SPEND MORE THAN PRACTICALLY EVERYONE ELSE ON TRANSPORTATION FEES??
First of all the Gator Later transit line is a long established program at UF that was created in much more economically friendly times. State budgets are being cut dramatically and bargaining with administration at this time is not only difficult but practically impossible. The effort of the Student Government Association to prevent needles injury as well as promote safe drinking habits should be commended. As time progresses and the legitimacy of the program will be realized and I’m sure SGA will gladly work with administration to add funding. To expect admin funding without some sort of data representing UCF involvement in naive. The program may need improvements but this is a step in the right direction for SGA. Build a more functional student body, that’s the goal.
In regards to RSO’s, to my knowledge, when appropriate there has never been a denial of funding do to over spending. The current senate is doing a fantastic job of notifying all RSOs about their funding opportunities and it is their responsibility to seek them.
Understandably students should be critical, but in all seriousness get educated. Go to a senate meeting (which are open to the public), read up on policies, and understand the difference between the executive and legislative branches. Our senators are doing a fantastic job.
Knightnews, have you considered that budgeting transportation costs also requires UCF to account for the surrounding area, the student population and local gas rates? You seem to be overlooking all these facts:
Gainseville’s Goodnight Gator has a smaller route to cover and a far more rural area to service. Considering the costs and how much it saves UCF students in:
1) Decal Fees
2) Speeding/Parking Tickets
3) and most importantly gas
You can’t just marginalize the cost of transportation to one fixed fee per student and assume you’re comparing two similar entities. That’s not the case, $100,000 is a pittance compared to how much it saves students.