You might be wondering why you didn’t receive a bus pass included in your Check in Package. As you may know, this term students did not receive a bus pass as part of the Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) transportation program for university students. The HSR program is participated in by McMaster University, Mohawk College and Redeemer University. Over the past few months, the HSR has been in discussions with these institutions regarding the bus pass program. Ultimately, it was decided that due to COVID-19, the HSR program was temporarily suspended by Hamilton City Council for the Fall term.
As a result of this decision, the HSR fee was not charged to Redeemer students. While Redeemer requested a discounted bus pass option to be made available to Redeemer students, HSR denied this request. Students should be aware that as it stands now, the HSR program will be reinstituted for the Winter term.
Regardless of where you stand on this decision, some students rely on bussing to get to campus every day. If this you, here’s how to get, load, and use a PRESTO card:
Step 1: Purchasing the Card: You can purchase a PRESTO card online by going to www.prestocard.ca to order your card. It will be mailed to you in 7-10 days. A single fair costs $2.50 and a monthly pass costs $110. Before you can use it, you will need to activate your card on the website.
Step 2: Loading/Reloading the Card: To load or reload your card, log in to the website and follow the steps to load or reload your card automatically.
Step 3: Using the Card: After you have added funds to your card, it is ready to use! Just tap the card on the PRESTO device at the beginning of your ride to pay. Note that transfers to different vehicles are valid for the 2 hours following your first tap.
We thank you for using the bus safely and carefully while following all COVID related protocols!