The Graduate Student Association (GSA) is trying to raise support for a plan that would give all students unlimited free rides on off-campus bus routes -- a plan that includes a GSA-proposed $35 hike in the semester student activity fee.

The cost of an equivalent bus pass, which includes rides on all fee-required Centre Area Transit Authority's (CATA) Centre Line buses, is $195.

Raghavan Balaji, GSA president, said the GSA was in the process of meeting with other student groups, including the University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) and the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) to organize support.

"We're not looking at this as something the GSA is doing," Balaji said. "We're looking at this as something the students are doing for themselves."

Jay Chamberlin, UPUA president, said that, although he would have to see the full proposal to make a final decision, the plan didn't strike him as something worthwhile for undergraduate students, since most undergraduate students live on or near campus.

"It's kind of a tax on undergraduate students to benefit graduate students," he said. "I think it's dangerous to raise the student activity fee for any particular group. I think that's a Pandora's Box that we don't want to open."

Currently, the student activity fee is projected to increase by about $10 next year, pending Board of Trustees approval.

Eric Bernier, CATA service development manager, said he has not entered into discussions with the GSA about the plan.

"This is their project. Nothing has been worked out, other than a few years ago they were provided with a ballpark figure. I'm assuming they're working off those numbers," he said. "We're certainly receptive to the concept of all students having access."

Bernier explained how CATA could offer the service at such a reduced rate per person in similar terms.

"It's basic math," he said. "The people who don't ride would be paying for the people who ride. That lowers the cost for the people who do use it."

Nick Stathes, USG president, said he would only be in support of the plan if students were able to choose whether or not to have the fee charged to their activity fee.

"I would personally be in support of it if it was an opt-in plan," he said. "There's a lot of students who live on campus who wouldn't use that."

Balaji said the plan would help students cut down on the amount of driving they do and the congestion on campus.

"The parking situation is miserable at the university," he said. "This way, they [students] don't have to drive. If they just want to take a trip to Wal-Mart they can just jump on the bus."

The GSA hopes to gather around 5,000 signatures in support of its plan and has managed to collect between 1,000 and 2,000 so far. Students can sign the petition in support of the plan by sending an e-mail message to psucata@gmail.com.