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GTHA Transit Fare Integration

in a budget that could/did not define what "high wage earners" means or how much additional tax they would pay ......you expected them to cover details such as fare integration?
??? Everyone one between a taxable income of $150,000 to $220,000 went from a provincial tax rate 10.16% to 11.16%, and everyone from $220,000 to $500,000 went from from a provincial tax rate of 10.16% to 12.16% ... or something like that.

Presumably then, a high wage earner, is someone with a taxable income above $150,000. What am I missing?
 
Shouldn't we wait until presto is fully implemented before we expect fare integration?
 
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??? Everyone one between a taxable income of $150,000 to $220,000 went from a provincial tax rate 10.16% to 11.16%, and everyone from $220,000 to $500,000 went from from a provincial tax rate of 10.16% to 12.16% ... or something like that.

Presumably then, a high wage earner, is someone with a taxable income above $150,000. What am I missing?

Yeah...at the time I was reading the star and cvc online budget reports and both said they had not defined what the numbers were .....just that "high earners would pay more".....have since read a couple of budget reviews and the numbers you show were in them.

sorry for the confusion.

That said, it is still a bit of a flawed definition of high earner......take two senarios (neither is me so this is not "personal").

A family with one wage earner at $200k pays these new taxes as they are now not middle class....they are high earners.

A family with two wager earners, each earning $145k does not pay the new taxes.
 
Shouldn't we wait until presto is fully implemented before we expect fare integration?

Yup, and right now that's really on the TTC's plate, not Metrolinx'. Are there any 905 transit agencies left that aren't using Presto right now? AFAIK the TTC is the only system left in the GTHA that really only has done "token" adoption. Everyone else has actually adopted it.
 
Yup, and right now that's really on the TTC's plate, not Metrolinx'. Are there any 905 transit agencies left that aren't using Presto right now? AFAIK the TTC is the only system left in the GTHA that really only has done "token" adoption. Everyone else has actually adopted it.
TTC has contracted Metrolinx to do the Presto implementation. TTC has expressed frustration at Metrolinx's in ability to meet the original implelmentation schedule. Why would you put this on TTC and not on Metrolinx?
 
Yup, and right now that's really on the TTC's plate, not Metrolinx'. Are there any 905 transit agencies left that aren't using Presto right now? AFAIK the TTC is the only system left in the GTHA that really only has done "token" adoption. Everyone else has actually adopted it.

TTC doesn't even have presto at all the stations!
 
TTC has contracted Metrolinx to do the Presto implementation. TTC has expressed frustration at Metrolinx's in ability to meet the original implelmentation schedule. Why would you put this on TTC and not on Metrolinx?

My understanding though was that it was the TTC that slowed down the process by placing a list of 'special demands' on Metrolinx with respect to what Presto needed to be able to do. Metrolinx may be in charge of delivering the implementation, but my understanding is the TTC hasn't exactly made it easy on them to do so.

TTC doesn't even have presto at all the stations!

That's my point. Every other transit agency has embraced it fully (or almost fully). For the TTC, more stations are wheelchair accessible than are Presto accessible, which says almost as much about the slow state of accessibility upgrades as it does about the slow state of Presto implementation.
 
My understanding though was that it was the TTC that slowed down the process by placing a list of 'special demands' on Metrolinx with respect to what Presto needed to be able to do.

I had understood that these special demands matched the requirements for their own tender of a smart card (such as accepting a standard credit card/bank card, minimum availability guarantees -- fault tolerance, etc.) and they were all known upfront before Metrolinx accepted the contract.
 
My understanding though was that it was the TTC that slowed down the process by placing a list of 'special demands' on Metrolinx with respect to what Presto needed to be able to do. Metrolinx may be in charge of delivering the implementation, but my understanding is the TTC hasn't exactly made it easy on them to do so.
There were terms, sure. Nothing mind boggling. Metrolinx signed a contract, announced a timeframe, and failed to deliver. Just like in Ottawa.
 
Fair enough, I stand corrected. Either way, the implementation of Presto at TTC subway stations at least is mind-numbingly slow.

What implementation?? Have they added Presto to any stations recently? Last I checked a station like Bathurst still doesn't take Presto. That's a pretty busy station. The rollout is pathetic. It doesn't help that the TTC dragged its feet soooooo long though. I don't really blame this on Metrolinx though.
 
What implementation?? Have they added Presto to any stations recently? Last I checked a station like Bathurst still doesn't take Presto. That's a pretty busy station. The rollout is pathetic. It doesn't help that the TTC dragged its feet soooooo long though. I don't really blame this on Metrolinx though.
The first station scheduled to receive the new Presto equipment is Museum, which is where they'll test everything. As part of Phase 1, Metrolinx have committed to get Presto running on the new streetcars in August, to update the Presto equipment in the 14 existing stations, and adding 3 more stations in 2014, with the remaining 6 stations presumably in 2015. Given they've already pushed back Presto on the new streetcars to November, I wouldn't expect any Presto in any other stations anytime soon, other than Museum.
 
The first station scheduled to receive the new Presto equipment is Museum, which is where they'll test everything. As part of Phase 1, Metrolinx have committed to get Presto running on the new streetcars in August, to update the Presto equipment in the 14 existing stations, and adding 3 more stations in 2014, with the remaining 6 stations presumably in 2015. Given they've already pushed back Presto on the new streetcars to November, I wouldn't expect any Presto in any other stations anytime soon, other than Museum.

From an inside source, I am told all the commuter students to UofT cheered loudly when the signs went up at Museum.......coming from 905 to UofT there are a lot of students who use GO rail to Union then up to Museum......but on the way home they have to either use tokens or walk to St. George or College to use their Presto.

Given that population of daily users and the presence of, well, a the Museum it is hard to fathom why Museum was not on the original set of stations.

When the work was done, the signs came down and there were no Presto machines......apparantly there was tears.

(seems part way through the construction the signs changed from saying Presto was being installed to saying the infrastructure that would allow Presto to be installed at a later date was being installed).

I really don't care who's fault it is....and I get that things need planning and roll out.......but one thing that is for sure is that all subway stations are gonna have Presto...and early on in any "roll out"....when was the agreement reached and contract signed? It is a bit of a damming statement on how fast/nimble we are that this much time has past and not one new TTC subway station has Presto.

Another one that jumps out at me is St. Andrews.......convenient for so many attractions that bring people into the city......also, during the Union renos, often a terminus station where people are told to get off for those attractions....yet no one said "mmmm, that might be a good place for that system they use in the suburbs/905"

I am sure there are other stations that people would think should be near the top of the list....but none have made it into the system and it really is quite shocking.
 
When the work was done, the signs came down and there were no Presto machines......apparantly there was tears.
That was the power supply for the machines. Metrolinx still has to finish the new faregates, which is what I hear is the issue.

Another one that jumps out at me is St. Andrew .....
King has higher ridership than St. Andrews, and is about the same walk from Union station, and has no Presto. Metrolinx chose the original stations based on which ones riders transferring to other agencies used most. The assumption, I assume, is most of those near St. Andrews and King walk to Union.
 
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