Toronto Union Pearson Express | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | MMM Group Limited

I've thought for a while that UPX needs to make their tickets buyable when you book a plane ticket. $27.50 doesn't look so large when it's next to $1000 or $2000. You could get a separate ticket printout/email with your plane tickets.

Is this done now, or possible? Is it the sort of thing that would have to be negotiated with each airline separately, or is there some sort of common ticket infrastructure that would support it for all airlines?
 
Komiksulo said:
I've thought for a while that UPX needs to make their tickets buyable when you book a plane ticket. $27.50 doesn't look so large when it's next to $1000 or $2000. You could get a separate ticket printout/email with your plane tickets.

Is this done now, or possible? Is it the sort of thing that would have to be negotiated with each airline separately, or is there some sort of common ticket infrastructure that would support it for all airlines?
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You can do it with VIA Rail if you select pearson as your start/end point, and the 27.50 is included in the price of your train ticket.
 
dowlingm said:
all prices with Presto
Malton-Union 6.84
Etobicoke North-Union 5.02
Weston-Union 5.02
Bloor-Union 4.71
Weston-Malton 4.71

UPX Weston-YYZ 11.40

It's a bit silly to say a 25 min ride to downtown is gonna be $3 when existing GO riders are charged more for an inferior (in terms of frequency and hours of operation) service
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Compare that Weston-Union GO fare to the 15.20 (presto) on UP.......and Bloor to Union is 11.40.

Changing those to GO fares will drive some ridership and, I think, buy them some time with less criticism.
 
ssiguy2 said:
Kind of pathetic when you can't make transit more accessible because too many people would take it.
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That was the same with the Eglinton LRT through Scarborough. The SLRT / ECLRT plan was "we have to force a transfer at Kennedy otherwise too many people will take it."
I wonder if this same mindset will apply when the UTSC extension is built.
 
This will be very interesting to see what their new pricing strategy will be. There are clearly a few necessary components to a new fare structure:
  1. Priced lower than the current Presto adult fare.
  2. Priced enough higher than a TTC fare to not overcrowd the trains and defeat the whole purpose of an airport link. (Sorry $3 fare is not happening!)
  3. Retain significant discounts/free rides for children under a certain age.
If I were doing the planning*, I'd aim for a Union -> Pearson one way fare of between $10-$15...probably closer to the lower end. At $10, you'd be close to half the current farebox recovery rate, but would almost certainly more than double ridership.

I'd also immediately end the Presto/non-Presto fare differentiation. Given the state of Presto implementation in Toronto proper, it was woefully immature when UPX launched, and still too soon now. Maybe revisit this issue once the TTC is fully converted and all those monthly cardholders now have Presto cards.

Start to explore possibilities of coordination with the TTC...either including the TTC fare in the UPX fare or offering a sharply discounted transfer to the TTC (easily implemented for Presto users).
 
TOareaFan said:
Compare that Weston-Union GO fare to the 15.20 (presto) on UP.......and Bloor to Union is 11.40.

Changing those to GO fares will drive some ridership and, I think, buy them some time with less criticism.
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Just checked, I'm surprised that its the same to go from Weston to Bloor as it is to go to Weston to Union - $5.02.
 
jcam said:
Just checked, I'm surprised that its the same to go from Weston to Bloor as it is to go to Weston to Union - $5.02.
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It is part of why I (and a few others) keep suggesting that a real positive interim step (on many levels) for UP would be to simply leave the "to/from Pearson" fares where they are (+/-) but reduce all trips that do not include Pearson to $5.03 (a GO fare)....of course to administer that it would be Presto only.
 
TOareaFan said:
It is part of why I (and a few others) keep suggesting that a real positive interim step (on many levels) for UP would be to simply leave the "to/from Pearson" fares where they are (+/-) but reduce all trips that do not include Pearson to $5.03 (a GO fare)....of course to administer that it would be Presto only.
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I strongly favour this, but I think they'll have to cut the airport fare too. Who will pay $19 with luggage, when their chance of getting a seat between Union and Bloor (Weston?) will be basically nil?
 
Don't expect hordes of people boarding at the GO fare. Weston in particular is an economically challenged area. Many people living up there would out of economic necessity stick to the $3 TTC ride. I'm not sure that downtown is the preferred destination for these folks.

Lowering the fare to GO standard is important as part of the message that fares have been reviewed. A modest reduction in the airport fare - perhaps only the cash fare, or $19/$15 - is still needed to 'sell' the public on UPX being affordable - otherwise the change will be criticised as insincere and cosmetic.

The more I think about this whole thing, the more it convinces me that RER/ST is the answer for this corridor. The abysmal improvements in GO service since the GTS project really cry 'we should expect better'.
- Paul
 
crs1026 said:
Don't expect hordes of people boarding at the GO fare. Weston in particular is an economically challenged area. Many people living up there would out of economic necessity stick to the $3 TTC ride. I'm not sure that downtown is the preferred destination for these folks.

Lowering the fare to GO standard is important as part of the message that fares have been reviewed. A modest reduction in the airport fare - perhaps only the cash fare, or $19/$15 - is still needed to 'sell' the public on UPX being affordable - otherwise the change will be criticised as insincere and cosmetic.

The more I think about this whole thing, the more it convinces me that RER/ST is the answer for this corridor. The abysmal improvements in GO service since the GTS project really cry 'we should expect better'.
- Paul
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One of the advantages to reducing the non-pearson fares to GO fares is you will be able to test how much demand there is for ReR at Weston and Bloor.....no?
 
k10ery said:
I strongly favour this, but I think they'll have to cut the airport fare too. Who will pay $19 with luggage, when their chance of getting a seat between Union and Bloor (Weston?) will be basically nil?
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you are assuming that trains will fill at GO fares? Riding the line I don't think there is enough demand at Weston and Bloor to do that....there will be an increase in traffic....but not to the point where Arnie Airtraveller is left standing.
 
crs1026 said:
Don't expect hordes of people boarding at the GO fare. Weston in particular is an economically challenged area. Many people living up there would out of economic necessity stick to the $3 TTC ride. I'm not sure that downtown is the preferred destination for these folks.
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I don't expect it to be hordes either....but this misconception of Weston still lives on. Weston is essentially two communities and can, generally, be split as north of the track and south of the track. I can tell you that the people currently using GO from Weston do not appear to be economically challenged :)
 
k10ery said:
I strongly favour this, but I think they'll have to cut the airport fare too. Who will pay $19 with luggage, when their chance of getting a seat between Union and Bloor (Weston?) will be basically nil?
Click to expand...
They can't cut fares to the point there'd be no seats available between Union and Bloor.
 
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