Transit Fares

[W. K. Lis]

The cash fare in...

Toronto is: $2.75 Monthly Pass: $109
Montreal is: $2.75 Monthly Pass: $66.25
New York City is: $2.00 Monthly Pass: $81
Vancouver is $2.50 Monthly Pass: $73
Chicago is $1.75 (+.25 transfer) Monthly Pass: $75
Los Angeles is $1.25 Monthly Pass: $62

With the US dollar and the Canadian dollar around par, Toronto is paying the highest monthly pass for transit in North America. I do know that Toronto has better service than most of the other cities, with more people using the system in the non-rush hour. However, why are we higher than New York City with its 24 hour subway service?

We should be getting a reduced price for the monthly pass, at the very least.

 

[carrefour]

One mustn't forget that most, if not all, of these other transit companies receive provincial/state or federal funding. I mean $1.25 is not going to happen anytime soon with governments consistently sticking their fingers in the eyes (and money) of Toronto. As well, I doubt our system could take the increased ridership that would be brought on by such a fare - it's already packed to the brim as it is with no real service increase in the past

 

[ganjavih]

However, why are we higher than New York City with its 24 hour subway service?

Because the MTA in New York gets reasonable funding from all levels of government... local, state, federal.

 

[ShonTron]

Ottawa traditionally has the highest cash fares in Canada - right now, they are $3.00, or $4.00 for a green express route.

However, Ottawa's ticket equivalent to the $3.00 cash fare is $1.90 (2 tickets) or $2.85 for a green express route. The pass is $73.00 or $90.00 to include the green routes.

I dislike how Ottawa has such a high fare difference between passes/tickets and cash fare, but for regular or semi-regular riders, it's not that pricey, and they have the same indifferent federal and provincial governments that Toronto has.

 

[Hacik Istanbul]

TTC Fares

I honestly agree that the TTC fares in T.O. should be lower than the present levels. It is certainly frustrating when compared to other North American cities, that we are the highest cost transit system. In view of the environmental impact, there should be greater government subsidies in place to substantially defray the costs and to encourage more transit usage.
Hacik Istanbul

 

[waterloowarrior]

some info on Canadian transit systems (CUTA 2006 I believe)

BRT is expensive! (although I think the high cash fare cost in Ottawa is to discourage using cash, which can really slow down the system when you have so many buses)

 

[Hipster Duck]

The LA fare is abnormally low because they don't give out free transfers.

 

[Komiksulo]

Don;\'t forget that Ottawa's system includes regoinal features, so it's more like a combination of the TTC plus GO plus the suburban systems (although on a smaller scale in total). Those $4.00 fares are more comparable to taking GO to Union from, say, Square One.

 

[Kitsune]

A lot of Transit Agencies need to follow Sudbury's lead eek and ditch the monthly pass, and replace it with a pass thats valid for 31 days instead, much much more convenient.

 

[RedRocket191]

I say move to virtual passes.

There is a daily, weekly or monthly maximum. Presto charges you at the pay-as-you-go rate until you get to the maximum, then every trip after that is free for the rest of the period.

 

[Chuck]

I'd recommend a swipe on, swipe off policy in which you pay 10 cents per kilometre traveled up to the current $2.25 in the inner burbs, and maybe $6.00 to Newmarket, Brampton, Oakville, and Pickering. This allows for a gradual increase in fares rather than an instant doubling when you cross Steeles, while at the same time inner city residents don't have to pay through the roof for a 3 minute trip.

You'd still have the option of buying a monthly pass, only in this case you may pay $30 for ulimited trips under 10km, $40 for unlimited trips under 15km, etc. Once that distance is exceeded, it reverts back to 10 cents per km.

 

[RedRocket191]

I'd recommend a swipe on, swipe off policy in which you pay 10 cents per kilometre traveled up to the current $2.25 in the inner burbs, and maybe $6.00 to Newmarket, Brampton, Oakville, and Pickering. This allows for a gradual increase in fares rather than an instant doubling when you cross Steeles, while at the same time inner city residents don't have to pay through the roof for a 3 minute trip.

You'd still have the option of buying a monthly pass, only in this case you may pay $30 for ulimited trips under 10km, $40 for unlimited trips under 15km, etc. Once that distance is exceeded, it reverts back to 10 cents per km.

I agree with your caps on fares, but only if GO is brought into the fold, and only if we're talking distance measured direct from start to origin, rather than the total distance your bus actually travelled.

The problem with distances is that people cannot easily calculate distances by looking on a map. Zones are much more user friendly, and fares should be based on the shortest distance between those two zones. I still think PAYG should be the primary means of payment. Eliminating the need for people to figure out if its worth it to buy a pass every month will win over customers.

 

[unimaginative2]

The difference is even more glaring in Europe. In Brussels, for example, cash fare is 2€. A yearly pass is 415€ or just 280€ if you're under 25.

 

[khris]

Mississauga Transit is also very high for what it offers. It's ridiculous.
Bring on Presto!

 

[urbanfan89]

I prefer a fare by time scheme. If you pay by Presto, it deducts from the card at a linear rate, like in a taxi. If you pay by cash, you can choose between 30, 60, 90, or 120 unliminted travel tickets. There would be vending machines on each vehicle and station, and boarding buses will be like boarding VIVA buses.

To solve the problem that would result in case of delays, every bus/LRV/subway station/GO Train would have a machine that could extend the ticket in case of delays. In Japan if trains are late the station dispenses a slip so that salarymen could show their bosses.