TTC Fare increase being considered

[Ed Drass]

Perhaps there were previous versions of the press release, but the one that I read states: "Effective January 30, 2011, TTC staff recommends a 10-cent fare increase to meet the service levels required for the projected increase in ridership." http://www3.ttc.ca/News/2011/January/0110_Fare_Increase.jsp

I would expect fare increases yearly (on January 1) except perhaps right following an election. Here's where we can ask people to locate any confirmed quotes from Ford in 2010 regarding TTC fare hikes. I recall him speaking on the subject.

My understanding is there are fairly firm timelines the TTC has cited for putting prices on Metropasses. I believe the CCRA requires the price be printed on the pass, and the lead time is more than one month. So, has this hike been planned for some time but kept quiet?

I don't recall much publicity about those Jan 3 service increases: http://www3.ttc.ca/Service_Advisories/Service_changes/index.jsp

-ed

 

[gweed123]

Ford said during his press conference this morning that it was to take effect February 1st.

It's a total scare tactic, designed to wring concessions from other agencies and, more importantly, to keep the media distracted as other cuts and user fee increases work their way through the budget process. At the end, Ford announces that he has been able to cut enough 'gravy' such that the increase is no longer necessary. Then the villagers rejoice and chant his name.

A good story if it gets told right.

Pay attention to the hand waving around, not the hand with the axe in it...

 

[nfitz]

Perhaps there were previous versions of the press release, but the one that I read states: "Effective January 30, 2011, TTC staff recommends a 10-cent fare increase to meet the service levels required for the projected increase in ridership." http://www3.ttc.ca/News/2011/January/0110_Fare_Increase.jsp

Ah, so it does. But it also only mentions the 10¢ fare increase on that date - not the pass. Perhaps that's the TTC's idea of an immediate increase so they don't have token problems Presumably Metropasses would follow.

 

[GraphicMatt]

I think it's because it's a total red herring that they know they won't actually have to follow through on. You'd think they'd be modifying the token machines to prevent hoarding this week otherwise.

 

[gweed123]

Ah, so it does. But it also only mentions the 10¢ fare increase on that date - not the pass. Perhaps that's the TTC's idea of an immediate increase so they don't have token problems Presumably Metropasses would follow.

Random question, do they now have to reconfigure the token machines to give out dimes and nickels now? Before, they only used to give change in the form of loonies and quarters. Does that require a substantial overhaul of the machines (like are they physically capable of doing it?), or is it just a simple retooling?

 

[nfitz]

Random question, do they now have to reconfigure the token machines to give out dimes and nickels now? Before, they only used to give change in the form of loonies and quarters.

I wouldn't think so. Tokens were $2.10 as recently as 2007.

Prevent hoarding? I stock-piled my extra tokens back in mid-December before the last TTC meeting. (I don't care about saving money that much - I just don't want to run out of tokens like I did last time).

 

[ssiguy2]

What is it with the TTC anyway?
If fares increase it should be the cost of the individual tickets/tockens that increase and the Metropass that stays thee same. By doing so your are encouraging people to buy the pass and you transit as opposed to raising the price of the pass which encourages people not to buy the pass and make the patrons part time transit users.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

You don't buy a pass unless you are more or less a captive heavy user anyways - demand for pases is probably less "elastic" than tickets.

AoD

 

[CityPainter]

As a previous poster mentioned, the optics on this are terrible. Cutting the driver registration fee and then barely two months later cranking the cost of transit by exactly the same amount, even after a huge increase last year? It just doesn't look good, no matter how else you justify or how you argue that this money is coming from a different column in a spreadsheet. War on the car my ass.

Let's put it this way: I went out this morning and stocked up on tokens at my local convenience store, where they were totally unaware of any talk of increases. It's not so much that I can't afford the increase, irritating as it is in principle: it's that if hoarding begins I won't be able to buy tokens at any price! Very annoying.

 

[gweed123]

I wouldn't think so. Tokens were $2.10 as recently as 2007.

Prevent hoarding? I stock-piled my extra tokens back in mid-December before the last TTC meeting. (I don't care about saving money that much - I just don't want to run out of tokens like I did last time).

Ah ok. I didn't use the TTC much back then, I was living on-campus, so I didn't have much need to go off-campus, haha.

I dunno, maybe it's just me, but I would much rather have easily-breakable amounts. A cash fare of $2.75 was annoying as hell, because most of the time I ended up putting in $3 anyways when I had to catch the bus. $2.50 for tokens was much easier to break, because you put in a $10, you get 4 tokens. At $2.60, you'd get 3 tokens and $2.20 change. Great, instead of 4 coins jingling around in my pocket, I now have 7.

 

[GraphicMatt]

I think the TTC should chart out a long-term strategy for fares, sticking to round numbers. Every three or four years the cash fare goes up by a quarter. Easy and predictable. People would worry about hoarding but electronic payments would make that worry irrelevant.

 

[gweed123]

I think the TTC should chart out a long-term strategy for fares, sticking to round numbers. Every three or four years the cash fare goes up by a quarter. Easy and predictable. People would worry about hoarding but electronic payments would make that worry irrelevant.

Forethought = baaaaaad.

 

[k10ery]

You don't buy a pass unless you are more or less a captive heavy user anyways - demand for pases is probably less "elastic" than tickets.

AoD

And with the federal transit tax credit, the metropass multiple (metropass price/token price) is lower than it has ever been before 2006. TTC wants to increase metropass price to turn that crazy tax credit into what it should have been in the first place - a federal operating grant for public transit agencies.

But why raise the token price and choose an unround number? More queues at the ticket window.

 

[DSC]

Steve Munro has a write-up on this and a useful table showing what the various % increases are. See http://stevemunro.ca/?p=4797

It's "interesting" and sad to see that the revenue from the proposed fare increase is just about what the City lost by stopping the car registration tax. I would say a fare increase is FAR more difficult for TTC customers than a $60 annual fe to drivers who pay over $1 for a litre of gas.

 

[JayBee]

$126 for a bloody metropass. I predict it'll be at $150 in a few short years.