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Susan Ruttan, Edmonton Journal) Q$ U7 `& y- v) ~8 U- P
Published: Friday, March 30, 2007
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The cost of a monthly transit pass could jump by $15 if city council endorses a proposed new transit fare policy.
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That policy would use the cost of an adult transit ticket, currently $2.50, to set all other fares charged by Edmonton Transit.
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It would end the random system of fare increases being approved each year by city council. Council in December voted to raise the adult ticket by 25 cents, but left the $59 monthly adult pass untouched.
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! F& _" O7 k; LIn the new formula, any increase in the adult cash fare would trigger increases in all other fares.2 ?5 D4 |. L5 c. Q
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It’s proposed that the adult monthly pass would cost 55 per cent of the cost of a cash fare, assuming an average transit rider takes 54 trips a month. That works out to $74, about the same price as a monthly pass in St. Albert, Strathcona County and Calgary." A, x* y1 {' p3 L( G5 ~
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“Currently our cash fares and month passes are priced below comparable organizations,” said Patricia Waisman, director of business development for Edmonton Transit.
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The new system of all fares being based on the basic fare would help to correct that, she said.. d7 _: G& R9 {% K( Y2 h3 s
7 d1 J5 d9 k" c) ~( GWaisman said the “multiplier” in the formula, the average 54 trips a month, varies from city to city. In Toronto the multiplier would be a bigger number, in Lethbridge a smaller number.4 |/ J' M2 C& R' g% w
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The proposed change acts on a recommendation of the city auditor David Wiun.9 v6 J. S! y2 y' Y2 K& K
3 N' D0 \4 x8 j' q+ ]In a recent report, he said Edmonton’s transit passes and cash fares are 11 to 14 per cent below that of comparable cities. The result is that Edmonton taxpayers must pay a greater share of transit’s budget than in those other cities, he said. |
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