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Susan Ruttan, Edmonton Journal
& [' N6 t# @7 APublished: 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.7 x, R% U& A; Y' @: J1 f
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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.5 G/ K+ W) N ^1 \7 W
# ]# N% T& t! I% f lIn the new formula, any increase in the adult cash fare would trigger increases in all other fares.4 {. `4 R. \: R% B0 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 $74, about the same price as a monthly pass in St. Albert, Strathcona County and Calgary.
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“Currently our cash fares and month passes are priced below comparable organizations,” said Patricia Waisman, director of business development for Edmonton Transit." d1 |9 s+ T! G: K5 u
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The new system of all fares being based on the basic fare would help to correct that, she said.6 [6 t6 `. `$ V' X6 S" x
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Waisman 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.
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- k/ o/ c6 T" f( q$ EThe proposed change acts on a recommendation of the city auditor David Wiun.
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9 g# M: I2 s! q1 a8 tIn 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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