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Susan Ruttan, Edmonton Journal; X/ p2 H7 q; i- d/ n# G
Published: Friday, March 30, 2007
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+ U; v, Q; ` @/ b7 u& aThe cost of a monthly transit pass could jump by $15 if city council endorses a proposed new transit fare policy.
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. N% [6 m& \4 c" X0 JThat policy would use the cost of an adult transit ticket, currently $2.50, to set all other fares charged by Edmonton Transit.0 k( t+ U2 q* R7 D Y$ f# H
) J i" Q: D/ Z1 q8 ^, p! b" nIt 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 $59 monthly adult pass untouched.
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9 t' o. \! I# F/ zIn the new formula, any increase in the adult cash fare would trigger increases in all other fares.
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, E) K8 [7 p8 B$ ~ I9 sIt’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 $74, about the same price as a monthly pass in St. Albert, Strathcona County and Calgary.
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“Currently our cash fares and month passes are priced below comparable organizations,” said Patricia Waisman, director of business development for Edmonton Transit.! X# g! P" e5 m2 t7 x' n% Z
6 P! p, t. }' @- t4 FThe new system of all fares being based on the basic fare would help to correct that, she said.0 V+ y0 w- i3 `
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Waisman said the “multiplier” in the formula, the average 54 trips a month, varies from city to city. In Toronto the multiplier would be a bigger number, in Lethbridge a smaller number.
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# a$ {- d0 @$ i- N6 j7 m) V2 pThe proposed change acts on a recommendation of the city auditor David Wiun.
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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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