 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
Susan Ruttan, Edmonton Journal
& y$ U: F: r- V- M. SPublished: Friday, March 30, 2007
0 |/ u* p: j" A5 o) V' {# H% O; K* f; }2 e- e2 ~. F+ d) _
The cost of a monthly transit pass could jump by $15 if city council endorses a proposed new transit fare policy.
; |2 n, ^% |6 ?4 C) x
5 q% o* b) G8 z5 T1 ~. E0 S6 O1 gThat policy would use the cost of an adult transit ticket, currently $2.50, to set all other fares charged by Edmonton Transit.
: ]5 P1 \( S! Z4 N) i& _/ V1 ?( [- z3 k2 S. g3 M
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 $59 monthly adult pass untouched.
* n. ?7 U7 Z: u" H, R
1 B8 i- `. A* X1 \9 \4 gIn the new formula, any increase in the adult cash fare would trigger increases in all other fares.
# O, [: a5 E- E" }1 H% @( T7 g' f( \$ A$ v1 H* F. b! ~ r/ m
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./ `9 ]. u+ w1 }0 J5 X% K3 k
% b, p- S. j* \' P: k
“Currently our cash fares and month passes are priced below comparable organizations,” said Patricia Waisman, director of business development for Edmonton Transit.
) G: P* s* ] Y( {4 K: j9 y( f( I: |& u5 I
The new system of all fares being based on the basic fare would help to correct that, she said.8 b) S9 O: P( t& k
# j6 o0 c7 E" d. H( Z2 w( \* J: LWaisman 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.9 O% Y" @# F8 I' K7 \
3 n# d! x( G8 Q- D3 j
The proposed change acts on a recommendation of the city auditor David Wiun.7 V# P& l- T( I9 c9 u9 V- G' w
) p; e; W6 I1 U! j* G3 c! Q0 ]9 q4 hIn 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. |
|