rfmcdonald | [URBAN NOTE] On the three Metrolinx proposals on regional transit fares (Reply)

The Toronto Star's Ben Spurr looked at the three options before Metrolinx regarding the integration of regional transit fares. I am afraid that they might deploy the third--Ontario's history of underfunding mass transit creates an obvious incentive to try to grab more cash.

Option 1: Modified status quo

This option would even the playing field by harmonizing policies for transferring between various GTA transit operators. The cost of a bus, streetcar, subway or LRT trip would be flat regardless of the length, and GO or Smart Track rides would be based on distance, with a medium-length trip costing about the same as a subway or LRT trip of similar length. Because this option is closest to the existing model, it may be easiest to implement. “Deliverability would be one of its strengths,” said Woo.

Option 2: Transit zones

The GTA would be divided into geographic zones, and fares would be determined according to how many zones a rider crosses. Fares for rapid transit (subway and LRT) could be more expensive than for local transit (bus and streetcar), but the same zones would apply. Ticket prices for regional rail trips would continue to be based on distance. “The most critical thing … is how big is a zone?” said Woo. Many, smaller zones would make travel too complicated, while fewer, larger zones would make it impossible to assign a fair value to the ride.

Option 3: Hybrid

The third option would combine the previous two concepts: riders could take local trips by bus and streetcar for a flat fare, but the cost of subway, LRT and regional rail fares would be based on distance, using either zones or the length of the trip itself. Woo said that many cities, such as Amsterdam and Melbourne, have successfully implemented this type of system, but they evolved towards it over time. “What we’re trying to examine is, what if you designed it from the get-go as a hybrid?”