[URBAN NOTE] "Why Toronto Needs a Low-Income Metropass Program"

[rfmcdonald]

The idea described by Anders Marshall in Torontoist makes perfect sense to me.

When many Torontonians think of poverty, the first issues that come to mind are housing and food. Mobility is often overlooked, creating a gap in accessibility and services available to those looking to get around the city.

Grassroots organization TTCriders has established the Fair Fare Coalition in an attempt to fill that gap. Last month, members attended City Hall to push for lower TTC prices for the city’s lowest income residents.

The group is lobbying to create a program that allows low-income Torontonians access to a $50 Metropass and $1 single-ride tokens to get on trains, buses, and streetcars.

“Anything else was unaffordable,” says Karin Meinzer, chair of the Fair Fare Coalition. “We looked at doing a price set at a percentage of income, but when you do that you end up with a large percentage no matter what. We felt that there had to be some sort of cutoff.”

Meinzer says TTCriders arrived at these figures when they realized many people living with social assistance end up working low-paying jobs, or end up in positions where they’re working part time, meaning any price based on a percentage of income isn’t the best option on such fine margins.