[URBAN NOTE] "Carlton most popular streetcar route for fare dodgers"

[rfmcdonald]

The Toronto Star's Ben Spurr shares the news about fare dodging on the different streetcar routes of the TTC.

Riders of the 506 Carlton line are the TTC’s worst fare evaders, while those on the 511 Bathurst are the network’s most law-abiding.

That’s according to new numbers from the TTC that tracked fare evasion rates on streetcar lines during the first six months of the year.

A report going before the transit commission’s board on Tuesday shows that evasion rates across eight streetcar routes were relatively consistent, ranging from 2 per cent to just under 4 per cent. The TTC targets a rate of about 2 per cent.

Carlton topped the list with a rate of 3.79 per cent, followed closely by the 505 Dundas (3.73) and the TTC’s busiest streetcar route, the 504 King (2.93). The 511 Bathurst car had the lowest rate, with just 2.01 per cent.

Brad Ross, a TTC spokesperson, said the agency has no explanation for discrepancies between fare evasion rates on different routes. But he noted that the TTC only switched to a proof-of-payment (POP) system on all its streetcar lines in December 2015, and customers are still getting used to it.