$109 for a Metropass

September 12, 2007 - After weeks of surveying riders on how to deal with its $30 million budget cut, the TTC announced today that a fare hike will occur this November. Tickets and tokens will go up by another 15 cents ($22.5 for 10 tokens) while the very popular Metropass will indeed cross the $100 psychological barrier to $109. Staff had originally recommended the price to go up to $111 - but TTC Chair (and my favourite councillor) Adam Giambrone resisted. Cash fare however, will remain at $2.75/ride.

The increase means that the 37 money-losing bus routes (including the 103 Mt. Pleasant North bus that runs by my apartment and the 224 Victoria Park North bus that goes to my parents house) will not be cut - for now. The TTC also voted to implement its service improvement plans (originally scheduled for September) next February. This would put more than 100 new buses on crowded routes.

Personally, if I have to choose between service cuts and increased fares, I would pick increased fares as well. Sure, it's a lose-lose situation - but reducing bus service would not only be a step backward in trying to promote a transit culture in our city, but it would also erase any progress the TTC has made in recent years to increase ridership. I'm sure there will be people who refuse to pay an additional 15 cents per token and jump back into their cars, but it's still a whole better than shutting down the Shepperd subway or cutting bus routes that serve low-income neighbourhoods. The latter will end up hurting people even more and create even more congestion.

Having said that, people would be more willing to put up with fare hikes if service improves. Glad to hear that the service improvement plans will be implemented next year - but that still means 6 more months of being stuck in overcrowded buses. Service improvements should also expand to include better customer service - for an agency that has an annual ridership of over 450 million, I still cannot understand how they can be so inward looking. Heck, I think people would be willing to pay an additional 10 cents just to provide customer service and sensitivity training to some of its employees!