Time to eliminate user fees (aka bus fares) for public transit?

[nogoro]

way too many parts of the city are inaccessible by public transit. Take the GTA for example, the 905 area is all suburbian sprawl and if nobody drove cars it would be impossible to get enough bus/train lines to take everybody where they want to go. If this were not a free country, people who work in the city could be forced to live in high-density buildings within the city and then public transit will work great.

[chilts]

metropass isn't that expensive as it is, and you can write it off at the end of the year.

You can only write it off if your self employed. The tax credit, I believe, is like a 5-10% discount.

You want to help the environment, raise the gas tax, and stop subsidizing coal power plants.

+1

Vancouver transit isn't very good outside the core areas. All the major routes are packed but it isn't efficient enough for the high density outer suburban areas, where most of the traffic comes from.

I believe BC Transit was talking about a fare hike recently, which really wouldn't help promote the use of transit.

I also like how Seattle has free transit downtown.

[Bullseye]

I doubt if free would increase ridership much. The factor for most of us is the time to get somewhere. I'd be far more likely to use transit again if it could get me to work faster over if it became free.

Transit is WAY cheaper than owning a car already.

[Portwest]

I think the transit system desperately needs improvement far more than it needs a price adjustment.

[brunes]

I doubt if free would increase ridership much. The factor for most of us is the time to get somewhere. I'd be far more likely to use transit again if it could get me to work faster over if it became free.

Transit is WAY cheaper than owning a car already.

Agree 100%. I mean, when you add up gas, insurance, payment, my car costs me $600 / month easily. I could take three cab rides anywhere in this city / day for that - never even mind the bus.

[Green Girl]

eliminating fees completely is not feasible, but what IS feasible is for public transit companies to hire proper economists who can explain that continuously hiking the fees will only deter people from using the service. I rather opt for the even more environmentally friendly walk or bike ride instead..

the TTC even prevents people from stocking up on tokens before a price hike, his only causes customers to get upset, and stay away!

Making it no-cost is not feasible; then it will be fueled with tax dollars which can be as inefficiently spent as the current funding and income, instead the system should be revamped such that it can run at lower cost to the consumer. lower fees= more users = more profits.
yes, it is oversimplified, but the basic concepts of economics do hold true!

[mlc2000]

if there were a speed train system across the GTA this would virtually eliminate almost all of the need for cars.

And does this train drive me right to my office?

And can I catch it when I need to go see my customers?

[mlc2000]

eliminating fees completely is not feasible, but what IS feasible is for public transit companies to hire proper economists who can explain that continuously hiking the fees will only deter people from using the service. I rather opt for the even more environmentally friendly walk or bike ride instead..

the TTC even prevents people from stocking up on tokens before a price hike, his only causes customers to get upset, and stay away!

Making it no-cost is not feasible; then it will be fueled with tax dollars which can be as inefficiently spent as the current funding and income, instead the system should be revamped such that it can run at lower cost to the consumer. lower fees= more users = more profits.
yes, it is oversimplified, but the basic concepts of economics do hold true!

Do your homework.

1. Raising fares has nothing to do with a drop in ridership. Only evidence is that there may be a 1-2 day boycott, or avoidance of TTC, but after that, the user can see its still much cheaper than a car and alot warmer and dryer than a bicycle.The biggest drops in ridership came during recessions.


2. Look up price inelasticity of demand, or better yet ,ask an economist.)

The price of TTC has to go much higher, before the consumer will opt for a different method of transportation. Then the consumer must be willing to trade off comfort/security for lower price.
Or as the price rises to meet the cost of a more comfortable mode of transportation, user may opt to 'step up' to that level.

2. We live in a country where its only warm enough to ride a bike 5 months a year.

3. Fueling it with tax dollars sounds like it never affects you. But it does. More importantly, it affects people who don't even live close to Toronto. How would you feel about a tax increase to pay for the Thunder Bay Transit system?


There are so many variables which affect the price of TTC.
Like when the price of diesel for buses rises from 50cents /litre to 90cents per litre in 5 yrs.
Like when the price of electricity for subways triples in 5 years.

lower fees= more users = more profits
or as an economist would write it
lower price=more consumption=more profit.

This only holds true if the cost of transportation is zero, just one of the scenarios that economics prof's like to throw at you.