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TTC fares go up March 1 2015

alexd

Administrator
Staff member
$95 million earmarked for 'service improvements' whatever they may turn out to be... Perhaps more of those new new change making machines.
 

janiecakes

TRIBE Member
- kids 12 & under ride for free
- restoration of bus service cut in 2011
- expansion of blue night service
- POP on all streetcar routes
- expansion of express bus routes (4 new routes)
- 2 additional subways on lines 1 & 2 during rush hour
 
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agentRC4

TRIBE Member
I'm all for the free kids rides but how is this a 7.5 million loss to the TTC?

kids are 0.75 cents a ride. I don't think there are 10 million under age of 12 and over 2 years riders a year. Seems a bit high.

This is going to be a big financial help for local schools and daycare trips. The amount our daycare would spend on TTC during the summer was astronomical.
 

alexd

Administrator
Staff member
I am sure parents will be happy with this, but they are penalizing adult riders, metropass purchasers, and those who choose not to have children.
 

alexd

Administrator
Staff member
Why not jack u[p the kids price by 10 cents too and add another million bucks to the coffers for service improvements for all.
 

wickedken

TRIBE Member
TTC Union is less than pleased but is glad to highlight the fact that the people least likely to complain are being saddled with costs.

Toronto transit union tentatively welcomes TTC service funding announcement but says burden should not be solely on transit users

DOWNSVIEW, ON, Jan. 19, 2015 /CNW/ - The union that represents 10,000 Toronto Transit Commission operating and maintenance staff tentatively welcomes today's announcement of city transit service improvements but says the measures being taken are too modest to make the kind of difference Torontonians want and that transit users are unfortunately once again being asked to bear the burden of years of TTC underfunding

"We were led to believe that the Mayor was making a major funding announcement," said Bob Kinnear, President of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113.

"The 10-cent fare increase is not really 'funding,' it's another tax on transit users who already pay more to run their system than anywhere else in North America.

"Why are the transit users the only ones who have to pay more to relieve congestion on the roads? They are already doing their part. The TTC is the least-subsidized transit system in North America. How about the people who don't take transit but benefit from it because there's more room on the roads for their cars. They have to step up to the plate as well. We can't keep going back to transit users to make life easier for car users.

"If Mayor Tory is going to break an election promise on transit fares, why not break another one on taxes to properly fund more transit?

"To be clear, we fully endorse all the announced service improvements," said Kinnear. "But riders are going to be very disappointed if they think these proposed enhancements alone are going to represent a meaningful recovery from the years of underfunding the TTC."

Local 113 issued its own report on Toronto's transit future last November, which calls for substantially more funding, particularly for more vehicles, than Mayor Tory's plans.

"The additional money proposed for more buses is less than half of what is needed to make a noticeable difference in service levels."

Kinnear said that the union's proposals, found at TorontoTransitFuture.ca, are more in line with what transit riders want to see happen.

"We're out there every hour of every day with passengers and I'm telling you these proposals are not going to meet their expectations. We need far more buses than are being proposed and many more streetcars. We need more investment in maintenance, which will actually save money, and we need a lot more space to put all these new vehicles. Right now, our garages are full."

"Of course we'll take anything we can get but Mayor Tory is being too cautious because he doesn't want to rile up the people who don't use transit by proposing even a tiny tax increase; that's too bad.

Kinnear also wondered where the provincial and federal governments fit into the plan.

"I kept waiting to hear that the Mayor was going to make sustainable Federal funding for transit an election issue this year but he didn't do that now so he probably won't ever. That's really disappointing, especially from someone who campaigned on the premise that he could work better with upper levels of government to get Toronto back some of the billions and billions of dollars we send to Ottawa and Queen's Park."

"2015 should be the transit election year for Toronto but it now looks like it's going to be another year of letting the Conservatives in Ottawa and the Liberal at Queen's Park off the hook for adequate transit operational funding."

"Read our report," said Kinnear, "the one that Mr. Tory praised the day it was issued, before he took office. You'll see how a comprehensive vision of a better future for transit looks compared to these baby steps being taken because of the chronic failure of senior governments and the tax phobia of people who can afford a bit more to make our city a lot more liveable."

SOURCE Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113
 
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rave jedi

TRIBE Member
Just curious. Who else here is a regular TTC user like me that does not own a car? It is my main form of transportation for commuting to work and recreational outings in the city.
 

agentRC4

TRIBE Member
Just curious. Who else here is a regular TTC user like me that does not own a car? It is my main form of transportation for commuting to work and recreational outings in the city.

Family of 4

we have one car and we put about 10k on it a year. We take the TTC everywhere we go if we can.
 

videotronic

TRIBE Member
Just curious. Who else here is a regular TTC user like me that does not own a car? It is my main form of transportation for commuting to work and recreational outings in the city.

me. i don't even have a full G license and went from probably 2002-2010 without any sort of license at all
 
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Psyrel

TRIBE Member
Just curious. Who else here is a regular TTC user like me that does not own a car? It is my main form of transportation for commuting to work and recreational outings in the city.

I live downtown and will walk if I can (I usually walk to/from work) but yep, otherwise I get around using the TTC.
 

Techdruid

TRIBE Member
I love commuting by transit. Takes me half the time, lets me catch up on work giving time to myself, and just smooth sailing. (GO. er....TTC, not so much.)
 

kyfe

TRIBE Member
I'd pay more for a private train-car with a TTC employee on it and seating only (no standing), wider seats and wi-fi.

Every day I get on, sit down and then have my knees jammed into someone's thigh or have to sit next to somone who takes up 1.5 seats
 
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