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Susan Ruttan, Edmonton Journal5 D4 s$ q. x% |% e& L% S
Published: Friday, March 30, 2007
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The cost of a monthly transit pass could jump by $15 if city council endorses a proposed new transit fare policy.
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; W* Z" g" ?/ P9 R A& P% }That policy would use the cost of an adult transit ticket, currently $2.50, to set all other fares charged by Edmonton Transit.5 L3 b$ o1 d( x, |: r- e) E
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It would end the random system of fare increases being approved each year by city council. Council in December voted to raise the adult ticket by 25 cents, but left the $59 monthly adult pass untouched.
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In the new formula, any increase in the adult cash fare would trigger increases in all other fares.
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It’s proposed that the adult monthly pass would cost 55 per cent of the cost of a cash fare, assuming an average transit rider takes 54 trips a month. That works out to $74, about the same price as a monthly pass in St. Albert, Strathcona County and Calgary.( i- c# K2 d6 n# E* x |. n3 I
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“Currently our cash fares and month passes are priced below comparable organizations,” said Patricia Waisman, director of business development for Edmonton Transit.* H( N5 {3 b; R1 b m7 }" b
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The new system of all fares being based on the basic fare would help to correct that, she said.! O, Y, U/ z0 }- [% O; T5 `9 A
6 ?" M9 M$ E4 n& t0 YWaisman said the “multiplier” in the formula, the average 54 trips a month, varies from city to city. In Toronto the multiplier would be a bigger number, in Lethbridge a smaller number.4 Y3 A( z# x% I3 R
7 M' r$ v) w, e: q e" SThe proposed change acts on a recommendation of the city auditor David Wiun.
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' R' K, g5 A- \) ]In a recent report, he said Edmonton’s transit passes and cash fares are 11 to 14 per cent below that of comparable cities. The result is that Edmonton taxpayers must pay a greater share of transit’s budget than in those other cities, he said. |
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