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Susan Ruttan, Edmonton Journal2 X4 y+ u& N" d
Published: Friday, March 30, 2007. F% B$ w% h8 u7 \+ v
8 h3 K: ~4 M$ q- h$ [/ o$ lThe cost of a monthly transit pass could jump by $15 if city council endorses a proposed new transit fare policy.
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That policy would use the cost of an adult transit ticket, currently $2.50, to set all other fares charged by Edmonton Transit.
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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 $59 monthly adult pass untouched.! q9 Q2 t# @$ [( l
6 E: }; v |, K# y) x2 h5 n0 ?In the new formula, any increase in the adult cash fare would trigger increases in all other fares.3 i! ^% M3 t Y, j0 l
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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 $74, about the same price as a monthly pass in St. Albert, Strathcona County and Calgary.
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* D7 r$ \5 K. |6 i; D“Currently our cash fares and month passes are priced below comparable organizations,” said Patricia Waisman, director of business development for Edmonton Transit.
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The new system of all fares being based on the basic fare would help to correct that, she said.. q* c8 f& |+ h' F% L$ u
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Waisman 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.6 S( s1 c2 X8 A) `: P' ^$ H N
" q E$ F3 F! B# k& P' bThe proposed change acts on a recommendation of the city auditor David Wiun.
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; k& |6 f/ Z5 C% dIn 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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