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Susan Ruttan, Edmonton Journal: E. j9 @9 ]5 A2 V0 Y6 _) f+ ?
Published: Friday, March 30, 2007 n7 Z2 @' \! p* W
) Q! x: v) Z8 k, m# X n8 C/ `The cost of a monthly transit pass could jump by $15 if city council endorses a proposed new transit fare policy.4 k5 ]2 r6 x3 `9 u( f5 t5 k3 J3 M3 @
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That policy would use the cost of an adult transit ticket, currently $2.50, to set all other fares charged by Edmonton Transit.: e- u/ v$ ~- i8 @
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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.- W% v# @7 j7 o( s' T
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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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, h5 i5 O U7 E5 b3 [+ y H# t7 AIt’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 $74, about the same price as a monthly pass in St. Albert, Strathcona County and Calgary.
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3 B/ Q+ b/ O) |. ], X& L6 w# j! U“Currently our cash fares and month passes are priced below comparable organizations,” said Patricia Waisman, director of business development for Edmonton Transit.4 E' I7 o: v; \! Y- C/ h1 o
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The new system of all fares being based on the basic fare would help to correct that, she said.
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Waisman said the “multiplier” in the formula, the average 54 trips a month, varies from city to city. In Toronto the multiplier would be a bigger number, in Lethbridge a smaller number.
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' y/ q; V# @/ `7 |The proposed change acts on a recommendation of the city auditor David Wiun.- T8 a4 b4 H' X& ~2 u8 S- g; V$ F
& S- y3 B# B1 _3 Y) A( s RIn 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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