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Susan Ruttan, Edmonton Journal0 U3 ~) g1 ~, M9 }6 s
Published: Friday, March 30, 2007- U+ M6 i6 v/ X
4 s2 u) M& C8 u8 g/ B8 L0 DThe cost of a monthly transit pass could jump by $15 if city council endorses a proposed new transit fare policy.
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; X5 C1 N6 Z5 H, q6 m6 QThat 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 $59 monthly adult pass untouched.
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, W$ j* B- O3 u' qIn the new formula, any increase in the adult cash fare would trigger increases in all other fares.
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O' M4 q+ Q; hIt’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 $74, about the same price as a monthly pass in St. Albert, Strathcona County and Calgary.
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7 v- G* N7 |( L- q* G# k- W“Currently our cash fares and month passes are priced below comparable organizations,” said Patricia Waisman, director of business development for Edmonton Transit.6 n4 {8 `6 U4 j- e9 z$ O6 _
4 e, V& L7 C/ Z fThe new system of all fares being based on the basic fare would help to correct that, she said.
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5 ~, Q# y! Q9 f) P, ZWaisman 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., H5 `. u# ~1 t/ F
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The proposed change acts on a recommendation of the city auditor David Wiun.. ]# A' J7 m1 ~( Z$ N: ^+ X: g
' D: ^5 s- G8 B3 G9 a: O# ]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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