Thoughts on open payment
First of all, one will probably accuse me of having an agenda in this matter. There's no need to accuse - just use the search function. I have been a big supporter of the PRESTO card from its concept stages for various reasons which I've written about many times before. I don't see open payment (using an RFID-enabled debit card, credit card or a surrogate like a bank account-linked cell phone or a watch) as a competitor, as it fulfills the same goal - eliminating the need to carry tickets and transfers for multiple transit agencies. In fact, my dream is to see every transit entry-point in the GTHA have a hybrid reader that accepts both PRESTO and open payment cards. But, I do have some questions about open payment cards that need answering.
Read more »Labels: fares
Thoughts on strange behaviour
@mfac19 mentioned that she had seen a few strange things - riders tapping their paper tickets to a PRESTO reader, and PRESTO users tapping onto a balance checker instead of a fare machine. Personally, I've seen riders punching their final trip on a ten-ride ticket and then immediately throwing the ticket away. In all three cases, the rider will likely face a fine because they won't have proof of fare when the fare inspector comes around. Is behaviour like this the fault of the transit agency for not fully explaining the process, or is this the fault of the rider for not fully understanding the process?
Labels: fares
Thoughts on a tweet
@mfac19 tweeted:
@mayormiller prevent the TTC from wasting the precious $$ on studies for payment systems when the province is handing it to you on a platter
@mayormiller tweeted:
@mfac19 Disagree. TTC wants to let you use your credit card and other systems; Province wants one system, and TTC to pay$300 million for it.
From my perspective, we need to keep in mind the greater policy objective. The narrow policy objective is to minimize costs and maximize output for yourself and those you care about. You can't really fault anyone for having this mentality. However, the greater policy objective of region-wide transit integration is what matters here. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - the environment, the economy and our quality of life doesn't care about Steeles. One region, one system should be the goal. Anything above and beyond that greater policy objective is fine by me. Anything below that greater policy objective is a recipe for disaster.
Labels: fares, politics, ttc
Open Payment
According to Adam Giambrone's Facebook profile:
With all the talk about Presto today, remember that the TTC will have a signed binding deal for Open Payments (credit card and debit payment at the turnstile) this fall with implementation starting Jan. 2010. We have not said no to Presto, but Presto will take longer and be slower than "Open Payments"
I have been a huge supporter of the PRESTO fare card pretty much since day 1, and the benefits of the way its being implemented are many:
- Virtual monthly passes (where the rider pays for each ride until the reach a monthly cap) allow those who can't afford a monthly pass in a lump sum to still get the discounts because the PRESTO balance can be loaded as needed.
- Virtual monthly passes let riders pay for what they use, so they aren't left with a monthly pass that hasn't been used to its full potential, nor are they left regretting buying a monthly pass because they underestimated their use.
- PRESTO will work for all transit agencies in the GTHA, and is the vehicle through which future fare reform can take place.
- For Brampton residents, PRESTO will end the confusion at two ends of the city. Going northbound from the courthouse, Mississauga Transit buses come most frequently and offer free transfers to Brampton Transit - but Brampton tickets and passes aren't valid even though you're boarding in Brampton. With PRESTO, it won't matter - you'll get the discount of having a pass regardless of the system. Out in the west end, Route 77 is shared between Brampton Transit and YRT, and it has never been clear to anyone which tickets are valid under what circumstance. Under PRESTO, it won't matter - you'll get the discount of having a pass regardless of the system.
Now, back to Mr. Giambrone's Facebook post. I support, in principle, any effort to improve public transit in the GTHA. So, let's take a look at open payment.
Read more »Labels: fares, GO Transit, mississauga transit, municipal sillyness, york region transit
Presto problems?
With the rollout of Presto on the Lakeshore Line and the downtown subway stations almost complete, I'm wondering how people are finding the system. My first card was defective and wouldn't register, but I got a replacement card and haven't had a problem since. The system does have some quirks and limitations right now, and some (especially those on Urban Toronto) feel that this amount to a failed launch. I disagree, but I really want to know how people are finding it.
Please comment.
For more information on Presto check out
their website or
my Metronauts post from a while back.
Labels: fares, metronauts
Visions for the GTTA: Fares and Passes, Part II
This post is a continuation of this post.
Recommendation #2 - Integrated Fares
Currently, the TTC does not accept transfers from 905 transit agencies, and this is a policy decision that we cannot fault them for making. This decision increases fare revenue, and since very few Toronto residents use the TTC to travel to the 905, there has been no political drive to change it. We often argue that our politicians do not make decisions in our best interest, but this is one of the clearest examples of Toronto politicians making decisions in the best interest of Torontonians. However, there are several unintended consequences of this policy. Residents of York and Peel Regions, even if they have access to transit a short walk from their homes, often opt to drive to Park and Ride lots at the subway to avoid paying a double fare. This contributes to congestion in North York and western Etobicoke when these riders could be using local transit to reach the subway. At the same time, GO Transit uses a completely separate fare system from local transit, and transfer privileges are limited. A trip from Rouge Hill GO Station takes 90 minutes on the TTC, and 35 minutes on GO Transit. However, the latter carries a $2.00 premium, plus the cost to use the TTC to finish the trip if necessary. Increasing GO train capacity will be covered in another post, but modifying the fare system will give Toronto residents much more choice in how they speed across the city.
[More after the jump...]
Read more »Labels: fares, GTTA plan
Visions for the GTTA: Fares and Passes, Part I
Most experts agree that service, not fares, is what leads to high transit ridership. For the most part, this is true. Even if service were free, very few people will use a bus route if frequencies are hourly. But, fare policies can still have an influence on how people use transit in a city.
Now, people always complain whenever fares go up, but transit in Toronto is a bargain. $3.00 allows you to travel from far Scarborough to the Mississauga border, guarantees you a bus every 30 minutes, and ensures that a bus stop isn't too far away. In my opinion, price isn't the issue - the particular fare policies in use today have a negative influence on transit usage. These policy decisions were made in the best interest of the agency that made them, so we cannot fault them. However, we have to realize that there have been consequences. People are often confused as to what fare is due and what tickets and passes are valid. People often drive to park-and-ride lots in adjacent communities to avoid double fares, and people often choose the cheaper route over the faster route. In order to make transit in the GTA, we need to address these shortcomings.
[More after the jump...]
Read more »Labels: fares, GTTA plan
Presto Roundup
The whole point of this post is to amalgamate a few of the Presto posts that I have written over the last few weeks. Partially because more information has come out, partially because I don't think the major media outlets are doing a very good job of explaining how it's going to work, and partially because I've having trouble keeping up with spammers (I don't want to lock down the comment process).
What is Presto?
Presto is a debit-style smart fare card. After you purchase the card for $6, you can load a minimum of $10 onto the card and hold a maximum value of $320 dollars. If you choose to register your card, you can sign up for auto top-ups that will add value to your card when your balance drops below a certain level. The auto top-up can be anywhere between $20 and $300. Registering also lets you recover your balance if you lose your card, allows a transit tax credit receipt to be downloaded, and lets you finish your trip as long as your balance is greater than zero when you set out.
When can I use it?
Right now you can use at Bronte GO Station, Oakville GO Station, Union Station (TTC, only if you are boarding) and on Oakville Transit routes 22, 32 and 110.
In the spring you'll be able to use it on the Lakeshore West, Georgetown and Milton lines, on Oakville Transit, Burlington Transit, and at 6 more TTC subway stations - Bloor-Yonge, College, Dundas, Queens Park, St. George & St. Patrick.
In the fall you'll be able to use it on the Lakeshore East, Barrie and Richmond Hill lines, Mississauga Transit, Brampton Transit, the Hamilton Street Railway and at Kipling and Islington Subway Stations.
In winter 2011 you'll be able to use Presto on Durham Region Transit, York Region Transit, the Stouffville line and at Don Mills, Downsview and Finch subway stations.
2011 will also see Presto come online for OC Transpo riders in Ottawa, and the TTC's full roll-out should be complete around 2013, according to Adam Giambrone's twitter feed.
How does it work on local transit?
Instead of dropping coins or tickets into the fare box, you tap your Presto card onto the reader and your fare is deducted. That's it. When you transfer from one route to another, you tap again and the card will figure out if you're eligible for a free transfer. The individual transit providers will be able to set their own fare rules, so the transfer period could vary from 90 minutes to two hours from the time you first pay, and could include free transfers from other agencies.
The amount that you will actually have to pay depends, again, on the individual transit system. Some will allow you to load a monthly pass onto your card, but others will eliminate passes completely and move to a frequent rider program. On Oakville Transit, the following fare scheme is planned for trips taken within a calendar month:
Trips 1 - 8 : Adult Cash Fare
Trip 9 : 50% off Adult Cash Fare
Trip 10 :
Free
Trips 11 - 35 :
Adult Ticket Rate
Trips 36 + :
Free
By the end of the month you've paid about the same as you would have if you had purchased a monthly pass, and each system could make the scheme break even by modifying the point at which your rides become free.
The main benefit of frequent rider programs like this is that you don't have to pre-plan your monthly travels. You pay for what you use up to the value of the monthly pass, then you're free for the rest of the month. If you ride less you pay less. This program is also more affordable, as you can deposit the value over time instead of in one lump sum. Because of these benefits to the customer, I would hope that all transit agencies abandon monthly passes and move to frequent rider programs.
How does it work on GO Transit?
Just like on local transit, Presto works by tapping-on when you board and tapping-off when you reach your destination. However, GO riders will be able to set a default trip that simplifies the process. When you make your default trip, you only have to tap-on at the start. If you are making a different trip then you can override the default, but you'll have to remember to tap-off.
In addition to how you pay, what you pay will also change. Like Oakville appears to be doing, GO is planning on phasing out monthly passes and 10-ride tickets in favour of a frequent rider program:
Rides 1 – 35, 7.5% off the single adult GO fare
Rides 36 – 40, 87.5% off the single adult GO fare
Rides 41+, - 100% off the single adult GO fare
If you ride every workday in a month, you'll pay about the same as you would if you purchased a monthly pass - but you didn't have to purchase the pass in a lump sum. If you ride less, you pay less. But, if you more then you'll pay about 30-cents per trip instead of riding for free. This might inconvenience a few heavy users, but there are three things to sweeten the deal. First, you'll won't have to keep a separate ticket for the occasional side trip. Riders who keep one ticket for Union to Brampton and another for Union to Bramalea will appreciate this. Second, the way the fare-by-distance system is calculated will change to better reflect the actual distance travelled. In time, this will fix some of the fare quirks involving York University. Third, if the transit system participates in the co-fare program, the Presto system will automatically adjust the fare if the rider uses local transit to get to or from the GO station.
Since there are no fare gates on GO Trains, a rider won't encounter a problem if they have to change trains to complete their journey. They simply have to tap on in Brampton, tap-off in Pickering, and do nothing at Union. The system will consider this one trip and will not charge the $3.95 base fare twice. However, the policies for GO buses will have to be a little different. It's safe to assume that you'll have to tap-on when you board the bus (how will the driver know if you've paid or not?), but how will this affect an active trip? Will the driver ask you to tap-off when you leave, and how will this affect a default trips that has been programmed? How long will you have to transfer between routes before the system concludes that a new trip has begun? I'm sure these questions will be answered once GO buses are added to the rollout in the fall, but all that really matters is what the rider has to do. The system, if well designed, will do all the calculations and ensure that the right fare is charged.
Conclusions
The Presto smart card is going to revolutionize how we think about paying for transit services, and is the first stepping stone to a true region-wide integrated fare payment system. Instead of dealing with a rainbow of tickets, tokens and passes and waiting in line to pay a fare, riders will be able to show up at the stop and get moving. From my perspective, the biggest change is the frequent rider program ("virtual monthly passes", as I call them). They do have numerous advantages as I've described above, but there is a certain psychological comfort in knowing that you have an all-you-can-eat pass (except when you lose it). Is that feeling really important, or does it really matter what it looks like as long as the price is the same at the end of the day?
Oh... And don't poke a hole in it to put it on a chain. That will wreck it.
Labels: fares, GO Transit, oakville transit
Presto - local transit update
Last week I told you about how Presto would work on GO Transit, but Oakville Transit has given us a glimpse into how it will work for local transit:
Within a single calendar month, trips 1 - 8 are deducted at the cash fare rate. Trip 9 is 50% off and trip 10 is free. Trips 11 - 35 will be deducted at the ticket rate, and every trip after that is free for the rest of the month. This comes to a total of $79.50 if you ride more than 36 times in a month. Compared to a monthly pass at $88, you save considerably and you don't have to deposit the money up front.
While each system is permitted to set their own fare policies, I expect it to be structured quite similarly - You pay a cash rate for the first few trips, the ticket rate for the bulk of the trips, and then you become free at some point. I suspect that Oakville's discounting for trips 9 and 10 is to encourage people to continue riding and get over the hump to the price break. In my experience, "try it and you'll like it" usually works.
Labels: fares, oakville transit
Presto update
As an update to yesterday's post, TTC staff are now recommending that the commission approve the system-wide implementation of the Presto smart card. While there is no funding and there are conditions this is more of an approval-in-principle, but it's a very promising sign that the largest stumbling block is moving out of the way.
Labels: fares, politics, ttc
Presto and the magical monthly passes
Presto, the region's long-awaited smart fare card has begun it's GTA-wide rollout. Unlike last year's Launch One phase, this week marks the field test of the final product that we will see across the region in the next few years. Right now you can use at Bronte GO Station, Oakville GO Station, Union Station (both TTC and GO Transit) and Oakville Transit routes 22, 32 and 110.
In the spring you'll be able to use it at all Lakeshore West, Georgetown and Milton line stations, on Oakville Transit, Burlington Transit, and at 6 TTC Subway Stations. It's unclear which 6 subway stations they are talking about, but the rumour is that it will be the six surrounding Union Station so return trips to Union at the end of the day will be covered.
In the fall you'll be able to use it on the Lakeshore East, Barrie and Richmond Hill lines, Mississauga Transit, Brampton Transit, the Hamilton Street Railway and at Kipling and Islington Subway Stations.
In winter 2011 you'll be able to use Presto on Durham Region Transit, York Region Transit, the Stouffville line and at Don Mills, Downsview and Finch subway stations. It is my sincere hope that the TTC's rollout at the rest of the subway stations will be completed by this time with the bus and streetcar fleet not far behind. We know from the provincial transit framework that the Sheppard LRT Line has to be Presto-friendly, and this is scheduled to come online in 2012. I'm not advocating for the province to force their hand, but...
Winter 2011 will also see Presto come online for OC Transpo riders in Ottawa. Being in Ontario, there's no reason why our nation's capital should not participate in a made-in-ontario program. But, it's unclear if it will be compatible with the Toronto system and it's unclear if it will be compatible with the "Passe-Partout PLUS" smart card STO is using across the river. If I were in charge, though, I would sacrifice Toronto compatibility for STO compatibility.
The interesting thing about this switchover is how the fare rules for GO Transit are going to change. It might seem complicated at first, but these new rules solve a bunch of problems with the system that have annoyed riders and enthusiasts for years.
First of all, GO is said to be moving towards a more per-kilometre-oriented fare system and away from a zone fare system. This will eliminate quirks like a trip from Brampton to York U costing 20 cents less than a trip to Union but taking half the time.
Second, and most importantly, the monthly pass dance is over. Every month we make a calculation in our heads on how many trips we'll make and if it makes sense to buy a monthly pass or to buy a series of 10-ride tickets. If you overestimate then you've purchased a monthly pass that you haven't used to its fullest. If you underestimate then you have to purchase additional 10-ride tickets (at a higher per-trip rate). GO is now phasing out monthly passes and introducing progressive discounts. If you ride more than 10 times in a month then you get a 5% discount on further trips. If you ride more than 20 times you get a 20% discount. 30 times gets you 30%, 35 times gets you 65% and 40 times gets you a whopping 95% off the rest of the rides you make in a month. Based on the numbers provided by GO for the Bronte - Union trip, your fares should not go up. A round trip every work day actually saves you money over the current scheme. If you ride more then every work day you will pay slightly more, but each trip will be pocket change (somewhere in the neighbourhood of 30-cents). If you ride less than every work day (either accidentally or deliberately), you'll save money by not having a pass that only gets half-used.
As a bonus, the trips can be made anywhere on the system. You won't have to wait in line to buy a new ticket if you decide to take a daytrip to Niagara Falls, and this trip will count towards your daily discounts.
I've been a big fan of these "virtual monthly passes" for quite some time, partially because it eliminates the monthly pass dance, and because it opens up cheaper transit to many lower income families. Buying a period pass reduces the per-trip cost significantly over the cash rate, but not everyone has a large sum of money to drop on a transit pass at the beginning of the month. By extending the cheaper rate these individuals we can make transit more affordable to people living paycheque-to-paycheque. We haven't reduced the cost, per say, but we have made it more affordable by the strict definition of the term.
What do you, the readers, think? Virtual monthly passes do have many advantages, but they don't have that psychological comfort of knowing that you have an all-you-can-eat pass. Is that really important, or does it really matter what it looks like as long as the price is the same at the end of the day?
Labels: fares, GO Transit
TTC steps up fight against fake passes and tokens
According to the Toronto Star, the TTC is installing new fraud detection devices in all its vehicle fare boxes and station turnstiles later next year to weed out fake passes and tokens. The new system will cost $1.5 million and will require metropass users to swipe their card when they board, but will apparently pay for themselves in less than a year due to the decrease in fare evasion.
This is all fine and good, but my fear is that they will declare "problem solved" and not commit to any other fare improvements. I have always been a big supporter of the Presto smart card currently being deployed on all of the 905 transit systems and GO Transit, and my experiences with SmarTrip in D.C. only solidified that. I believe in cutting down fare evasion, but incremental steps should not be an excuse against the move towards an integrated fare card which will have many of these anti-fraud systems already built in.
Labels: fares, GO Transit, municipal sillyness, ttc
(Paraphrased) Overheard on the Street
"I drove downtown today because it would have been like $12 to take the TTC with all the trips I have to do today... 'Cause it's $2.75 each way..."
With tokens it would be $2.25 each way, or a day pass would have been $9.00 flat. What disappoints me is that the decision this person made was as a result of not having the right information.
Labels: fares, ttc
Tickets to be ticketed? - Sorry, couldn't think of a better title
Spacing is reporting that the TTC is considering phasing out adult tickets by september in order to combat fraud, which is costing the agency $400,000 a month.
I always used tokens, so I won't miss tickets at all. Tokens can be reused, so they are less costly - but they take up more space.
I do have some questions though:
Will this mean that a Presto rollout is much closer to reality?
Will corner stores be selling tokens instead of tickets?
Do they already?
Labels: fares, ttc
Metronauts: Continuing the conversation (Part 3)
Metronauts (powered by Transit Camp) was a whirlwind of good ideas, interesting conversations and networking with industry professionals and transit advocates. Here, the second in a series of posts, I will try to continue some of the conversations started on that interesting day. In this post, I'll be taking about fares.
Right out of the gate, let me just say that if the province was in search of providing investment in two sectors at once, then they should consider offering subsidized transit passes to students attending post-secondary institutions. It will make transit more accessible to students (as they can save their money for books and/or food), and it will make post-secondary education more accessible to students (in a physical sense).
Fares are a fact of life, and unless we have a spare $800 million around to replace the revenue the TTC alone receives every year from the farebox, we won't be seeing free transit. So, how can we change the fare system to encourage people to use transit trips that cross borders and run into the dreaded double-fare?
Using the Metrolinx format, there are three scenarios for how we can change the fare system.
Trends:All local transit agencies adopts the GTA fare card (Presto) and a 2-hour unlimited transfer scheme. On local transit, you tap when you get on, giving you two hours of unlimited transfers for the group of systems you started with (either 416 group or 905 group). Transferring to the other group deducts full fare, but you get a fresh two hours (your privileges in the starting group remain). On GO, you tap-on and tap-off and your fare is deducted based on how far you've gone. How much you pay to transfer between GO and local is set by the local agency.
I am a firm believer that the status quo is unacceptable, and while I understand that reducing the fare collected at the border will reduce the revenue collected and lead to higher subsidies, fostering ridership in car dependent suburbs is a goal that is well worth the cost. I believe that someone who lives a concession north of Steeles in Markham or Vaughan should have to walk twenty minutes to the fare boundary to avoid paying a full second fare.
Consider my own case. I tend to walk from Ryerson to Union Station to avoid paying TTC fare, and would gladly take the subway more often if I could use my GO pass to get a discounted fare like I can on Brampton Transit. My walk isn't so bad because I have access to the PATH system, but consider my friend Jessica. A resident of Halton Hills, she would take GO Transit and the TTC to work at Dundas and Ossington. It's a long walk from Bloor Station, and there is no indoor alternative. I commend Jessica for even taking transit, but I understand her reservations about paying a second fare to get to work because she isn't employed within walking distance of a GO station.
Based on these and countless other cases of people who would use more transit more often if fare integration exists, I believe that the trends scenario is a barrier to ridership.
Incremental:Transferring between a 416 service and a 905 service deducts a single dollar from your fare card, but you get a fresh two hours of unlimited transfers. Alternatively, a transfer between 416 and 905 is free, but your original two hours continue. If you ride to or from a GO transit service, your local transit trip only costs 50 cents, but GO fare remains distance-based as it is seen as a premium service.
This option has promise, as it better encourages riders to use two or more services to reach their destinations. If the first variant is used, then a rider from York Region (for example) would pay full fare on YRT and then be able to transfer onto the TTC for a single dollar. This could reduce the strain on commuter parking lots at the outermost systems as it becomes more cost effective to take transit from the start. Ridership in the suburbs would rise dramatically, but revenue collected by the TTC would drop. However this would be mitigated by something I call the "Finch Effect" - the percentage of car uses who believe that if they have to drive to Finch to avoid paying a second fare, then they might as well drive the full way to their destination. Introducing fare integration would attract these people to transit.
The second variant of this scheme would likely be more successful, as the overall costs to the rider are lower. It also matches the average travel pattern, as very few people take a trip longer than two hours without a significant stopover.
The incremental options are simple to implement, but are not without problems. Firstly, it is unlikely that halving the fares will double the ridership, resulting in higher subsidies needed to sustain the system. Secondly, incremental options do not bring GO into the fold. GO Transit is much more efficient at moving people across long distances than local transit is - even the city of Toronto admits this. But, there is a psychological roadblock to diverting riders from local transit onto GO. If there is a cheaper option that gets you to your destination in a reasonable amount of time in reasonable comfort, people will take it. Essentially, the TTC isn't bad enough to force people onto GO, notwithstanding the fact that not everyone is headed for the central business district and may need a connecting service to get them to their destination.
We can easily double or triple the capacity of the Yonge, Bloor and Danforth corridors by increasing frequency on the GO trains lines that parallel the subway, but unless we harmonize the TTC and the GO fare system, we won't be using the existing infrastructure to its full potential.
Bold:Full fare-by-distance is used for both GO and local transit. You tap-on when you board and tap-off when you alight, and your fare is deducted based on the distance you travelled, no matter which combination of routes and service you used to make your trip.
On could argue that we already have fare-by-distance on local transit in the GTA. One could also argue that our system is the most user-friendly implementation of fare-by-distance. However, the model we use is a blunt instrument compared to the fine tools used by most cities in Europe and Asia. If we seek to integrate GO and local transit effectively, and we seek to increase the number of riders who use suburban systems to get to the city of Toronto, we'll need to adopt a system which ties very different fare systems together. There are several different models we could implement.
The Vancouver ModelOne option is the Vancouver model, which is a three zone system. A single zone trip costs $2.50, a two-zone trip $3.75 and a three-zone trip $5.00. These zones are fairly broad in size, representing the City of Vancouver proper, the inner suburbs and the outer suburbs. In the evening and on weekends, the system operates as a single zone, with all trips priced at $2.50 regardless of distance travelled. Vancouver also has a commuter rail line which uses a more finely tuned fare-by-distance model, but train riders can use their pass as a three-zone ticket while it is still valid. Applied to Toronto, this would give GO riders the privilege of transferring onto local transit at not additional cost. It solves the problem of commuter who do not use GO because they do not work within walking distance of the GO station, but the problem of the TTC competing with GO still exists. A commuter from Long Branch has a choice between a $2.75 ride on the TTC or a $4.00 ride on GO. While some people will choose GO, most people in that situation would choose to tough it out on the 501.
The Classic ModelThe classic interpretation of fare-by-distance consists of a rider tapping their fare card when they enter the system and tapping their fare card again when they leave the system. The system evaluates how far you travelled and charges you accordingly. Zone-based fares work nicely in cities where the activity is centralized (Ottawa is a great example), as everyone would know how many zones to cross in order to get to the central employment area. However, the spiderweb-like travel patters of commuters in the GTA means that zones would have to be based on the grid. In lieu of a massive fare matrix on the wall, computers would have to be installed at stations so that passengers without mobile internet access can calculate the projected costs of a trip. Charging fares by kilometre distance suffers from the fact that the average person, myself included, cannot judge distances accurately enough to predict how much we will pay with confidence. Fare-by-time would be easy to understand, project costs, and would encourage more people to use faster GO services - but, how do we account for service delays?
Regardless of the option we select, two things must occur. Firstly, we have to have a declining payment scale. Essentially, a trip that is twice as long as another must cost less than twice as much - the longer you travel, the less you pay per unit. Failure to do this will discourage long distance trips, and place us right back where we started. Secondly, we must ensure that fare-by-distance isn't used as an excuse to significantly raise fares. If a trip from one end of your city to the other doubles in price under any fare-by-distance model, then this change will be a political non-starter. Since all cities are not the same size, it means that all fare zones won't be the same size.
The London ModelThe London model, aside from its ring-shaped zones, is one final fare-by-distance model worth considering. In London, most rail-based services (Underground, Overground, Heathrow trains, Docklands Light Railway and National Rail trains) are viewed as premium transit and are operated with a fare-by-distance plan. Buses and trams, which cater to local and feeder trips operate on a flat fare system. The Oyster Card, London's fare card sorts out the various combinations of services you used and charges you the cheapest fare it can find for your travels. Applied in Toronto, this would mean that all trips on the subway, on GO trains and GO buses would be charged based on the distance travelled. Buses, streetcars, and locally-oriented BRT and LRT lines would use a flat fare system. Your fare on premium transit would allow you to transfer to local transit for free, and a local transit fare could be used for credit to get onto a premium service. This solves the problem of people crossing the current fare boundary by bus, but might result in lower subway ridership as the demand for a cheaper alternative grows. Also, how will we define what is a premium service? Under the London Model, the proposed Eglinton-Crosstown line would fit in both categories.
I started writing this post on April 21st, and for a very long time, had no idea which direction I wanted to take it in. I suppose I have come to the conclusion that there is no single fare-by-distance model that will work in Toronto, and a home-build solution will likely be required. However, I can lay out some priorities that must be taken into account:
- If we want to move people off the overcrowded TTC and onto GO, we have to blend the fare system or people will stick it out on the cheaper option.
- If we want to transform GO into a regional rail system with trains running every 10 minutes stopping every 5 km (the REX concept), then we have to understand that this will transform GO into a subway-style line that people will use for local trips. We need to ask ourselves if local trips should equal local fare, or if premium service should equal premium fare.
- Charging a second full fare at a zone boundary is a roadblock to ridership and should be reduced so that a longer trip cost less per unit. This will encourage long distance riders to make trips that cross borders.
- Passengers are used to the flat-fare system, and asking someone to pay significant more for what used to be a flat-rate trip will not fly. Letting someone pay significantly less for short distance trips will fly, but may anger long distance riders as not everyone can afford to/wants to live where they work.
I think this may be the longest post I've ever written, and it may be the post which took me the longest time to finish without completely abandoning it. Either way, its an issue which needs to be looked at by all levels of government to insure that transit pricing is fair, equitable and generates the revenue we need to minimize the subsidy burden governments face at budget time.
Labels: fares, GO Transit, ttc
U-Passion of the Bikes
Torontoist has a very interesting article at the unfortunate "no thanks" spoken by the UTSC students to the TTC about the U-Pass. It also dabbles in cycling. A good read, although the comments section is filled with the usual "everyone involved is miss-managing everything they are involved with" comments.
I'm confident that a referendum will be more successful at the downtown school with the proper marketing, but we cannot ignore the lessons learned here. If we want to ensure success at the schools in the suburbs, then we'll have to either introduce an opt-out clause, or we'll have to get the price down. But, that causes some problems.
I don't believe that we should allow students to opt-out, not only because it will increase the price of the pass back up to $90, but also because introducing them to transit and showing them that there is an alternative to driving everywhere is too important. My brother is at York, and its very hard to convince someone who's spent 20 years being driven everywhere that there is an alternative. If we don't convince him now, then we never will.
As for the price, we face one problem. The TTC is strapped for cash. There is no getting around that, and I believe them when they say that $60 a month is the best they can offer. So, I propose that the universities dig into their vast budgets and endowments to contribute to bringing the monthly U-Pass down. Perhaps the province could come to the table, or even a private sponsor. I would gladly use my Rona U-Pass or the McTransit Pass to get around, but car companies need not apply.
Labels: fares, ttc
Oyster scheme to offer a watch - Sky News (UK)
Oyster scheme to offer a watch
Updated: Wednesday January 30 2008
Oyster scheme to offer a watch
The cashless payment scheme Oyster is to launch a new way to pay for London transport users, it is being reported.
As well as the Oyster cards, the Barclaycard-flavoured Oyster cards and a new Nokia/O2 phone trial, the scheme will extend the contactless payment to wristwatches.
The watch, which has built-in Oyster payment technology, has been trialled over the past 6 months by 500 members of Transport for London staff and is due to be rolled out later this year.
Oyster is apparently currently in discussions with several watch manufacturers, including Swatch, in order to decide who will be the official launch partner.
With the short range wireless technology used, wearers would just need to wave their watch near a contact point in order for the payment to be processed.
This could be the future of Presto here in the GTA. When we consider that transit is more than just getting from A to B, there is no limit to what innovations we can dream up.
Labels: fares
Okay, so there wasn't a showdown...
It was 3:16 when the event began with Ryerson Student Union President Nora Loretto and Vice-President - Finances & Services (and fellow Planning student) Chris Drew making a presentation on student pricing on the TTC.
Ryerson currently participates in the Volume Incentive Plan (VIP), which offers discounted passes to organizations who commit to selling at least 50 passes to their members, and since the Ryerson Student Union began selling VIP passes, sales have gone up year after year.9000 passes were sold in November of last year for $96 a pass, but this isn't without cost. The TTC does not allow VIP members to add a surcharge, so the $25,000 in debit processing fees, the $70,000 in labour costs annually must come from the Student Union budget - money that could be used for programs to help students. Under the current system, students will pay $768.00 for 8 months of metropasses.
The U-Pass program would give students monthly passes for $60 per month, or $480.00 for those same 8 months. However, and this is the source of most of the controversy, students would not be able to opt-out of this program, as the guaranteed revenue is the only way the city can offer this discount. For this reason, and because of university bylaws concerning student fee increases (as the $480 would appear alongside tuition on the fee statement), a referendum is necessary for its approval. Also, while the pass would not be transferrable, it would grant its owner all the rights and privileges of all adult Metropass users.
After the details were laid out, Mayor David Miller took the microphone and commented about the need to make transit more affordable for students in the name of equity. He said that while the VIP plan is a simple concept, it is very complex to administer. In his view, the U-Pass is a leading program that offers significant savings, meets ridership goals, and can encourage transit ridership at a time when students are beginning to form lifelong habits.
TTC Chair Adam Giambrone spoke next, opening with the need to convince citizens to make sustainable travel choices from the start. He explained that the TTC plans to tie the U-Pass to a rate of 60% of the adult Metropass price, but that if the referendum passes in 2008, the current price of $60 a month will be frozen for at least the first year. Also, the chair explained that agreements-in-principle had been reached with GO Transit and York Region Transit to bring them into the U-Pass program - a comment that caught my attention and one that I will return to.
At this point in the event, the floor was opened to questions from the audience (which I will now attempt to paraphrase):
Concerns about students being unable to opt out
Once students have TTC passes, research suggests that they will use it. According to their studies, riders don't buy passes unless the plan to make 43 trips in a month, but that passholders tend to make 70 trips in a month. In addition, Mike Anders from the TTC revealed that 71% of Ryerson students could the TTC as their primary means of travelling to and from school. 5% use GO exclusively, and 6% take GO and the TTC (those who will benefit from the plan). The rest either drove, walked, cycled, were driven or answered "other", - a category which the mayor mocked.
Can it be a 12 month pass?
Summer demand indicated that it was not viable to offer a 12 month pass, but the VIP pass could continue to be sold on campus.
Since it is tied to the Metropass price, what will be the first price?
If passed this year, the first year will see the passes at $60 per month. The city is willing to take this hit, even in the face of improvements on 77 routes coming next month.
How soon would it be implemented following the referendum?
If the referendum passes, it would be implemented the following fall. However, if the referendum takes place in very early fall, the U-Pass could be implemented for January.
Could the price be lowered like in other cities?
All other cities of comparable size have provincial funding, or the school administration is contributing. Unless either of those change, the $60 price point is the best the TTC can offer. The mayor took this opportunity to praise the Premier for what he has done so far, and to condemn Harris for what he did.
At this point, the microphone passed to me, where despite my famous shaking when I'm nervous, I managed to hold the microphone and speak calmly.
Can you please clarify the agreement with GO and YRT?
Students would be able to choose 8 months of TTC passes, 8 months of YRT passes or 8 months of $60 vouchers for GO Transit.
Can we get a pass that is useable everywhere?
Giambrone spoke about the lack of equity in charging people more when they have longer rides (
see this post), and without agreements with other agencies, that would be necessary. The mayor spoke about how densities allow for the TTC to offer a much higher level of service for a fair price than other agencies, and that it would be difficult to merge systems that are fundamentally different. Mike Anders spoke about how groundbreaking the agreements with GO and YRT were, while Mr. Miller pointed out that while they weren't politically approved, they didn't see any roadblocks.
Could corporate or other sponsors (as is done in Vancouver) allow for the price to be lowered?
Yes.
What about school staff?
The VIP program would continue for the time being, but a Staff-Pass could be considered once full time students have approved it.
What about the exam period?
TTC staff took the lower travel figures into account in their calculations.
Would it be eligible for the federal tax credit?
Yes.
What about Grad students?
Unlike other schools, Ryerson graduate students are represented by the same student union as undergraduate students, and will be included in the U-Pass.
Can students who get the U-Pass still purchase VIP passes for others?
Yes.
Will there be exemptions for students who cannot use transit for accessibility reasons?
Yes, but only for students with disabilities which prevent them from using the TTC to get to campus.
At this point, Ryerson University President Sheldon Levy took the microphone and praised the U-Pass for the ways it complements Ryerson's Master Plan. He asked:
If there was an alternate source of funding, would the TTC be willing to reconsider the inability to opt-out?
If the university were able to guarantee the funding for students who opt-out, then the TTC would reconsider that facet of the proposal. However, the Mayor felt the point would be moot, as 97% of the respondents said that they would use it.
If Ryerson were the only school to ratify the proposal, would it still be implemented?
Yes.
What would the pass look like? Could it be the Ryerson Student Card?
In order to allow TTC operators to easily recognize the U-Pass, they will take the form of a TTC issued card with existing photos from the University's file. It would be issued in September, and if the student drops out, they will be able to return it for a refund.
At this time, the closing remarks were made and the town hall meeting came to an end, where I mingled with the Mayor, the Chair and the Chris Drew - but that is a story for another day.
I have always believed that the U-Pass is a good idea, and while the pass won't benefit those who spend their entire educational careers within a block of campus, the agreement with GO Transit ensures that the pass will benefit more than 80% of Ryerson students. The agreement with York Region Transit ensures that this proposal will be very popular with York University students as well.
I hope that Ryerson University President Sheldon Levy was hinting at something when he asked if guaranteed funding could bring about a change in the opt-out policy, but even in the absence of that funding, I say bring on the referendum!
Labels: fares, ttc
U-Pass Showdown?
Based on the experience at U of T the other day, there might be fireworks at the U-Pass town hall on the Ryerson campus today (thursday). Even though I have a well-earned day off from my studies, I sense that this may be a defining moment in Toronto's transportation future. I will be there, possibly giving live-blogging a try.
Labels: fares, ttc
Clock Ticking on Mandatory U-Pass - The Eyeopener
This week's edition of Ryerson's weekly independent newspaper brings news that the Ryerson Student Union has 7 months to act on the TTC's offer of a $60 U-Pass. The U-Pass program would see each student receive a TTC metropass every month, with the reduced rate of $60 a month included in their tuition. This would be a savings of almost $40 over the current student discount, and a savings of $20 over the average amount a Ryerson student spends on the TTC each month. However, the program isn't without its faults.
The entire student body would have to participate, as the non-users would subsidize those who use their passes. While this may not sit well with non-transit users, it is a sacrifice that should be made for the greater good. Making transit more accessible, especially for students, is not only a noble cause, but it serves to introduce them to transit at a time when they are forming lifelong habits. In addition, experiences in British Columbia have seen ridership increases of 10% or greater under similar programs. In my view, it is clear that the positive effects on transit ridership far outweigh the small financial inconvenience of the less than 30% who do not use the TTC as their main mode of transportation.
Also, the pass may not be transferable, and there is no indication how this program will change when Presto is fully implemented on the TTC (which I suspect will be much sooner than Presto literature indicates). While this is one detail that I would like to see ironed out, the U-Pass program is better than nothing in the interim.
TTC chair Adam Giambrone and Mayor David Miller will be on campus on January 17th in order to gauge student reactions to the proposal, but I am certain that they will find near-universal support.. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if most students question why the Ryerson Student Union hasn't already taken the deal.
Labels: fares, ttc
