Toronto LRT Information Blog

The response to my request for comments on federal candidates’ positions on transit funding and expansion projects (see the previous blog entry) was not encouraging, suggesting that the candidates in Richmond Hill and Thornhill really don’t care about this local issue. Should I receive any late responses, I will update this post with them.

Without editing or commentary added by myself, the responses follow below. Readers may post their own comments.

(more…)

My position has been that the federal government should play a role in transit funding, though fairly limited. I don’t believe that project-based funding is the way to go, as it ends up duplicating operations such as environmental assessments. An ongoing transfer payment to provinces for transit capital and operational costs would be better.

Given that the Yonge Subway extension is in place except for one-third of its cost that is expected from the federal government, I have asked for comments on the candidates’ positions in Thornhill and Richmond Hill (the two ridings north of Steeles that the extension would go through). I will collect the responses and place them in an entry next Saturday (September 27).

Though I have only sent out a request for comments to the four major parties in these two ridings, I welcome any comments from any candidate in any riding (email here) and will include them in the posting.

For reference, here is what was sent to the candidates:

I must be very busy in my day-to-day activities to have not realized this sooner, but having seen nothing in the local media either, I can only conclude that I am not alone…

On January 1, YRT adjusted fares. Well, they raised fares, but not all fares, and not all by the same amount.

Cash fares went up to $3.00, a 9.1% increase from $2.75; Adult tickets went up to $24.00/10, a 4.3% increase from $23.00; and Adult monthly passes went up to $95, an 11.8% increase from $85; all other tickets and passes were unchanged!

Why are monthly pass users being “punished”? Anyone actually paying cash for each fare actually see about the same $10 increase per month, assuming 20 round-trip commutes per month, but the ticket-buying customer only sees a $4 increase. Of course, the pass user gets the tax credit (as long as they have a taxable income by the end of the year).

Oh yes, the federal tax credit. On an $85 pass last year, this results in a credit of $12.75 to the rider.

What YRT has said essentially is, “If the federal government won’t give us any additional money, then we will grab it $10 per month per pass user out of the tax credit.” Of course, with a $95 pass, the credit will now be $14.25, so they’ve only grabbed $8.50 from the pockets of their loyal pass users.

Way to go, YRT!