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Susan Ruttan, Edmonton Journal
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The cost of a monthly transit pass could jump by $15 if city council endorses a proposed new transit fare policy.2 {; ]1 ?9 ~( p' ~
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That policy would use the cost of an adult transit ticket, currently $2.50, to set all other fares charged by Edmonton Transit.. h0 Q4 ~$ W% R- l
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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 $59 monthly adult pass untouched.
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In the new formula, any increase in the adult cash fare would trigger increases in all other fares.1 I5 d: H) ]" j, R$ k
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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 $74, about the same price as a monthly pass in St. Albert, Strathcona County and Calgary.( X; F9 P+ K8 w! z
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“Currently our cash fares and month passes are priced below comparable organizations,” said Patricia Waisman, director of business development for Edmonton Transit. f1 y6 f# [6 e2 L
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Waisman said the “multiplier” in the formula, the average 54 trips a month, varies from city to city. In Toronto the multiplier would be a bigger number, in Lethbridge a smaller number.$ Y5 e; v8 g5 v5 X
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The proposed change acts on a recommendation of the city auditor David Wiun.' f/ \ T- S2 s& k
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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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