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Susan Ruttan, Edmonton Journal( E, R5 ^- B; ~- d: e9 i
Published: Friday, March 30, 2007
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- ^. P5 Z0 y4 e$ |8 L7 S" |' fThe cost of a monthly transit pass could jump by $15 if city council endorses a proposed new transit fare policy.1 b; s+ ^9 J6 l8 k( s$ J1 n
z6 S4 L n1 ~' _& IThat policy would use the cost of an adult transit ticket, currently $2.50, to set all other fares charged by Edmonton Transit.( d! A4 A; @: k( R9 K: m( {
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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 $59 monthly adult pass untouched.
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9 l$ l; T, \4 m' j" ^' t( u4 pIn the new formula, any increase in the adult cash fare would trigger increases in all other fares.
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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 $74, about the same price as a monthly pass in St. Albert, Strathcona County and Calgary.) i5 K5 t1 S7 g y7 o1 W
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“Currently our cash fares and month passes are priced below comparable organizations,” said Patricia Waisman, director of business development for Edmonton Transit.8 o- ]/ K- f9 W6 _+ ~
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The new system of all fares being based on the basic fare would help to correct that, she said.
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! y' A% ^8 J+ L* BWaisman said the “multiplier” in the formula, the average 54 trips a month, varies from city to city. In Toronto the multiplier would be a bigger number, in Lethbridge a smaller number.' |% E) }5 K1 w0 b2 A
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The proposed change acts on a recommendation of the city auditor David Wiun.( w$ F- E9 }' y4 L8 O
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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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