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Susan Ruttan, Edmonton Journal
+ B X+ i! \+ B* \; X( o1 b6 \Published: Friday, March 30, 2007- @# H* }* l. E: ]: Q
7 `" i1 v, {% a4 u# n, pThe cost of a monthly transit pass could jump by $15 if city council endorses a proposed new transit fare policy.
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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.
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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 $59 monthly adult pass untouched.% F0 |$ @& O" n# s6 K2 ~
- a: i: L1 S. l# K. o( s) fIn the new formula, any increase in the adult cash fare would trigger increases in all other fares.
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; V) @9 y( \# s- d- N: ZIt’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 $74, about the same price as a monthly pass in St. Albert, Strathcona County and Calgary./ f$ B( X7 F" \
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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.; ~2 j# H% Q% {. g6 L
+ k& G% ~0 S9 u( |0 J( H. r6 y; bThe new system of all fares being based on the basic fare would help to correct that, she said.# ^" |4 T8 M+ o+ [5 \
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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.
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8 t$ w$ \* S0 @) w$ UThe proposed change acts on a recommendation of the city auditor David Wiun.4 H6 H1 b- m# J5 L: p9 M% p. [+ f
- w7 c0 r0 r3 H4 T4 [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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