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- Thread starter Kyle Campbell
- Start date
reinventingthewheel
Active Member
Seems like a reasonable increase considering their severe operational shortfalls. Hard to complain about this increase when a monthly pass has gone up by less than a meal per month.
If there’s something to complain about it’s the zone system, which discourages people from taking transit on trips across zone borders and instead drive through pinch points like the bridges between Richmond-Vancouver and Surrey-New West.
nfitz
Superstar
They got rid of the old zone system on the buses, because their card system couldn't handle the tap offs, and was creating delays. Have they fixed it?
Seems a bit absurd though having to tap off buses every time.
ShonTron
Moderator
Given the doom and gloom predicted by local transit advocates, including wholesale bus route elimination if funding didn’t come through, I would take a fare increase.
reinventingthewheel
Active Member
I’m not aware if this issue persists. I haven’t ridden any inter-zone busses in my recent visits so I never thought about tapping off with my compass card.
ShonTron
Moderator
Translink is quite clear on their website that buses that cross zone boundaries only count as a single zone fare still, and that you only tap on a bus, unlike the Seabus and Skytrain, where you tap on and off. I don't think there are any buses that cross all three zone boundaries, but there are a bunch of long one-seat rides across two zones (such as the express buses to the ferry terminals, or the R5 between downtown and SFU). It's similar to Washington, where the Metro is fare-by-distance, but the buses are flat fare.
Kyle Campbell
Senior Member
What ever happened to their plan to eliminate zones entirely and do fare-by-distance?
Personally I always like the simplicity of flat fare systems, even though detractors complain about is equity
Personally I always like the simplicity of flat fare systems, even though detractors complain about is equity
nfitz
Superstar
What's stopped it primarily is that Compass wasn't robust enough to handle it. I don't know if there's still interest otherwise.
But if cities like London don't do fare by distance on buses, despite being highly zoned for rapid transit - then I don't se why we need to do this elsewhere. At least on non-intercity services.
ssiguy2
Senior Member
The fare increase on Translink is never welcomed but does seem a reasonable amount. The problem is that these fare increases are going to come at the same time as Translink will drastically cut bus/SkyTrain/Seabus service due to it's massive financial hole. People, generally, don't mind paying higher fares if it results in better service but when you are asked to fork over more of your hard earned money for vastly inferior service, people get really pissed off.
nfitz
Superstar
I'd have assumed that these fare cuts were off with the table with the $1.5 billion funding announcement last week from the feds to cover " the growth and maintenance of public transit in the Metro Vancouver region".
Mind you, Global says otherwise. Though surely if it's helping with maintenance, that will reduce the shortfall.
Kyle Campbell
Senior Member
Maybe they should consider a bigger hike then.
TransLink is at the lower end of large Canadian city fares at 3.35 for one zone with the increase, though it's arguably worse the the TTC 3.35 one trip fare across the whole region with One Fare.
But it's better than Montreal which starts at 3.75 for one zone, Calgary's 3.80 flat fare, or Ottawa's 4.05 flat fare
TossYourJacket
Senior Member
Ottawa is stupidly overpriced for what you get. A train that barely works, and buses that have worse bunching issues than TTC streetcars. People in Toronto love to complain about the TTC but OCTranspo is proof it could be much worse...
IMO we should aim to keep fares as low as possible to increase ridership, the moment transit starts outpricing cars, people aren't going to take it if they have the choice.
reinventingthewheel
Active Member
That is $1.5B from the feds and $660M from the province, both over 10 years. The operational deficit is nearing $600M annually.
nfitz
Superstar
But look at their monthly passes for transit. Montreal is $100 a month (one zone only!). Ottawa is $135, and Calgary is $118. Meanwhile Toronto is $156.
WTAF?
Kyle Campbell
Senior Member
At 111 for the monthly 1 zone pass, that still puts Vancouver towards the cheaper end of things
I guess the TTC really relies on that higher pass price. In Ottawa ever since they introduced fare capping I'm not sure anyone even bothers to prepay for a pass now, I sure don't.