The first fare increase to Guelph Transit in 7 years is coming.
Slated to go to City Council for final approval on Tuesday, April 25th, the Guelph Transit Fare Strategy makes 16 recommendations (Full Report) on improvements and raising prices for fares and monthly caps by as much as 19% in 2023, followed by regular increases through 2031 of 2% per year.
Guelph Transit Staff are recommending Guelph Transit change to what is called a fare-capping loyalty program.
Currently, monthly passes are sold at a set price and cost the same no matter how many times the rider uses it in a given month. The new pass system would operate more like a pay-as-you-go, with riders using their passes to pay for a single ride fare at each boarding ($2.80 per ride - 1 hour transfer); however, once the user hits 34 rides in a given month, any transit use for the rest of the month is free.
Please see this handy chart from the Guelph Mercury and the summary found here.
FARE CAPPING IS GOOD BUT…
Fare capping is a good idea, because when you can’t afford the huge upfront cost of a monthly pass, you can actually end up paying more than the price of a monthly pass if you take the Guelph Transit every day.
Monthly fare capping will make transit more affordable. Currently, lower income residents, who do not qualify for other discount programs, end up paying more for transit than wealthier residents because they cannot afford the up-front cost of a monthly pass.
BUT fare capping will mean paying a hefty 19% increase on your monthly adult pass (up to $15.20 more per month) and the ability to max out sooner due to the 1 hour transfer. Right now, monthly pass holders, who get unlimited rides and transfer times. With this change, they will now be subject to the 1 hour transfer period. This means you will pay twice if your stopover is slightly over an hour or you miss a transfer due to bus cancellations, delays, or overcrowding.
According to the report, the average transfer times for comparator transit systems is 90 minutes. This allows time for riders to make transfers, avoid paying twice, give extra time in case of bus delays or cancellations, and give a shot in the arm to local businesses and restaurants. (Every $1 invested in transit has economic spin off of up to $5 - that could be hundreds of thousands of potential dollars for local businesses taken away!)
HOW YOU CAN HELP KEEP FARES FAIR!
Send City Council a message about the Fare Strategy and Fare Hikes for the April 25th meeting!
Send written comments via clerks@guelph.ca or follow one of these other methods found on the City website. All comments need to be in by FRIDAY APRIL 21st at 10:00A.M. If you miss this deadline, you can email Council members directly.
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