Calgary & Alberta Economy

[darwink]

I don't agree with extending the free fare zone, but we should be considering a zone-based system. $3.80 is a really steep price if you're taking the train from downtown to Kensington or SAIT (as I do). Conversely, it's an absolute bargain if you're going from downtown to Somerset-Bridlewood.

Alas, until the downtown tunnel is complete, the logical 'zone' system is paying for crossing into the free fare zone. Outside of somewhat wide peaks, the system could be super cheap. Trip cost for LRT only is $1 or so (can't confidently say what it is today, two decades ago the cost was something like $0.27 a rider iirc).

In reality, something close to 80% of trips include a connecting bus so you'd need to raise fares for trips that include buses to make up for the induced shift to more kiss and ride and walk ups to LRT.

I think the model today is pretty good for the system as designed. Do we really want to shift trips to less efficient modes, like moving Max Orange trips to LRT trips using our most constrained (and expensive to add incremental capacity) resource, downtown access?

 

[Surrealplaces]

I don't agree with extending the free fare zone, but we should be considering a zone-based system. $3.80 is a really steep price if you're taking the train from downtown to Kensington or SAIT (as I do). Conversely, it's an absolute bargain if you're going from downtown to Somerset-Bridlewood.

It would be nice if there was a flat rate of say $3.80 for anything past a certain point, but a cheaper ticket for a shorter zone, say anything 5 stops or less. Easy enough to do with a closed system, but with the current pay method it's more difficult. Although maybe those new validation scanners would take care of that issue?

 

[kora]

Expand the Free Fare Zone from Sunalta to the Franklin stations on the Blue Line and the SAIT/ACAD/Jubilee and Erlton Stations on the Red Line.

Great idea. I would make transit free for people under 12 years old. That's the policy out here in Victoria under BC Transit. I personally would extend it to anyone under 16 or even 18. Why should children pay for transit when they don't make money?

 

[kora]

the main barrier to increasing ridership is not the fare price,

I don't necessarily always agree with this. Consider a family of 4 taking a trip with 2 teenagers. In Victoria that costs $3 x 4 = $12 even for a short 20 minute bus ride downtown. Car travel is almost always cheaper, severely discouraging transit use in this circumstance.