On Monday, double fares for thousands of transit riders in the Greater Toronto Area will no longer be a thing, as the Ford government’s fare integration policy comes into effect.
Starting Feb. 26, the province’s One Fare program will roll out, meaning that any riders that transfer between the TTC and other GTA transit agencies will only be charged one fare.
The program is set to integrate fare systems across the GTA and charge riders for just one transit trip regardless of how many buses, subways or streetcars they take across different cities.
The launch of the One Fare program brings Toronto’s transit services in line with many already operating across GTA-905.
How fare integration will work
Fully funded by the Ontario government, One Fare is expected to lead to at least eight million new rides anually by making cross-boundary travel more affordable and convenient for customers transferring between GO Transit, TTC, Brampton Transit, Durham Region Transit, MiWay and York Region Transit.
The province has said it will pay the money local transit agencies would otherwise lose through the elimination of the double fare.
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For example, if someone gets onto a TTC bus after tapping onto a Mississauga MiWay route first, they won’t pay again to ride in Toronto. Instead, the province will send the money to the transit agency so it doesn’t take a loss.
When travelling between systems, customers paying with a Presto card, Google Wallet, debit or credit card, will be able to transfer for free between the TTC and Brampton Transit, Durham Region Transit, MiWay and York Region Transit within the two-hour free transfer period.
TTC customers paying single-ride fares connecting to and from GO Transit within a three-hour transfer period will benefit from a fare discount, making their TTC trip fare-free.
The TTC says this will result in “significant” savings for riders, with adult fare customers transferring between the TTC and GO Transit saving $3.30 on a single trip. Riders utilizing the TTC and YRT will save up to $3.88 on a single adult trip taken between the two agencies within the two-hour transfer period.
The government estimates the plan will save an average of $1,600 per year for transit riders.
“Public transit should be a convenient and affordable option for getting to work, school or running errands,” said Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow in a statement.
“The One Fare program makes it easier and cheaper to transfer between the TTC, GO Transit and other transit agencies. When governments work together, we can make life more affordable and invest in services families rely on – like high-quality public transit that costs you less.”
— with files from Global News’ Isaac Callan
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
