FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Advocates to pack Presto townhall, call for changes to token phase-out plan
DECEMBER 11th, 2018 (Toronto, ON) — More than one hundred members of the public, anti-poverty advocates, and social service agencies will pack the Metro Toronto Convention Centre tonight for a townhall on the phase-out of tokens and tickets. Advocates say that the token phase-out will create barriers to accessing transit, especially for seniors, low-income people, and people with disabilities.
What: Presto / TTC Townhall, hosted by Metrolinx and TTC
Who: More than one hundred concerned members of the public will pack the meeting
Time: 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Date: Tuesday, December 11th
Location: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, North Building, Room 203 (255 Front Street West)
The public townhall is hosted by Metrolinx and the TTC. Dozens of social service and health agencies sent an open letter to the Metrolinx Board of Directors in June, requesting a public meeting about the phase out of tokens.
“Presto tickets need to be affordable and widely available or people will lose access to transit. Metrolinx and the TTC need to keep Metropasses, tokens, and tickets in play until there is a fair replacement in place and Presto is reliable,” said TTCriders Executive Director Shelagh Pizey-Allen. “Transit riders who live in neighbourhoods without a Shoppers Drugmart or subway stop within walking distance will have even more barriers to accessing the TTC.”
Tokens are currently available for purchase at more than 1,200 locations, but the paper Presto ticket that will replace them will only be available at subway stations and Shoppers Drugmart, cutting over 1,000 sale locations. The Fair Fare Coalition, a group of social service agencies and transit advocates, is calling for paper Presto tickets to be:
- Widely available at convenient locations throughout the city.
- Affordable at current token and ticket rates, including student, senior, and low-income rates (the Presto ticket will only be available for a cash fare of $3.25).
- Available for bulk purchase at a discounted rate.
- The Presto ticket must not have an expiration date.
- Available for purchase by cash (not requiring accessing to the internet, credit card, or bank accounts).
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CONTACT:
Shelagh Pizey-Allen, TTCriders, [email protected],
Susan Bender, Toronto Drop In Network, [email protected]
More info: http://www.ttcriders.ca/december-11th-public-townhall-on-token-phase-out/
Open letter to Metrolinx Board re: token phase-out:
http://www.ttcriders.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Letter-to-Metrolinx-Board-June-2018-Presto-ticket-.pdf