City agrees to lower fares for up to 200,000 low income transit riders

We had a campaign victory last night. City Council responded to our campaign and approved a discount pass for low income riders.

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Thank you to all of you that worked so hard for this important step forward, including all members of the Fair Fare Coalition, the Toronto Chinese Seniors Association, CARP-TO, the Bob Rumball Centre, TDIN, Commitment 2 Community, Toronto Workers Airport Council, Access Alliance and many many more.  Thank you also to the staff at the City of Toronto who worked on the report, including Ricardo Tranjan and Denise Andrea Campbell, and councillors Joe Mihevc and Pam McConnell for championing fair equity at City Council. It wouldn’t have happened without all of our hard work. 

What did we get?

The new $50M fair pass program will give riders on social assistance and riders earning less than $22,000 a year (and you can earn more if you have dependents) will receive a fare discount of 33% on cash fares, and a 20% discount on the monthly metropass. At 2017 fare prices, eligible riders would pay $2.10 a ride, down from $3.25, and $117 a month, instead of $146.50.  

The program will be rolled out over five years with riders on social assistance getting the discount in 2018, and low income riders getting the discount in stages in 2019 and 2020.  Up to 200,000 riders are expected to use the program.  Joe Mihevc's motion was also approved to ask Metrolinx to speed up its work to make Presto accessible for the low income pass program so it could be rolled out more quickly.

Is it enough?

No. These discounts do not do enough to allow everyone to truly afford to travel around the city and fully lead their lives?  The discounts will mean many Torontonians will still be forced to make the tough choice of buying food for dinner or buying a token. And no one should be waiting up to five years to get transit relief.

But despite its shortcomings we support this fair pass because:

  • This vote will mean up to 200,000 low income riders will have more money in their pockets and will be more able to travel on the TTC.
  • This vote means that we have opened a door into a new political reality where the low-income pass is no longer an abstract concept but a practical policy that we can build upon and fight to improve.  It’s become real.
  • This vote also tell us that our coalition building, grassroots organizing, presentations, conversations and media work is working. It’s important we celebrate our victories.  It doesn’t stop us from advocating for better.

Take action

If you also believe we need deeper discounts and a quicker rollout then we encourage you to join us at our next meeting where we will celebrate, debrief our work so far, and begin to plan our next steps for a truly affordable fair pass.  Wed. Jan. 18, 4.30pm - 6pm, 720 Bathurst St.

Post your personal thoughts on our facebook page.  

Send a personal thank you to your councillor for voting for the fair fare pass (provided they did) and starting the long path towards an affordable TTC.  It's the first step, not the last one.  Your councillors’ contact details are below.  Extra thanks goes to Joe Mihevc and Pam McConnell for their hard work passing the pass.

Thank you,

Daniella, Jess, Karin, Susan, Merrill, Margot, Herman, Cindy, Joel, Tina, and many, many more.

YOUR COUNCILLOR’S CONTACTS

Toronto Mayor John Tory [email protected] 416-338-7125
Etobicoke North Councillor Vincent Crisanti [email protected] 416-696-4207
Etobicoke North Councillor Michael Ford [email protected] 416-397-9238
Etobicoke Centre Councillor Stephen Holyday [email protected] 416-392-4004
Etobicoke Centre Councillor John Campbell [email protected] 416-696-4138
Etobicoke-Lakeshore Councillor Justin Di Ciano [email protected] 416-392-4127
Etobicoke-Lakeshore Councillor Mark Grimes [email protected] 416-397-9279
York West Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti [email protected] 416-397-9282
York West Councillor Anthony Perruzza [email protected] 416-696-4144
York Centre Councillor Maria Augimeri [email protected] 416-392-7109
York Centre Councillor James Pasternak [email protected] 416-392-7299
York South-Weston Councillor Frances Nunziata [email protected] 416-392-4118
York South-Weston Councillor Frank Di Giorgio [email protected] 416-392-1675
Parkdale-High Park Councillor Sarah Doucette [email protected] 416-696-3667
Parkdale-High Park Councillor Gord Perks [email protected] 416-392-0398
Eglinton-Lawrence Councillor Josh Colle [email protected] 416-392-4191
Eglinton-Lawrence Councillor Christin Carmichael Greb [email protected] 416-392-4129
Davenport Councillor Cesar Palacio [email protected] 416-392-0212
Davenport Councillor Ana Bailão [email protected] 416-392-7957
Trinity-Spadina Councillor Mike Layton [email protected] 416-392-4100
Trinity-Spadina Councillor Joe Cressy [email protected] 416-392-4130
St. Paul’s Councillor Joe Mihevc [email protected] 416-392-7466
St. Paul’s Councillor Josh Matlow [email protected] 416-392-0124
Willowdale Councillor John Filion [email protected] 416-392-7388
Willowdale Councillor David Shiner [email protected] 416-397-9290
Don Valley West Councillor Jaye Robinson [email protected] 416-395-6439
Don Valley West Councillor Jon Burnside [email protected] 416-392-7427
Toronto Centre-Rosedale Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam [email protected] 416-696-4300
Toronto Centre-Rosedale Councillor Pam McConnell [email protected] 416-392-7296
Toronto-Danforth Councillor Mary Fragedakis [email protected] 416-392-4123
Toronto-Danforth Councillor Paula Fletcher [email protected] 416-397-5200
Beaches-East York Councillor Janet Davis [email protected] 416-397-9289
Beaches-East York Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon [email protected] 416-392-7444
Don Valley East Councillor Shelley Carroll [email protected] 416-392-4101
Don Valley East Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong [email protected] 416-397-4100
Scarborough Southwest Councillor Michelle Holland [email protected] 416-392-7394
Scarborough Southwest Councillor Gary Crawford [email protected] 416-696-3658
Scarborough Centre Councillor Michael Thompson [email protected] 416-397-9280
Scarborough Centre Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker [email protected] 416-392-7428
Scarborough-Agincourt Councillor Jim Karygiannis [email protected] 416-392-7431
Scarborough-Agincourt Councillor Norman Kelly [email protected] 416-696-4172
Scarborough-Rouge River Councillor Chin Lee [email protected] 416-392-7433
Scarborough-Rouge River Councillor Vacant Vacant [email protected] 416-696-4159
Scarborough East Councillor Paul Ainslie [email protected] 416-392-4006
Scarborough East Councillor Ron Moeser [email protected] 416-392-7429

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