Few takers for Mississauga low-income transit pass

Summer launch may have hurt uptake

Thestar.com
Oct. 16, 2016
By Ben Spurr

A pilot project to provide discounted transit passes to low-income residents in Mississauga is struggling to attract subscribers.

The deadline for applications has already been extended twice, but as of this week the affordable transportation pilot program had signed up just 1,330 people, a little more than half of the 2,500 that officials were hoping for. Applications are filed online with registration is set to close Oct. 31.

The program’s failure to gain traction can’t be attributed to a lack of potential applicants. According to the 2011 census, almost 14 per cent of Mississauga’s 713,443 residents, or more than 97,000 people, are considered low-income.

Mississauga transit director Geoff Marinoff said timing has a lot to do with why the pilot has yet to take off. The $1.4-million program, which is being jointly funded by MiWay and the Region of Peel, was approved in May, and promotion started in June.

He said it’s been difficult to get the word out, and students, one of the program’s target markets, had less need to take transit during the summer.

“Summer is not a great time to get a hold of people,” he said. “We hoped to get this started in the spring but for various reasons we didn’t get it started in time.”

To be eligible for the program, residents have to show that they live in Mississauga and have annual incomes below the low-income threshold. The cut-off is $19,930 for a single person and $28,185 for a two-person household.

Those who qualify receive a specially configured Presto fare card that allows them to buy a monthly MiWay transit pass at half-price, or $65, for up to six months.

The program was promoted through flyers at libraries and community centres, print advertisements in local media, official social media accounts, and outreach to social service agencies.

Pat Cullen, chair of the Compass, a food bank and outreach centre on Lakeshore Ave. W, said that most of his clients hadn’t heard of the program until his staff notified them. He said that for the program to be successful, community agencies need to be more proactive in helping clients access it.

The application process isn’t onerous, according to Cullen. But low-income people who are already struggling in their day-to-day lives might need convincing that it’s worthwhile to take the time to sign up.

“Publicity of itself isn’t necessarily going to attract people. Somebody has to make the link,” he said. “Somebody’s got to help them understand that there is economic logic” to enrolling.

Edna Toth, who sits on the executive of the Peel Poverty Action Group, said that the price could be discouraging clients. Even with the discount $65 is still too much for many Mississaugans to pay, she argued.

Toth said Mississauga should consider a steeper discount, or even creating a free pass. “Maybe there shouldn’t be a charge,” she said. “Maybe five bucks for the month or something like that to enable people to go look for work and get back home again.”

Marinoff agrees that the pass may be too expensive for some. Paying $65 a month may make sense for someone who takes transit to work or school every day, but many low-income people have irregular travel patterns.

“If you only use transit once a week, a monthly pass doesn’t make sense,” he said. “So we need to understand that everyone's got a different story and a different set of circumstances.”

City staff intend to make recommendations for a permanent discount program early next year, and Marinoff said the challenge will be making it flexible enough to serve the diverse needs of the low-income population. Results of Mississauga’s pilot might also inform other municipalities, including Toronto, that are considering similar programs.

“One size does not fit all. And it becomes really hard to serve people who don’t use it often,” Marinoff said.

Adaoma Patterson, an adviser for the Peel Poverty Reduction Strategy, said that while the program hasn’t attracted as many applicants as hoped, those who do use it say it’s life-changing. Greater access to transit makes it easier for low-income residents to seek out job opportunities, go to medical appointments, and make social connections.

“People have said, ‘it makes a big difference in my household budget. It gives me the freedom to be able to make more decisions about where I go and when,’” she said.