York Region eyes boosting YRT/Viva public transit bus fares

YorkRegion.com
Nov. 1, 2016
Lisa Queen

It looks like York Region public transit riders will be paying more to ride the bus over the next three years.

Regional councillors will look at boosting YRT/Viva fares at a committee meeting Thursday. Any decision to would have to be endorsed by council Nov. 17.

The proposed fare increases would come into effect on July 1, 2017 and again on July 1, 2018 and July 1, 2019.

An adult ticket would jump from the current $3.50 up to $3.63 next July, $3.75 the following year and $3.88 in 2019.

A monthly adult pass, which now costs $140, would increase to $145 next year, to $150 in 2018 and to $154 in 2019.

A youth ticket would increase from $2.70 now to $2.85 in 2017, $3 in 2018 and $3.03 in 2019.

A monthly youth pass, which now costs $105, would climb to $111 next year, to $117 in 2018 and to $118 in 2019.

A senior’s or child’s ticket would increase from the current $2.20 to $2.30 in 2017, $2.35 in 2018 and $2.40 in 2019.

All cash fares would remain at the current $4 until 2019, when it is proposed they increase to $4.25.

The fare increases would boost revenues by $4.6 million from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2020. At the same time, YRT/Viva is facing a number of cost pressures due to expanding the transit network, a report to Thursday’s committee said.

Fares could increase by an even larger margin in the next decade as the region tries to recoup more of its costs from the fare box.

Fares and advertising revenues now contribute about 40 per cent towards YRT/Viva’s revenues.

The report recommends transitioning that up to 45 per cent after 2020.

Fares alone now make up 35.3 per cent of YRT/Viva’s revenues, lower than the Canadian average of 46 per cent, according to the Canadian Urban Transit Association.

York taxpayers contribute 56.3 per cent of YRT/Viva’s revenues, much higher than Canadian average of 28 per cent, the association said.

YRT/Viva operates 520 vehicles covering 1,776 square kilometres. Durham Region Transit operates 195 vehicles covering 406 square kilometres and Brampton Transit operates 359 vehicles covering 267 square kilometres.