May/June 2024 - 27

O
The program, which launched Feb.
26 and eliminates double fares for
customers transferring between
public transit agencies in the
greater Toronto area, has reached
5 million taps in less than
two months.
BY BR ANDON LEW I S ,
AS SOC I AT E
ED I TOR
n Feb. 26, the government of Ontario, alongside transit agencies
throughout the region, launched the One Fare program,
eliminating double fares for customers transferring between
participating public transit agencies in a wide swath of the
Toronto area known as the Greater Golden Horseshoe.
Fare integration between regional transit providers was
a well-researched and debated topic among municipal, provincial
and mobility leaders. Eliminating double fares could
encourage wider use of regional systems, which could save
riders time and money, as well as reduce congestion in the
growing area. However, elimination of double fares would
also mean a loss of fare revenue as the transit industry continues
to respond to the shifting ridership patterns brought
about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Enter the government of Ontario, which is spending C$117
million (US$85.1 million) per year on the program, with the
goal of making regional transit easier to use. The province
estimates the program will save riders who use public transit
at least five times per week approximately C$1,600 (US$1,188)
per year on transit costs and deliver an annual boost of up
to 8 million transit rides in the region. The province has
committed to fund the program without any mandated
financial support from other transit agencies until March
2026, with a potential extension depending on the success
of the program during the two-year period.
Participants in the One Fare program include:
* Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)
* York Region Transit (YRT)
* GO Transit
* Brampton Transit
* Durham Region Transit
* MiWay
Under the program, for example, adult fare customers
transferring between the TTC and GO Transit will save
C$3.30 (US$2.42) on a single trip while customers utilizing
the TTC and YRT will save up to C$3.88 (US$2.44) on a
single adult trip taken between the two agencies within the
two-hour free transfer. According to the TTC, approximately
13 percent of its customers currently start or end their trip
outside of Toronto and 87 percent of its customers travel
locally within Toronto.
The program builds co-fare agreements the government
of Ontario integrated in 2022 to eliminate fares between
GO Transit and 12 regional transit agencies in the Greater
Golden Horseshoe. The government of Ontario is working to
make transit an easy and convenient choice for its growing
region. By 2031, the government of Ontario will introduce
two-way, all-day GO train service, every 15 minutes in key
corridors in the Greater Golden Horseshoe to connect more
people to transit, jobs and housing.
Vijay Thanigasalam, Ontario's associate minister of transA
PRESTO Card being
swiped against a
PRESTO fare reader.
Photo: York Region Transit
portation, says the launch of the One Fare program was a
long time coming.
" Public transit riders like seniors, students and daily commuters
who rely on public transit made it very loud and clear
MAY/JUNE 2024 | MassTransitmag.com 27
http://www.MassTransitmag.com
May/June 2024

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