TTC vice-chair proposes 15-cent fare hike

File image of fare box on TTC streetcar. CITYNEWS.

The TTC vice chair wants the budget committee to mull over the idea of a 15-cent fare hike next year, instead of a 10-cent increase, in order to stave off planned service reductions.

The commission is set to reduce service levels to pre-2004 standards in January. If the draft 2012 operating budget is approved, riders will also have to contend with a 10-cent increase at the fare box.

Coun. Peter Milczyn wants the budget committee, which is meeting next Wednesday, to investigate the impact a 15-cent fare increase would have. He believes it would allow the TTC to forgo the service reductions.

“This is coming from me. I’m a little bit of the rogue on this. But a 15-cent fare hike—the extra five cents— would ensure we’d maintain the same level of service through 2012 as we had in 2011 and also accommodate the growing ridership we have,” Milczyn told CityNews.

TTC chair Karen Stintz disagrees.

"We want to make sure that service is sustainable. I have reservations about asking people who can least afford it to pay more...I'm not sure it's the way we want to proceed," she said.

The commission has already cancelled 108 new buses that were ordered to meet growing ridership demands.

“In 2013 we will run out of buses to provide that level of service,” Milczyn added. “That’s a $100-million problem.”

The higher fare increase would bring in $15 million. The city has said the proposed 10-cent increase will bring in $30 million.

“Every other province puts money into transit operating dollars,” he said, noting the TTC is the least-subsidized transit system on the continent. “We’re the odd man out and we have the third biggest transit system in North America.”

The higher fare hike will be investigated along with a commitment from the city to maintain its 2012 transit subsidy at $404 million for the next three years with the expectation of more fare increases