Doug Ford "For the People". NOT!
From the
TTC's CEO Report, at this
link.
On June 18, 2019, the TTC and the City of Toronto received a letter from Metrolinx concerning the Discounted Double Fare (DDF) Agreement. Executed in 2017 by the TTC, the City and Metrolinx, the three-year Agreement provides discounted fares for customers transferring between GO/UP and the TTC. Under the Agreement, the revenue loss to Metrolinx and the TTC from the reduced fares is fully subsidized by the Province up to a cap of $18.4M per year.
The purpose of the Agreement is twofold:
- To increase the use of GO/UP services within Toronto.
- To enable seamless customer journeys between the TTC and GO/UP systems, allowing for a transition period while making progress towards broader GTHA fare integration.
Metrolinx advises it now estimates that the program will exceed this financial year’s provincial funding cap by up to $10M and that funding may be exhausted as early as October 2019, well ahead of the Agreement’s expiration date of March 31, 2020. Phil Verster, President and CEO at Metrolinx, is proposing a “sustainable strategy for the continuation of this fare integration initiative, one that does not use a subsidy from the provincial government.” He proposes GO Transit and TTC continue to offer the DDF reduced fare without Provincial subsidy starting in October 2019.
If the TTC continues with the program, there could be unanticipated budget pressures for the remainder of 2019 and all of 2020 due to the loss of the provincial subsidy. TTC staff is in discussion with the City and Metrolinx, and will be conducting a detailed cost-benefit analysis. Staff will report to the Board in September with our analysis and seek direction on the future of the program.
Definitely shows that Doug Ford considers money to be more important than public transit or the environment.