'Fare Free Transit'? Will it work in the GTHA

[blacksquirrels]

"country"

Even in Ontario, GO services in non-urban areas are mostly subsidized. As are small towns like Brantford.

I'm all in favour of free transit - but in places where it's mostly subsidized already, it's not that much extra funding. In Toronto it would require funding to TTC to triple.

Probably more than triple since operating cost would increase drastically with increased demand/strain on the network. Imagining the TTC and GO trying something similar to what Germany just tried gives me anxiety. There is no way these networks could scale to match the demand that would ensue with basically free or completely subsidized transit. It would choke on it's own success.

What would work in my opinion would be complete fare integration between every transit system in Ontario at a much lower cost, providing these systems could scale to match the demand. There should be a Metro pass (monthly and/or yearly) for all systems at a reasonable price like between $60 to $100 per month. GO would need to scale way beyond the planned 4 trains per hour post electrification. Somethings closer to 24 trains per hour per line at least in the GTA. They'd need to build infrastructure that could handle roughly 6+ million daily passengers, where as today all Ontario transit systems combined carry under two million riders and already has capacity issues.

 

[drum118]

You didn't have to go to a special office, you could buy the € 9 ticket easily online. You never saw any fare enforcement because they basically made transit free for 3 months. The various transit systems were so overcapacity that it wouldn't be practical to do any fare enforcement. I've lived in Germany for many years and have never experienced so many delays here either with Regional Bahns and the ICE, the latter not even being included in the € 9 ticket scheme. I'm sure the operating cost also rose exponentially too during this period.

We waited until we got to Hamburg to get the ticket and it was issue from a special office in the train station.

The RER were pack every time we were on them as well the S-Bahns or trams. Buses were very empty most of the time. To deal with pack vehicles would require more service as well having the manpower and equipment to do it. Even the intercity Trains outside of Germany were standing room only considering they were only to have seats only. This is on trains that took 2-5 hours from point to point

Fare enforcement comment was for other counties other than Germany. When I was in Berlin in 2012, about a dozen people in plain cloths jumped onto my tram and thought it was a mod to beat people up until they pulled out their badges around their neck. A number of riders got tickets.

A 6 pack enforcement team roam the tram system in Amsterdam and ran into them 3 times on different days and lines.

There is a cost going green and to get people back using transit/trains, but worth it to get cars off the road or to make people life a lot better.