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GO needs off-peak pricing

kettal

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It's simple economics. Every empty seat in a train is a waste. Ticket prices should reflect a desire to have off-peak trains at least half full.
 
Only if the lower price would lead to enough extra passengers to make up for the lower per-passenger revenue.

Are a lot of people not taking the GO train in off peak periods because it is too expensive? Compared to what? Is a $1 or $2 less on the ticket price enough to get people out of their cars?
 
Only if the lower price would lead to enough extra passengers to make up for the lower per-passenger revenue.

That's impossible to know until it is trialed. I say cut it down dramatically, so an $8 ticket is $3 in off peak. These empty buses and trains are already money losers, at least if they become money losers with a purpose that is an improvement.
 
^^

But the economic returns would have to be considered prior to no matter what. Something like this won't be feasiable if the resulting increase in usage does not compensate for the loss in revenue. Unless a government injection is recieved for this purpose which, at this time, seems unlikely.
 
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I agree, but only if this calculation includes the benefits of reducing traffic. I fail to see how it couldn't come up positive.

An 11 AM train on Lakeshore can have as few as 60 people in it. If 400 people paid only $1 instead of the $6 average I am calculating, then it is already increasing revenue.
 
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I say cut it down dramatically, so an $8 ticket is $3 in off peak.

Even if you doubled your passenger level, you would still be bringing in less money than before.

If you have reason to believe that a 200% or better increase in traffic is possible (where are those passengers going to come from?), then it would be worth trying.

But I'd want to bring some market research studies to the GO Transit meeting where I was proposing it.

but only if this calculation includes the benefits of reducing traffic.

Reducing traffic in off-peak periods is of limited benefit.
 
How about free TTC transfers off-peak ...

(though the two agencies co-operating is probably going to happen after being able to catch a train from Seoul to Pyongyang).
 
But I'd want to bring some market research studies to the GO Transit meeting where I was proposing it.
I'm sick of Toronto, having to study every little thing until eventually it's forgotten. Real progress comes from pilot projects. Have a one month pilot project.


Reducing traffic in off-peak periods is of limited benefit.

Not always, It's the accidents that happen at 3 who clog the streets at 5.
 
An 11 AM train on Lakeshore can have as few as 60 people in it. If 400 people paid only $1 instead of the $6 average I am calculating, then it is already increasing revenue.

This assumes there are 340 people that would have gone downtown (or wherever), but are unwilling to pay $12 return to do so, but will go for $2. Remember that many people need to pay/drive to get to a GO station, increasing their total cost in either case.
 
It's simple economics. Every empty seat in a train is a waste. Ticket prices should reflect a desire to have off-peak trains at least half full.

I somehow doubt your average GO commuter, someone who lives in Oakville and who works 9 to 5 at King and Bay, is going to change the work hours to save $10 daily.
 
Instead of lower off-peak fares, another way to fill those trains is to simply reduce the amount of trains in service. Cut the service in half, and the trains will be twice as full.
 
Instead of lower off-peak fares, another way to fill those trains is to simply reduce the amount of trains in service. Cut the service in half, and the trains will be twice as full.

You're kidding right? That's a great way to lose most of the riders.
 
I somehow doubt your average GO commuter, someone who lives in Oakville and who works 9 to 5 at King and Bay, is going to change the work hours to save $10 daily.

That's not the idea. The idea is to make it attractive to the thousands who already drive into or out of the city every day from 10 AM to 3 PM for whatever reason.
 
Instead of lower off-peak fares, another way to fill those trains is to simply reduce the amount of trains in service. Cut the service in half, and the trains will be twice as full.
Let's go to two hourly service! Or perhaps, just two trains a day!

This is a ridiculous assertion, and I suspect deliberately so. Instead, you *increase* service frequencies so that service is accessible without having to worry overmuch about the schedule.

I'm confident that GO will see ridership increases on Lakeshore when it goes to 30 minute headways offpeak next year.
 

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