Metrolinx Board approves GO Transit fare increase

TORONTO, Jan. 9, 2012 /CNW/ - At its meeting earlier today, the Metrolinx Board of Directors approved a GO Transit fare increase, the first in almost two years, that will enable GO to continue offering the best possible service and meet the needs of its growing ridership.

The increase will take effect on February 18, 2012. As of that date, the cost of an adult single fare will increase incrementally, based on distance travelled, as follows:

1. 30 cent increase on current fares between $4.20 and $5.50;
2. 35 cent increase on current fares between $5.51 and $7.00; and
3. 40 cent increase on current fares greater than $7.00.

There will also be a change to the discount structure as follows:

1. Purchasing an adult monthly pass will now save you 15 per cent off the cost of 40 single-ride tickets and PRESTO users will continue to save 17.5 per cent off the cost of 40 single-ride tickets.
2. For students, purchasing a monthly pass will now save you 30 per cent off the cost of 40 single-ride tickets and PRESTO student users will continue to save 35 per cent off the cost of 40 single-ride tickets.

"A fare increase this year is necessary to ensure that GO Transit can continue to provide good customer service, expand services and manage increased costs in areas like fuel and hydro." said Bruce McCuaig, President and CEO, Metrolinx.

This fare adjustment will help meet increasing ridership demand for GO services. GO Transit is providing more parking spaces, improving service reliability and ensuring facilities and equipment are well-maintained while keeping our riders in the know with even better communications. For more information on planned improvements this year, please refer to the backgrounder.

GO Transit has made every effort to create a fair and balanced fare system for customers across its system. By introducing three different fare increase increments based on distance travelled, GO Transit is ensuring that the increase is more even across all fares.

This increase averages about five per cent for the purchase of a single fare and is in line with increases recently implemented by other transit agencies in the region.

GO Transit has one of the best cost-recovery ratios in the world at about 81 per cent, which helps minimize subsidy requirements from the Government of Ontario, and benefits the Province as well as taxpayers.

GO Transit remains a strong, solid alternative to driving and parking each day — financially and environmentally.

More information is available at gotransit.com.

GO Transit is Metrolinx's interregional public transit system linking Toronto with the surrounding regions of the Greater Toronto & Hamilton Area. GO carries about 57 million passengers a year in an extensive network of train and bus services that spans over 10,000 square kilometres. Metrolinx is an agency of the Province of Ontario. Follow GO on Facebook and Twitter.

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Backgrounder

GO Transit customer service improvements

The fare increase will help cover our existing operating costs and provide improved services needed for our growing ridership. This fare increase will also help us to provide our riders with new parking spaces, improved communications, well-maintained facilities, improved service reliability, ongoing equipment maintenance, and increased capacity on our trains and buses.

In the past year, customers have seen improvements to GO service, including:

• Achieved 95 per cent on time performance for 2011;
• In 2011, GO added 3,500 new parking spaces at stations across the network including at Appleby, Aurora, Bramalea, Centennial, Lincolnville, Milton, Mount Joy, Rouge Hill and Whitby GO Stations;
• New GO Train service to Kitchener-Waterloo began in December of last year, with two new stations opening in Kitchener and Guelph;
• GO continued its seasonal excursion train service to Niagara Falls on weekends and holidays in the summer of 2011, and extended platforms in Niagara Falls and St. Catharines;
• Two new weekday train trips began running daily on the Barrie line in September 2011, and four additional trips were added on the Lakeshore corridor;
• Twelve-car platforms were completed on the Barrie, Milton and Lakeshore East lines. Twelve-car trains increase capacity by offering an extra 300 seats compared to the 10-car trains;
• 25 new bicycle shelters were installed across the system; and
• The GO Transit printed schedules have been enhanced with a fresh look and easy-to-read layout.

Further improvements planned for the coming year include:

• More parking across the network, with construction already started in Oakville, Ajax, Erindale and Pickering;
• The opening of the new Allandale Waterfront GO Station in Barrie;
• Improvements at stations, including accessibility upgrades, better access for pedestrians and cyclists, and weather protection enhancements;
• Two new pedestrian bridges in Pickering and Burlington;
• Improvements to track infrastructure resulting in smoother GO Train operations and better reliability; and
• Continued customer communication and customer service improvements.

Media enquiries - Vanessa Thomas, [phone], Malon Edwards, [phone] or Drew Davidson, [phone].