A new pilot project will give TTC Metropass holders the option of paying $60 for a sticker that will entitle them to unlimited travel on GO Transit Lakeshore trains between Exhibition, Union and Danforth stations.
Ontario Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca made the announcement alongside the tracks at the Danforth GO Station Friday morning, noting that it could save some commuters between 10 and 15 minutes every day.
“This one year pilot will make it easier, faster and give commuters more options to get around downtown Toronto,” Del Duca said. “I am thrilled that Metrolinx and the TTC are working closely together on projects like this as we continue to work on solutions to manage congestion and make transit a better choice for all commuters.”
Commuters who want to take a GO train from Exhibition Station to Union Station currently pay $5.20 each way while the cost for travelling from Danforth GO Station to Union Station is $5.40 each way.
The new integrated fare will take that cost down considerably, though, with the fair averaging out to about $1.50 for commuters who take the GO train twice a day on weekdays and even less for those who take it more frequently than that.
In order to accommodate an expected uptick in traffic, GO Transit will have an additional nine trains stopping at the effected stations – six during the morning rush hour and three during the evening rush hour.
“Most people who take transit or use transit do not care about whether something is TTC or Metrolinx, the province or the city or 905 or 416. They want to get home or to work or school more quickly and they want more options and better service,” TTC Chair Josh Cole told reporters. “This fare integration does exactly that.”
Integrated fare program could be expanded
The announcement of an integrated fare allowing riders access to both the TTC and GO Transit isn’t an entirely novel concept.
In fact, last October Coun. Mike Layton launched a campaign lobbying officials for the fare as a way to provide Liberty Village residents with an extra transit option and cut down on overcrowding on the King streetcar in the process.
Speaking with reporters on Friday, Metrolinx President and CEO Bruce McCuaig said he sees the fare as a “building block” that could pave the way for future integration.
“What we are trying to do with this is see what our ability is to attract people to different parts of the transit system in order to balance congestion on the subway versus the GO Train system,” he said.
Liberty Village shuttle service on hold
While some residents near Exhibition GO Station and Danforth GO Station will have new choices on how to get to work, it appears that a privately operated shuttle won’t be one of them.
The Liberty Village Express was expected to begin taking residents from the west end neighbourhood to Union Station on Monday after a succesfull one-week trial this past fall, but the creators of the service issued a statement late Friday afternoon, announcing that it will not go ahead as planned due to a lack of clarity on city regulations.
It is not known whether the announcement of the integrated fare had anything to do with the decision.
Riders of the Liberty Village Express would have been charged a monthly fee, which averaged out to $4 a trip for a reserved seat on a chartered bus during the morning and evening commutes on weekdays.
“This is a tough decision for us, and we didn't come to it lightly, but after careful consideration and consultation we think it's the right one,” Brett Chang and Taylor Scollon said in the statement. “We are committed to being 100% compliant with city regulations and it would be unfair to customers and to the City if we proceeded with service without full clarity on the issue. Our goal remains to build better transit in Toronto, and we're going to continue working on that.
The integrated fare sticker, which can be affixed to any Metropass, will be available for sale as of Jan. 26 for use starting on Feb. 1.
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