Transit Fares for Low Income Calgarians Stephen Hansen Calgary Transit, Manager, Safety and Security Calgary, Alberta

Presentation Overview Calgary Overview Calgary Transit Profile Fare Facts History of Low Income Transit Pass Program Current Situation Lessons Learned

Calgary Overview 1.2 million population Relatively young and affluent Head quarters to Canada’s oil and gas industry Transportation hub

Calgary Transit Profile Bus, light rail and accessible services 2.7 million hours of service 102 million revenue passengers (50% mode split) 34% increase in ridership/10 years

Fare Facts 55% cost recovery Flat fare system $171.3 million annual revenue (2012) $1.54 average fare

Fare Facts (continued) Fare TypeRate (2013) Cash Adult$3.00 Youth$1.75 Tickets Adult (book of 10)$30.00 Youth (book of 10)$17.50 Monthly Passes Adult$94.00 Youth$57.50

History of the Low Income Transit Pass Program Community Committee on Discounted Transit fares in 2000 Approached City for subsidized monthly transit pass Four concerns from City of Calgary

History of the Low Income Transit Pass Program(continued) Created in 2005 as a pilot 18 to 64 years of age 75% of low income cut-offs Program cost to be covered by transit revenues Fair Calgary Policy (2006)

Current (LITP) Program Annual eligibility determination Two locations – for eligibility Income criteria – 87.5% of low income cut-offs based on family income

Current (LITP) Program (continued) Proof of income, live in Calgary, photo identification Pass valid on all CT services (Conditions of Use) One pass per month Four locations for pass sales

Current (LITP) Program (continued) 15,478 LITP registrants 2012 estimated lost revenue: $4.96 million 2012 program administration costs: $350K

Lessons Learned Two persistent people can make a difference Social role of transit Less uptake than estimated Fraud prevention measures