The Toronto region needs fare integration and the time is now. Across the region, we are spending billions on new transit infrastructure but, without a fare system that’s convenient, affordable and logical for riders, we won’t be able to unlock the true potential of those investments. We need to end unfair fares across the many transit systems in and around Toronto so that we can increase ridership, provide better service, and fully utilize the infrastructure we’ve already built.
A well-integrated, sensible transit system is key to a stronger, more attractive region. People live, work and play across our region, and we need a fare system that recognizes that our lives today are not defined by lines on a map. For decades riders have voiced their frustrations with the burden of paying double fares when crossing municipal boundaries, the high cost of GO fares for trips within the City, and the fact that the fastest route is often not the cheapest one.
Put simply, the current fare system just doesn’t make sense. Travellers are paying the price for our fragmented municipal governance system. With thousands of daily riders, increasing dissatisfaction with existing services, and a rapidly growing urban population, these complaints can no longer be ignored. Transit users deserve a simple and seamless experience across the Toronto Region, and the Board’s fare integration proposal delivers exactly that.
