TTC fare-by-distance not fair to Toronto commuters

An understandable thing happens as temperatures plummet and Toronto gets itself reacquainted with the concept of snow. Travellers in and about the city who might otherwise move by foot or bike find themselves relying on the TTC again. And with that, of course, comes some frustration.

And with that frustration, apparently, comes some unfortunate ideas for improving the city’s perpetually cash-strapped transit system.

First came the notion that service would be improved if we looked at charging more for bringing strollers on buses and streetcars. As if moving around this city wasn’t challenging enough for parents with small children.

That idea was rolled back real quick.

But last week another TTC-improving suggestion popped up, this one via a report by the Residential & Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario. The group, who has good reason to want to see big transit-construction projects, floated the idea of switching to a fare-by-distance model. They say it could be just the thing to raise new cash for transit.

Under fare-by-distance, riders travelling longer distances would pay more. It’s a model used locally by GO Transit and internationally by many transit agencies. The move has its fans, especially among those who are weary of implementing other new taxes and tolls to pay for transit.

But it is, at least right now, a bad idea for the TTC.

Here’s why: The TTC is already one of the more expensive transit systems on the planet. Worse, the system receives very little government support — especially compared to other North American cities, which are often subsidized to the tune of 50 per cent or more. In other words, riders are already shelling more than their comparative fair share to keep the trains running.

And then there’s the question of means. It turns out that a big percentage of the people who rely on the TTC for long, rambling treks are exactly the sort of people who can’t really afford to pay more. These are vulnerable people who have been pushed to the edges of the city and away from their jobs by an unaffordable downtown housing market.

You can’t build a great transit system on the backs of those people. And you can only look at riders as cash cows for so long.

In another world, one where the TTC receives subsidies on the level of other cities, maybe we could have a fair conversation about fares. With the Presto fare card (slowly) rolling out across transit agencies, there may one day be an opportunity to implement a kind of GTA-wide fare-by-distance scheme, simplifying region-wide travel. That could be worth talking about.

But a fare-by-distance scheme now, as a simple grab for more cash from those least able to afford it? That just goes too far.