Fare integration across the Greater Toronto Area could be used almost 160,000 times per day and attract thousands of new public transit riders, according to the province’s internal estimates of the impending policy.
The Ford government is set to eliminate costly double fares across the GTHA in early 2024 — a policy the government said would save riders an average of $1,600 per rider per year.
The policy was originally supposed to be delivered before the end of 2023.
An internal government summary of the upcoming Toronto-area transit fare integration policy obtained by Global News lays out new details of the program and its potential impacts.
“The new provincial funding program introduces free transfers for TTC to GO Transit and TTC to Durham Region Transit, York Region Transit, MiWay and Brampton Transit,” a briefing for the recently-appointed Minister of Transportation said.
The policy is also set to become a key Ford government affordability pledge when it launches in early 2024.
“We’re working with our partners here at Metrolinx to make it more convenient and affordable for people to use transit,” Premier Doug Ford said in a recent video promoting the new policy.
The document, obtained using freedom of information laws, predicts people who use the program will save “approximately half of their daily transit costs” when the plan launches.
Those savings are pegged at between $1,575 and $1,770 per rider per year.
“Fully-funded by the provincial government, one fare will make it more affordable, easier and convenient for families and workers to travel and put money back in their pockets,” a spokesperson for the province said.
“We’re working closely with our agency partners to eliminate double fares for trips connecting to and from the TTC.”
A summary of the program’s potential impacts suggests it will lead to “an immediate fare relief option” for almost 160,000 daily trips and could boost ridership by 24,000 people.
The Ford government has announced the program, originally set for late 2023, will be implemented in early 2024.
No formal date has been confirmed but the former associate minister of transportation said in September that fare integration would be ready by February 2024.