Toronto will begin capping fares next year, the mayor has announced, letting people ride buses, streetcars and subways for free after a certain number of trips every month.
Mayor Olivia Chow announced Monday that fare capping would be introduced next September, charging riders for their first 47 trips in a calendar month.
“We’re making life more affordable for people who rely on transit,” she said in a statement.
“With fare capping, you pay as you go, and once you’ve taken 47 trips in a month, the rest of your rides are free. No more deciding whether you can afford a monthly pass upfront. No more overpaying if you don’t ride enough to make a pass worth it.”
The move is something transit advocates have been pushing for for years. It’s already policy in other major cities like New York and London, essentially introducing an automatic travel pass for regular riders.
Beginning next September, riders will stop paying after 47 trips in a month. The next year, the cap will be lowered to 40, the mayor’s office said.
It will work using Presto, debit and credit cards and work for all fare types, such as adults and youth.
“Fare capping represents a fundamental shift in how Torontonians pay for transit,” TTC Chair Jamaal Myers said. “It builds on the TTC’s successful roll out of Open Payments.”
The advocacy group TTCRiders welcomed the move, which it has lobbied for repeatedly.
“This is a major victory for transit riders after years of grassroots advocacy,” said Andrew Pulsifer, the group’s executive director.
“Riders tell us again and again that the cost of transit is a barrier to getting around the city. Today’s announcement is a direct result of thousands of people speaking up, signing petitions, sharing their stories, and demanding a fairer system.”
Chow has already announced fares will remain frozen next year as part of the upcoming budget process.