Fares Fair – TransLink’s Fares Compared
The following is aAi??Ai??comparison of TransLink’s fares, with other cities in Canada and the USA with LRT/metro and bus systems. Included are cash fares only (as advertised Sept. 4/09) as every city offers weekly, monthly, annual and Tourist passes, all withAi??Ai??varying discounts. Also please note: Ai??Ai??Toronto’s cash fare & 90 minute transfer covers an area roughly the size of Ai??Ai??TransLink’s 3-zones!
San Fransisco’s BART metro fares are calculated from journey distance and a fare card is needed to ride, but there are exceptions.
TransLink (Metro, bus, Seabus)
ZoneAi??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??AdultAi??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Concession
zone 1Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai?? $2.50Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai?? $1.75Ai??Ai?? (90 minute transfer)
zone 2Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai?? $3.75Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??$2.50Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai?? “
zone 3Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??$5.00Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai?? $3.50Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??”
CalgaryAi??Ai?? (LRT, bus)
AdultAi??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai?? Youth
$2.50Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai?? $1.75Ai??Ai?? (90 minute transfer)
Toronto (Metro streetcar bus)
Transfer for continious trip only
AdultAi??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai?? Senior/StudentAi??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai?? Child
$2.75Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai?? $1.85Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??$0.70
Portland (LRT, bus)
ZoneAi??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??AdultAi??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Honoured CitizenAi??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Child
In Canadian funds
All zoneAi??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai?? $2.50Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai?? $1.05Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??$1.65
2 zoneAi??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai?? $2.18
1 zoneAi??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??$2.18
San Fransico (Metro, streetcar, bus, NOT cable car)
In Canadian funds
AdultAi??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai?? Discount
$2.20Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai?? $0.85Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai??Ai?? (90 minute transfer)
Cable Car
$5.45
If you’re transferring from BART to Muni, you can obtain a transfer at an automated machine near the BART exit. This transfer is worth a 25-cent discount on the regular Muni fare.
BART
Fare calculated on distance travelled.Ai??Ai?? Minimum one station trip $3.00; Maximum fare SFO to Pittsburg Bay point $11.90
When we were in Long Beach California years ago, the transit available was much better… One ticket (I think it was $2.25) a person and lasted quite a long time (maybe the day but I don’t recall), worked on the metro, the on grade trains, and the bus system. We took it from Long Beach to Hollywood, where it connected up with other subway systems… It was convenient and easy to use. Fare here seem expensive, and I think it has to do with as you point out, translink building unsustainable skytrain systems when they don’t have the ridership to support them, leading to high fares and translink reaching as far into the tax payers pocket as they can… I think they’ve almost cleaned them out though… The thing I kept hearing on the radio however, was everyone figured that translink was out of money simply from fare evaders, and they need turnstiles… I really don’t think this is the problem, from what I’ve read here, and other places… I really think the public needs some more education on this, to clear out the myths out there from translink and the skytrain lobby… Unfortunetely not everyone reads your blog. The word needs to get out.
Zweisystem replies: A transportation expert from the UK told Zweisystem 20 years ago; “if you build subways and metros on routes that do not have the ridership to support them two things will happen:
1) Heavy subsidies must be paid to the metro and
2) Higher fares must be paid on the transit system
There is a myth that there is massive fare evasion on SkyTrain. TransLink’s admits to 2% fare evasion, which is less than cities with metros guarded by turnstiles and fare gates! With 80% of SkyTrain ridership first taking a bus to the metro and bus drivers are very good in making one pay his/hers fair fare, the 2% fare evasion claim is somewhat believable.
That’s the way I understand it too, and I’ve read that the cost of installing turnstiles would be greater then the loss by current fare evaders, and that was why Translink hadn’t implemented them… Well I heard on the radio the other day that they are now planning on installing them, so this seems to me like more of a waste of money that could be invested in building sustainable transit that actually meets the need, rather then their political photo op choices.