TTC seeks to raise fares by 10 cents in 2020 budget proposal

The Toronto Transit Commission wants to increase fares by 10 cents in it’s proposed 2020 operating budget for the transit service.

In a report released on Friday, the proposed fare-increase would be effective on March 1, 2020.

Adult Presto card fares would increase to $3.20. Senior and youth Presto fares are facing the same increase, while a monthly adult Presto pass would spike by five dollars.

Adult cash fares would be exempted from the increase.

The commission is hoping to raise about $31.4 million from the increase.

About 59 per cent of the commission’s funding comes from passenger fares, 37 per cent comes from the city, with the remaining 4 per cent from ancillary revenue sources and reserve draws, the report said.

“Our proposed operating budget for next year is $2.14 billion, an increase of nearly $85 million, or 4.1 per cent over 2019,” TTC CEO Rick Leary said in a statement Friday.

Leary said he knows fare increases are “never popular” but are necessary “to support the service we have” and to pay for “the enhancements to support city-building goals.”

The proposed fare changes follow a similar 10 cent increase in 2019.

The operating budget also includes new recommendations that stemmed from a report from the Ombudsman regarding inclusivity and a fare evasion report from the Auditor General.

It includes the addition of 50 revenue protection staff, an implementation of an anti-racism strategy and a new complaints process.

The budget says the revenue protection initiative is expected to generate $7 million.