Quote:
Originally Posted by redforever
But we all pay taxes, and as such, don't crap the bed because someone else uses a service that we both have paid for.
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We all pay taxes, but we don't all pay the same taxes. When I go to Lethbridge and ride a bus or use a washroom or garbage can at a public park, I am being subsidized by the Lethbridge taxpayer.
The transit driver and the electricity powering the train, among other things, is being paid for by the Calgary taxpayer, but not the Okotoks, Cochrane, High Prairie or Oyen taxpayers. They do not share that cost, and it is the Calgary taxpayers' alone to bear.
The reality is that one-offs like once-or-twice-a-year tourists aren't as big an issue as chronic 250-days-a-year bedroom community dwelling users. The latter is a significant group.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flames0910
Not totally related to parking, but is there any reason the city couldn't afford machines that give your quarters back on a $2.50 transit ticket?
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Yes, lack of funding. The good news for you is that this particular gap has been closed, and new fare payment systems will be in place by 2014.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TylerSVT
I've been to Seoul and other major cities in Asian countries and they have it right, you pay a certain fee for transit, you get a discount when you are done riding (say tickets were 4 dollars, when you get to your station you get a refund based up your distance to the next stop. If i went one stop i get 3.75 back, if i went ten stops i get 1 dollar back etc.) Everything is done via turnstyle, the doors close when they want and the trains are ALWAYS on time.
Our system is flawed, they should invest in a better SYSTEM of doing tansit, IE. turnstyles and oyster cards.
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Remember that you're comparing Calgary to a city with 20 times the metro population.
Turnstiles: incremental cost of implementation and operations higher than revenues gained.
Oyster(ish) cards: forthcoming.