New Calgary Transist Fares...

[PsYcNeT]

That's all dependant on where you get on of course. I work in Highfield Industrial and I ride from 39th Ave to Brentwood, then hop the 20 or 73 for 10 min. Takes less than 45 min to get home everyday (at 5 PM).

Takes the exact same amount of time getting home by car, longer if theres snow/rain/traffic. Doesn't matter what route you take, Glenmore to Crowchild, Zoo Bridge to Memorial to 14th St, Deerfoot (shudder)...they are all terrible drives and far more stressful than the train. Gettting from SE to NW is awful.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Dion

Someone hasn't ridden the train during rush hour. It's like being in a sardine can with riders fighting for thier inch of space on each car

I've gotten laid so many times during rush hour on the train, that I would rival Wilt Chamberlan.

Except most of the time I don't know it until I get off of the train.

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I've gotten laid so many times during rush hour on the train, that I would rival Wilt Chamberlan.

Except most of the time I don't know it until I get off of the train.

That was me. You're welcome.

[Bobblehead]

No mention of the new $3 parking fee. I wonder if that is because many of the lots will need work to set up some sort of payment system.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Except most of the time I don't know it until I get off of the train.

You didn't know you got off on the train, until you got off the train?

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

You didn't know you got off on the train, until you got off the train?

A little of A a little of B

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by FireFly

That was me. You're welcome.

Wow, you'd think I would remember the single greatest event of my life

[OutOfTheCube]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

$50.00 per month insurance plus gas that can be used at your convenience?

Maybe thirty years ago...

[Byrns]

How long is the grace period on the old tickets?

[ken0042]

I don't think there is a "grace period"- they are valid for full fares.

At least I know that I was using old tickets as long as 4 months after the fact and no bus driver ever said anything. (I don't take transit very often.)

[fredr123]

nm

[Pagal4321]

I think it was done earlier in the thread. But if each ticket is worth $2.30, then it would require you to ride the train more than 36 times in a month for a monthly pass to be worth it.

So say you take the train to and from work, for the 21 business days, it would be worth it. But if you get a ride for 3 of those days, it's no longer worth it.

[CFENT]

Originally Posted by Pagal4321

I think it was done earlier in the thread. But if each ticket is worth $2.30, then it would require you to ride the train more than 36 times in a month for a monthly pass to be worth it.

So say you take the train to and from work, for the 21 business days, it would be worth it. But if you get a ride for 3 of those days, it's no longer worth it.

Correct me if i'm wrong, but don't you get a $15 tax credit on a monthly pass bringing the cost from $83 to $68.

[pepper24]

Originally Posted by ken0042

I also think they are doing it wrong by punishing the monthly riders. Keep the passes low, the tickets about the same, and raise the price of the cash fare if you have to raise prices.

As it stands now with 19 or 20 work days per month; it will cost with the new fares $95-100 for cash, $87-92 for tickets, or $83 for the month. Once you have somebody who's hubby picks them up a few times per month, or may call in sick once and suddenly its not worth it. Of course CT figures the Monday-Friday commuters will also be using the pass on the weekends too.

Good points but you're forgetting the tax credit for monthly passes which aren't available for cash or ticket booklets. That's a big perk of monthly passes.

[Phaneuf3]

Originally Posted by CFENT

Correct me if i'm wrong, but don't you get a $15 tax credit on a monthly pass bringing the cost from $83 to $68.

i believe its a non-refundable credit so you get the full value of it times the lowest personal tax rate deducted. apparently in 2006 that rate was 15.25% so for the $83 pass that would be about $12.

of course its been a while since i've done any financial classes or even done my taxes by hand so... take with a grain of salt.

[pepper24]

Originally Posted by malcolmk14

Isn't the fine only $150? Get caught six times a year (would never happen if you take transit during rush hours) and it's worth it.

When I used to take the train daily to work I'd still get checked a few times a year during rush hour, though not as often as slower periods. I also recall that the first few days of each month they seemed to check more often to catch folks that didn't renew their monthly passes.

For the 5-10 times per year they'd check me plus the humilation of getting busted I'd personally pay the pass. Also, don't forget you get a tax credit for monthly passes which changes the equation.

[TurnedTheCorner]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Have you been to edmonton? Their transit system is horrendous it takes hours to get anywhere and their train caters to like 20% of the city and is useless to anyone else. It's terrible.

Sounds almost word for word like our system. Except for the 20%.

The only way our transit system could be more frustrating would be if stops were removed altogether. You already don't know if the system is running or if it is on time. Removing stops would make the thing a 100% crap shoot. Make it happen, CT ######bags.

[Caged Great]

they already did with the one they're upgrading downtown.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by pepper24

When I used to take the train daily to work I'd still get checked a few times a year during rush hour, though not as often as slower periods. I also recall that the first few days of each month they seemed to check more often to catch folks that didn't renew their monthly passes.

For the 5-10 times per year they'd check me plus the humilation of getting busted I'd personally pay the pass. Also, don't forget you get a tax credit for monthly passes which changes the equation.

Seriously? You got checked 5-10 times per year?
In a little more than 5 years taking the train to work every day, I have NEVER had my ticket checked. Not once.

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by TurnedTheCorner

Sounds almost word for word like our system. Except for the 20%.

The only way our transit system could be more frustrating would be if stops were removed altogether. You already don't know if the system is running or if it is on time. Removing stops would make the thing a 100% crap shoot. Make it happen, CT ######bags.

Off topic a bit, but I would like to see CT revamp their website and trip planning. Yes, they just did a facelift but there are more substantive changes that need to be made.

1. Ditch their current map system. Most of the time you can't tell what you're looking at anyway. Adopt and embrace google maps. CT can piggyback on Google's work and have maps that convey useful information for once. Google is already incorporating transit schedules for other major cities and has the train stops mapped already so why not?

2. GPS on buses. I'm sitting at my stop and I call up the Teleride number. Next bus in 1 minutes. Following bus in 31 minutes. You never know if that elusive next bus rolled by a little earlier than usual or if it's 12 minutes behind schedule. Could be either. With some routes, it could be canceled altogether. And how many times have you been waiting around downtown for, say, the 301 and it doesn't come. Doesn't come. Doesn't come. And then three show up in a friggin' caravan.

3. How about a CT mobile site for your phone? Doesn't have to be a iPhone app (although how hard would that be if the above stuff was already implemented?) but make useful transit infomration available while you're on the go. Most phones have GPS so build that in to the app too. It could tell you where the nearest stops are, how long until the next bus and how far to your destination. It could buzz you when it's time to get off the bus in case you're not sure where/when your stop/transfer is.