New Calgary transit fees.

[CaptainCrunch]

If you look at $3.00 per day $15.00 per week x 52 weeks which is 780 per year
If the bus passes go from 75 to 90 a month over 12 months thats $180.00, or 360 if two people are taking the bus.
Then the increase of $660.00 for property taxes.

Not including user fee increases which will effect every one, a average home owning family with two people taking the train to work daily is going to add $1800.00 per year in increases to their after tax income. with user fee increases on utilities, garbage collection, water etc, its going to represent a significant increase that might not hurt middle and upper class families as much as its going to crush those families that would be considered low income. If the energy sector does whats expected which is purge a bunch of jobs, its going to have an even greater effect. I have no problem with increases even a bit above inflation when times are good, but when everythings sinking, city council has to be out of their cotton picking minds.

Combine that with the fact that increasing rider fees, and adding parking fees is going to decrease the number of casual riders of the transit system, as the option of taking a crowded smelly train full of angry impatient people is not going to be as appealing as it was before because of the increased costs while we're not getting much in terms of increased services, which means actual train revenue could in theory drop.

Great plan city.

[taco.vidal]

$3 is fine. $5 would sound better.

You want to use a service, then pay for it. Otherwise, walk or take the bus to the train.

As for parking in surrounding neighbourhoods - Im sure residents nearby are already on the phone to their aldermen and parking restrictions and residential passes are going to be implemented.

People have no one to blame but themselves. You drove the demand for builders to build boxes in the burbs. Dont expect everyone else to subsidize you.

[Madman]

Originally Posted by taco.vidal

$3 is fine. $5 would sound better.

You want to use a service, then pay for it. Otherwise, walk or take the bus to the train.

As for parking in surrounding neighbourhoods - Im sure residents nearby are already on the phone to their aldermen and parking restrictions and residential passes are going to be implemented.

People have no one to blame but themselves. You drove the demand for builders to build boxes in the burbs. Dont expect everyone else to subsidize you.

I wonder how much those signs are going to cost?

Maybe there should be a user fee on those placed on the people in the neighborhoods where they are going. It is afterall their fault for living so close to the LRT station.

[Ethaniel]

Originally Posted by taco.vidal

$3 is fine. $5 would sound better.

You want to use a service, then pay for it. Otherwise, walk or take the bus to the train.

As for parking in surrounding neighbourhoods - Im sure residents nearby are already on the phone to their aldermen and parking restrictions and residential passes are going to be implemented.

People have no one to blame but themselves. You drove the demand for builders to build boxes in the burbs. Dont expect everyone else to subsidize you.

Some people just do not understand.

[Superflyer]

Originally Posted by Ethaniel

How do you know exactly where this money is going? do you work for the government and thus benefiting from the gym
As it stands right now they are adding 9 transit officers to help protect us as passengers and our vehicles. Like 9 Officers is going to protect/do anything in a city of this size. We are already paying said amount of money via the Budget and Taxes to extend the CTrain cars to being 4 in length. As it stands right now the City has not told us what this money is directly for.

7 people I work with have had their vehicles broken into in the past 3 weeks.

I don't know where the money is going, I have to trust what has been said, and yes I know what is said and what is done are diffrent things but whatever.
This has been gone over for a few months now and it has been reported in the news that long as well. All along they said that most of the money will go to improvements for transit, including busses and LRT cars, as well as adding security patrols to the lots. This really all came around because people were complaining that cars were getting broken into alot at these lots and something needed to be done about it and the city said the money had to come from somewhere, voila you want the security to park there then pay for it.

[Rhettzky]

Originally Posted by Madman

I wonder how much those signs are going to cost?

Maybe there should be a user fee on those placed on the people in the neighborhoods where they are going. It is afterall their fault for living so close to the LRT station.

As was pointed out earlier... most of these signs are already in place. There was a parking problem before this and surely there will be some more following it but hardly to the extent some might think.

[Thunderball]

As well, since the city is content to penalize cleaner transportation... I'm surprised they have overlooked bicycles. Why not charge people for bicycle licenses and bicycle registration.... something like $75 a shot, like automobiles. Hey, its just $150, why should it matter, if cyclists are on the road, shouldn't they have proven knowledge of the rules of the road, proven competency, and a decent bike?

Instead of a sticker, they sell special "City of Calgary" bike helmets that have to be replaced every 2-3 years. Keeps people safe and generates a profit!

[Ethaniel]

You know what amazes me.

The fact that regular transit users are ok spending about $1200 more dollars out of their pocket next year. I understand it is for said items, but that is $1200 you didn't spend this year.

[taco.vidal]

Youve got to draw the line somewhere. Part of the premise behind transit is that everyone pays the same (for the most part). It doesnt matter if you take the bus for two stops or you take the bus across town, you pay the same. But at some point youve got to charge extra for some services and only charge those who use those services. Thats where multi-zone fairs come into the picture as well as paid-for parking.

This is about the only recent decision the city has gotten right. I'll email my alderman right away since I can finally email him about something positive.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by Ethaniel

You know what amazes me.

The fact that regular transit users are ok spending about $1200 more dollars out of their pocket next year. I understand it is for said items, but that is $1200 you didn't spend this year.

I would argue that the number of people in your particular situation (people that need to both use transit and utilize the park and ride) is quite low. Of course that's just me guessing, but I imagine most people who are currently using the park in ride are only doing so because they happen to be using transit early in the morning and the parking stalls are open.

[Rhettzky]

Originally Posted by Ethaniel

You know what amazes me.

The fact that regular transit users are ok spending about $1200 more dollars out of their pocket next year. I understand it is for said items, but that is $1200 you didn't spend this year.

Only 10% of transit users utilize the parking provided at LRT's. That's hardly the regular user.

There are more than 14,000 spaces in the transit lots, which are used by less than 10 per cent of Calgary Transit customers, according to Wong.

[Ethaniel]

Originally Posted by Russic

I would argue that the number of people in your particular situation (people that need to both use transit and utilize the park and ride) is quite low. Of course that's just me guessing, but I imagine most people who are currently using the park in ride are only doing so because they happen to be using transit early in the morning and the parking stalls are open.

This includes all Park and Rides across the city. All those direct bus routes are effected by this as well.

[Ethaniel]

Originally Posted by Rhettzky

Only 10% of transit users utilize the parking provided at LRT's. That's hardly the regular user.

Also 14,000 spaces utilized 10% of transit users utilize this BECAUSE THERE IS NO MORE PARKING AVAILABLE !!!!!!

[Russic]

Originally Posted by Kerplunk

Ya, I sometimes wish they would go to a tagging system or something (since we are on the topic of paying for what you use). The places around me spew out 3+ bags a week, while I go through one every 3 or 4 weeks.

I realize i'm a little late with this one, but I've been wondering this for years. It's embarrassing when I have friends visit from out of town and they find out Calgary doesn't have a garbage bag max.

[OilersBaby]

Originally Posted by Pagal4321

I'm pretty pissed off right now. I use the Park & Ride lots everyday, and now I'll be trying to find alternatives.

$150 bucks a month to take the TRAIN? And here I'm complaining about $75 a month.

Anyone selling any parking spots downtown?

Wow that seems crazy! You might as well just park downtown or wherever you work then right? How much is parking downtown?

[RedHot25]

Originally Posted by OilersBaby

Wow that seems crazy! You might as well just park downtown or wherever you work then right? How much is parking downtown?

Comparatively, though, it seems about average/in the ball park of other canadian cities though?

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showpos...&postcount=125

[Superflyer]

Originally Posted by Ethaniel

You know what amazes me.

The fact that regular transit users are ok spending about $1200 more dollars out of their pocket next year. I understand it is for said items, but that is $1200 you didn't spend this year.

It is because people that ride transit know that it is not great, so they are willing to shell out a few extra bucks to hope that it get improved.

This makes me wonder, out of the people that are voting yes or no, how many people are using transit?

I say yes and I take transit twice a day.

[Phaneuf3]

Originally Posted by Ethaniel

You know what amazes me.

The fact that regular transit users are ok spending about $1200 more dollars out of their pocket next year. I understand it is for said items, but that is $1200 you didn't spend this year.

huh? wait wat? I might have missed something cause I didn't read the whole thread.
I am a regular transit user. The price of a bus pass is going up by $5 a month next year, right?
$5 * 12 = $60
I'm not overjoyed about it - but I'm ok with it.

Most 'regular transit users', in the two areas I've lived in while commuting downtown anyway, don't use park & ride when commuting to work which is where I'm assuming you get the bulk of your $1200/year figure.

[Madman]

Originally Posted by Superflyer

It is because people that ride transit know that it is not great, so they are willing to shell out a few extra bucks to hope that it get improved.

This makes me wonder, out of the people that are voting yes or no, how many people are using transit?

I say yes and I take transit twice a day.

So you think the addition of the parking fee will improve Calgary Transit? How? It won't pay for the upgrade of nearly every station to handle 4 cars. It won't pay to have parking lots monitored.

That's the thing. If the City said, "With the $3 parking fee, we will do X", then I could see people perhaps getting on board - depending on what X was of course. But a blanket $3 user fee, plus an increase in rates that really do nothing for the everyday rider is what I find stupid.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by fotze

But will you be paying the $3?

I say yes, but that's because I take transit and won't be paying the $3.

This is key. Better to make money off the park and rides and piss off a small group of people and lessen the hit on property taxes (and piss everybody off).