Calgary Public Transit - Discussion

[GirlySports]

Booklets of 10 (or even 20 or 50) should be cheaper than regular fare price. This would get more hybrid WFH people.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Booklets of 10 (or even 20 or 50) should be cheaper than regular fare price. This would get more hybrid WFH people.

That too. I've never understood why they were not.

[lazypucker]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Booklets of 10 (or even 20 or 50) should be cheaper than regular fare price. This would get more hybrid WFH people.

I would buy the booklets if they are at a 20% discount even though I use transit maybe 5 times a year. This would be a money generator for Calgary Transit. I bet quite a number of people will stock up on booklets and will maybe use half of the tickets and forgot about them.

It's like selling gift cards. Statistics has shown that close to 20% of gift cards sold were not redeemed.

[Wormius]

And how about make them permanent, like stamps.

[timun]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

That too. I've never understood why they were not.

They used to be.

[timun]

Originally Posted by Wormius

And how about make them permanent, like stamps.

They are, they made the change ~2019. They no longer carry a dollar figure, just a type of fare (adult, youth).

[Jimmy Stang]

Don’t get me started on the the My Fare app. An unused ticket expires after 7 days. Unused. Easier just to buy the booklets, and almost easier to jangle down the street with a pocket full of change. And you can’t buy an adult and youth fare on the same transaction for some reason. And it constantly logs you out just to compound the hassle.

Definitely time for a better app, and better options for occasional riders. Discounts on 10-packs, lower fares on evenings and weekends when there is surplus capacity, and maybe even something zone-based so it doesn’t cost the same to go one stop as is does to go twenty. I would hop on the train with my kid for an errand, but technically we’d have to spend 12.10 to go from Tuscany to Crowfoot for an hour (tickets are only valid in a single direction). So we’ll just drive.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

Don’t get me started on the the My Fare app. An unused ticket expires after 7 days. Unused. Easier just to buy the booklets, and almost easier to jangle down the street with a pocket full of change. And you can’t buy an adult and youth fare on the same transaction for some reason. And it constantly logs you out just to compound the hassle.

Definitely time for a better app, and better options for occasional riders. Discounts on 10-packs, lower fares on evenings and weekends when there is surplus capacity, and maybe even something zone-based so it doesn’t cost the same to go one stop as is does to go twenty. I would hop on the train with my kid for an errand, but technically we’d have to spend 12.10 to go from Tuscany to Crowfoot for an hour (tickets are only valid in a single direction). So we’ll just drive.

Actually, if you have a payment system installed on your phone, you can buy one nearly instantaneously (hence my random query about whether people would just validate it when they see a transit officer). I think the tickets are better though, since if you buy them from a gas station or grocery store you get some added credit card points on the Scotia visa.



Personally, I'd like to see some family day passes, especially summer and weekends. The buses aren't anywhere near capacity during the day. Make it worthwhile for individuals or families to use transit, instead of driving.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by timun

They are, they made the change ~2019. They no longer carry a dollar figure, just a type of fare (adult, youth).

I guess I haven't bought ticket books for a while. The last time I used one with the dollar figure on it, the driver wanted me to top it off.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

Don’t get me started on the the My Fare app. An unused ticket expires after 7 days. Unused. Easier just to buy the booklets, and almost easier to jangle down the street with a pocket full of change. And you can’t buy an adult and youth fare on the same transaction for some reason. And it constantly logs you out just to compound the hassle.

Definitely time for a better app, and better options for occasional riders. Discounts on 10-packs, lower fares on evenings and weekends when there is surplus capacity, and maybe even something zone-based so it doesn’t cost the same to go one stop as is does to go twenty. I would hop on the train with my kid for an errand, but technically we’d have to spend 12.10 to go from Tuscany to Crowfoot for an hour (tickets are only valid in a single direction). So we’ll just drive.

I find the App pretty good. It pays with Apple Pay in seconds. I’ve never seen the crashing problem. I am quite happy with it.

Tickets are Valid 90 minutes not just one direction but in general probably not enough time to get any errands done. I think looking at the portion of revenue that comes on weekends during the days is worth looking at to just make free. Still charge the bar crowd in the evening but say 9 am - 6 pm free weekends.

I also think over the past month there has been an improvement in train station cleanliness and drug use. It will be interesting if the perception surveys show this.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by GGG

I find the App pretty good. It pays with Apple Pay in seconds. I’ve never seen the crashing problem. I am quite happy with it.

Tickets are Valid 90 minutes not just one direction but in general probably not enough time to get any errands done. I think looking at the portion of revenue that comes on weekends during the days is worth looking at to just make free. Still charge the bar crowd in the evening but say 9 am - 6 pm free weekends.

I also think over the past month there has been an improvement in train station cleanliness and drug use. It will be interesting if the perception surveys show this.

With a bus transfer wasn’t it that you had to board your next leg within 90 minutes of starting your first? Same idea for the app?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jimmy Stang]

I just checked the app for the correct wording and it does say “90 minutes in any direction” now, though I do remember sometime in the last it only being for a single direction. Or maybe that was transfers? Either way, that’s a good thing and I stand corrected.

Of course, the app’s “session expired” message greeted me again and forced me to login again, but perhaps I’m too infrequent with my trips.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

With a bus transfer wasn’t it that you had to board your next leg within 90 minutes of starting your first? Same idea for the app?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The same. With the app once you activate the ticket, it’s valid for 90 minutes of use.

[Wormius]

I am not sure how directionality would even work. Was that a thing?

[GGG]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

With a bus transfer wasn’t it that you had to board your next leg within 90 minutes of starting your first? Same idea for the app?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It’s been quite a while since I had a bus transfer but I thought they were also 90 from initial use but the App for the Bus would be similar as you scan it when you get on the bus so I doubt anyone cares if it expires while on the bus.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by GGG

It’s been quite a while since I had a bus transfer but I thought they were also 90 from initial use but the App for the Bus would be similar as you scan it when you get on the bus so I doubt anyone cares if it expires while on the bus.

On the bus, you just scan when you get on, so you would be fine riding around on the bus after your ticket expires.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

On the bus, you just scan when you get on, so you would be fine riding around on the bus after your ticket expires.

A c-train transit officer check might be different, since the ticket could expire while you're in the midst of a trip, and sometimes they sometimes check on the train or when you're exiting onto the platform. When I had a month pass, I didn't really care, but if your train is stuck or something, there is a chance the ticket will expire. I am not sure how that gray area is dealt with, I would have to assume some judgement from the transit officers.

[Amethyst]

Originally Posted by Wormius

A c-train transit officer check might be different, since the ticket could expire while you're in the midst of a trip, and sometimes they sometimes check on the train or when you're exiting onto the platform. When I had a month pass, I didn't really care, but if your train is stuck or something, there is a chance the ticket will expire. I am not sure how that gray area is dealt with, I would have to assume some judgement from the transit officers.

I was wondering about that today. I had a ticket that probably expired one stop before I got off. But the train kept getting delayed as we went because people weren't letting the doors close. I wondered if it would show, "expired 3 minutes ago," or if it just disappeared.

I agree the app is a pain about signing in. I don't use transit often, so I'm always signed out when I go to buy a ticket. I don't know if it's my phone or the app, but it seems like my password is always wrong and I need to request a new one each time. Frustrating.

[Izzle]

In the transit app, you can access ticket history in the 'History' section of the ticket wallet. Select a particular ticket and it will tell you the date and time that it was activated. Time+90 mins is when the ticket expired.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Amethyst

I was wondering about that today. I had a ticket that probably expired one stop before I got off. But the train kept getting delayed as we went because people weren't letting the doors close. I wondered if it would show, "expired 3 minutes ago," or if it just disappeared.

I agree the app is a pain about signing in. I don't use transit often, so I'm always signed out when I go to buy a ticket. I don't know if it's my phone or the app, but it seems like my password is always wrong and I need to request a new one each time. Frustrating.

When I open the app I have the options of buy tickets or log in to view tickets. I just click buy tickets and don’t log in. I still have a history of all my tickets on my phone.