New Free Fare Transit Policy
Prince George, B.C. – The City of Prince George has approved a policy that sets out when transit rides can be free.
Seen as an opportunity to promote transit use, the old practice of offering “free fare for clean air” during an air quality advisory will be replaced. That practice was seen as problematic, in that it didn’t kick in until the day after the advisory was issued. Instead, the city will have a special “Clean Air Day” that would be promoted and people can plan to take transit.
Also in the new policy, free fare during the entire Bike to Work Week, on general voting days , on National Seniors Day (October 1st) and upon the request for any class in School District 57 and private schools although there are some parameters for that use. The policy also outlines the approval of Food for Fare days as a charity event.
Comments
Free Fare day was not problematic because of delays between air quality advisories and when Free Fare would kick in. Free Fare Days are problematic because regular riders chose NOT to take the bus because of the often belligerent and intoxicated riders that abuse transit on those days. Free Fare Day discourages transit use and anyone who thinks Free Fare Day is a good idea should ride on the #5 or #55 for a few hours and you’ll understand why regular riders who have the option, avoid using transit on those days. It makes you question the benefits when a senior asks if it’s Free Fare Day and when told yes, they often turn away and choose to walk instead.
Interesting points Tomcat55. Seems like for every action there is a (sometimes) not so positive reaction.
Perhaps the Mayor and Council should use the transit system at various times of the day and week and determine for themselves if the above transit policy is the right way to go.
People in Prince George love their cars and trucks and are not exactly in a hurry to ride a bus.
Money for municipalities from BC transit is based on ridership, so could this be the real reason to get the numbers up?? Just askin.
“Free Fare day was not problematic because of delays between air quality advisories and when Free Fare would kick in>”
The purpose of the free fare was to try to reduce the number of cars on the road creating more pollution, typically as a result of kicking up road dust in the spring. We have no ozone problem in this city.
So, the “problem” was that on one or two day events, by the time the numbers were measured and published, the purpose of promoting replacing private cars with using transit was gone.
However, as you stated, there are many other reasons why free transit days were not supported by drivers.
The proposed times make more sense, but will likely not see much of an increase in ridership, if any.
This is not a transit town.
Something about leading a horse to water comes to mind.
The City of Prince George has approved a policy that sets out when transit rides can be free?
This is an inaccurate statement, as transit rides are never free!
On most days, transit rides are massively subsidized! On so called Free Fare Days, a misnomer, transit fares aren’t massively subsidized, they are completely subsidized!
Somebody, somewhere is paying the costs! As the saying goes: “there is no free lunch!”
You are making too much sense! My opinion is that the City should not get involved in transit fare manipulation/elimination schemes at all! If it wants to improve the air quality within city limits it can always use any spare money on making sure that people have better incentives to convert wood stoves to the newer cleaner burning type, rather than reimbursing BCTransit for passengers getting “free” rides.
When someone has to pay for a ticket to ride a bus, the system is no longer 100% subsidized.
It might be subsidized in a large part, but not 100% yet.
The FARE is free. The transportation is not.
The roads which busses and cars and trucks and bikes drive/ride on are all subsidized by the taxpayers as well.
Lots of services are subsidized.
POTUS is trying to figure out how to subsidize medical services south of the border …. Does not seem to have the smarts to do so. They keep saying health care is 1/6th of the US economy.
Mindboggling!
So you think Obama care was the solution? It was fast disintegrating.
So is there a follow up study out there showing free fare days are an actual benefit? Is there actual emphirical data?
Do you want to try setting up an experiment to show that there is or is not a difference? Have fun. LOL.
While your at it perhaps you could get us information on the following.
The increase in traffic because of the new Cameron St., Bridge. Traffic was supposed to increase from 14,000 vehicles per day to 18,000, in two years,.
The number of Wide Body Cargo Jets landing and taking off from the PG Airport. The runway extension was completed in 2009 and I believe that the number at present stands at one (1). The target was something like 1/8 of the Anchorage traffic, which would be something like 70 planes per day.
The actual savings to the City in revenue, and the amount of reduction in greenhouse gas emissions because of our Community Energy System. The price of natural gas plummeted since this project was started so I expect that there are no (or very little monetary savings). Have not heard anything from the City touting how great the greenhouse gas reductions have been.
My guess is the amount is negligible .
Cameron St. Bridge traffic was to increase from 8000 vehicles per day to 14000 vehicles per day, not 14000 to 18000 as stated.
So we can have free fare days based on an assumption, well okay then.
My assumption is that free fare days make not one iota of a difference. Now for your assumption?
Palopu so I guess you knew the world economy was going to tank. The contracts for the runway where already let as the economy tanked.
Air cargo is still in a slow recovery from 2008 and much air cargo has shifted to passenger aircraft. Dynamics of air cargo has changed.
Why are you concerned about greenhouse gas emissions?
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