Free bus fares earlier this year made a big difference, according to a local advocacy group.
Thunder Bay Transit waived fares from March 21st to July 20th because many people weren’t able to work due to the pandemic.
Paul Berger is a member of Poverty Free Thunder Bay, which surveyed over 400 people this summer and found most respondents benefited from not paying for tickets or passes. They released their findings Monday morning.
“They had money for food, better food, more nutritious food, fruits and vegetables. They were able to visit their kids, they felt less shut-in, they were less stressed about all kinds of things related to fares,” Berger explains.
Fellow Poverty Free member Tracey MacKinnon says for her, free rides allowed her to save around $40 each month and spend that on things like fresh fruit that she normally had to pass up.
“They’re both equally important, but then it came down to necessities” like paying for transit, MacKinnon points out.
Berger adds fares only pay for 30 per cent of transit costs, so it shouldn’t be difficult for the city to find another source of funding to make up the difference.
“We can do better, we can transform Thunder Bay, we can have vision, seize an opportunity, and before we spend a whole bunch of money on an electronic fare system, let’s really seriously consider fare-free, which will be fair for everybody,” Berger says.
He estimates paying for transit entirely through property taxes would add $100 per year to the average homeowner’s bill. However, he points out any home with a senior or student is likely already paying around $50 per month on passes.
The group released a report with their recommendations. It includes dropping fares from $3 to $2 starting in the new year, and offering fare-free rides every fourth Friday in the month in 2021.
The next step would be reducing fares to $1 on January 1st, 2022, and making every Friday in 2022 fare-free. The group wants to see transit fully free January 1st, 2023.
Berger says phasing in fare-free will benefit riders right away, but give Transit enough time to adjust to increased ridership while tax rates are adjusted over several years.
He admits the group only has tentative plans to bring their requests to City Council, and is hoping at least one Councilor will champion their cause and bring forward a motion.
