Abstract: Public subsidies have been used to improve the quality and quantity of transit service in Canadian cities during the 1970s. With the prospect that subsidies will now level off and to maintain the new financial equilibrium, fares and services will need to be adjusted in ways that occurred in the 1950s. Possibly the most damaging impact of the 1970 policy was the flat fare, a concept which now requires a change for peak-hour services and for express commuter and charter operations. Increase in labor rates, although less than generally assumed, has been combined with reduced driver productivity resulting from changing work conditions and travel demand. While the experience of the past decade would indicate that the marginal cost to attract the marginal rider has been generally increasing, urban areas must develop a policy on the cost that they will pay to attract added ridership. Transit agencies must consolidate their financial positions in their communities. The industry must address the real rise in transit fares that seems destined to continue. They also must devise new ways to improve the efficiency of their vehicles and productivity of their workers.
Publication Year: 1981
Publication Date: 1981-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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