Comment 124296

By mdrejhon (registered) - website | Posted November 16, 2018 at 15:52:23

Great article about the long uphill battle with area rating --

I kept seeing many people elsewhere bringing up Union-Pearson Express (UPX) as an excuse not to build Hamilton LRT, I think it's worth commenting:

UPX ridership has grown 4x-5x what it was originally -- so a ridership success to point out to people who think UPX is a failure. While it'll never be profitable, it's now roughly in-line with the rough ballpark of TTC and GO, unlike most North American transit systems where the farebox recovery is abysmal.

The reversal in how UPX fares -- and that it is money losing -- also applies to TTC, HSR, and GO, as is the typical transit agency to require a farebox subsidy.

Although that was not originally the goal of UPX to lose money operationally, it is now. However, not everyone realizes that it's how municipal transit service works. Based on quick math, the UPX farebox recovery for the five-figure ridership is in a trajectory that appears to be stabilizing into the same ballpark of TTC/GO -- between 50% and 75%.

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