Saint John’s new transit rates – deal or no deal?
Saint John Transit announced it’s new rates today. Below is the official message:
A Message to Our Passengers
Due to a substantial increase in fuel costs over the last year, Saint John Transit is requesting an increase in fares for all bus services, including Comex. We submitted our 2009 budget to Common Council, which requests that an increase in fares commence January 1, 2009. An application to increase fares for the Comex service has also been made to the Motor Carrier Board.
Over the last several months, we have seen significant increases in the price of diesel fuel. Saint John
Transit has been prudently managing our budgets and in fact, we have not requested an increase since August 1, 2005. The fluctuations in diesel fuel costs have necessitated that we re-evaluate our fare structure.
The fares for transit services within the city of Saint John will be as follows:
| Fare Type | To December 31, 2008 | As of January 1, 2009 |
| Adult Cash Fare (15yrs+) | $2.25 | $2.50 |
| Senior Cash Fare | $2.00 | $2.25 |
| Child Cash Fare (ages 6-14) | $2.00 | $2.25 |
| Transcards (Adult) | $18 (for 10 rides) | $20 (for 10 rides) |
| Transcards (Adult) | $35 (for 20 rides) | $40 (for 20 rides) |
| Transcards (Seniors and Students) | $15.50 (for 10 rides) | $17 (for 10 rides) |
| Transcards (Seniors and Students) | $30 (for 20 rides) | $35 (for 20 rides) |
| Monthly Pass (Adult) | $59 | $65 |
| Monthly Pass (Students) | $49 | $55 |
| Monthly Pass (Seniors) | $39 | $45 |
Proposed increases to Comex fares, pending the approval of the Motor Carrier Board, are as follows:
| Fare Type | Current | Proposed |
| Cash Fare (All ages) | $3.00 | $3.25 |
| Transcards (All ages) | $27 (for 10 rides) | $30 (for 10 rides) |
| Transcards (All ages) | 49 (for 20 rides) | $55 (for 20 rides) |
| Monthly Pass (All ages) | $89 | $99 |
Now, you may be wondering why I am asking the question – deal or no deal?
Well a comment by James M on the Telegraph-Journal’s website made me really look at the numbers. Then I went and checked the Saint John Transit website to be sure it wasn’t a typo. No, their PDF is the same.
Look closely at the before and after costs for Seniors and Students Transcards. Look at the costs between buying a 10 ride card and a 20 ride card. Yes, you are reading that correctly.
Seniors and Students will soon pay MORE if they purchase one 20 ride Transcard instead of two 10 ride Transcards. Before, they would save a dollar by buying a 20 ride Transcard. Now, they will pay an extra dollar!
The Adult Transcards have also changed, before you would save a dollar by buying a 20 ride Transcard. Now the cost is the same, which removes the incentive to buy a 20 ride card.
It makes me wonder there is no longer any incentive to buy a 20 ride card, and it raises the question – deal or no deal?
for me its better to just buy the monthly adult pass.
Just going to and from work 5 days a week. I save at least 25 bucks a month (if I were paying full fare).
But then I’d save even more for the trips you make to the stores, malls, friends, whatever.
Bus times are pretty decent here. Grab your pass, your ipod and go! It’s the green thing to do! Just sucks that everything keeps going up and up and up.
But taking the bus is still cheaper than putting gas in your own car every week!
The incentive of the Transcard is to get a lower “per use” rate while receiving a “convenience” benefit. The convenience benefit with a 20 ride card is twice a 10 ride card and should worth a dollar. However, The transit commission maybe adding printing costs with this shift in pricing with users buying 2 x 10 ride cards to save a buck.
Fare Type New SJ Moncton Fred Halifax Ottawa Toronto
Adult Cash $2.50 $2.00 $1.75 $2.00 $3.00 $2.75
Senior Cash $2.25 $2.00 $1.75 $1.40 $3.00 $1.85
Child Cash $2.25 $2.00 $1.75 $1.40 $1.50 $0.70
(Adult) 10 $20.00 $18.00 $16.00 ——- $20.00 $22.50
(Adult) 20 $40.00 $34.50 ——- $32.00 $40.00 —
(Sen) 10 $17.00 $18.00 $16.00 ——- $20.00 $15.00
(Sen) 20 $35.00 $34.50 ——- $23.00 $40.00 —
Monthly(Adult) $65.00 $58.00 $65.00 $60.00 $81.00 $100.00
Monthly(Stud) $55.00 $44.00 $40.00 $42.00 $62.65 $84.00
Monthly(Sen) $45.00 $44.00 $55.00 $54.00 $30.40 $84.00