Alberta has committed $6 million toward subsidizing bus passes for low-income riders. The city will wait for more details before commenting.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
The province will dedicate $6 million toward low-income transit passes in mid-sized and smaller communities including Medicine Hat as it expands a program previously limited to major cities.
That had been a wish of Medicine Hat city council during the last term as it struggled to bring in more revenue to the highly taxpayer subsidized service, but it is not yet known how the money can be used.
Alberta’s Seniors, Community and Social Services Minister Jeremy Nixon made the announcement in Banff, where the local council as well as Canmore provides no-cost bus fare for residents.
A total of $15 million will be extended this year to continue with $9 million in funding for ongoing pilot projects in Calgary and Edmonton.
The remainder goes to smaller centres with transit operations.
Nixon called the move part of a package of measures aimed at affordability during highly inflationary times.
“Thousands of Albertans rely on public transit … but with inflation eating away at their budgets, even a transit pass is becoming more and more difficult,” he said.
“Alberta’s government is committed to helping Albertans move through their communities to access their jobs, education and health care.”
Municipalities would be informed directly of allotments and requirements for the money, said Nixon.
Officials with the City of Medicine Hat reserved comment until more was known, but Canmore Mayor Sean Krausert said it would help with “foundational” operating costs.
“It makes it more sustainable into the future,” he told the news conference. “It bolsters and entrenches the low transit pass,” and allows in-place funding to be spent elsewhere to improve service.
“It helps the whole system and makes dollars go further,” he said.
Ten communities outside Calgary and Edmonton already offer a low-income transit pass program. Medicine Hat introduced its “fair entry” discount in the new city budget approved in December.
Nixon said the money could aid in expanding and creating low-income pass systems in 12 more communities that operate transit systems, but don’t currently offer discount programs. Those include Lethbridge, Red Deer, Okotoks, and Fort McMurray.
Cities that offer lower fares already include Airdrie, St. Albert, Grande Prairie, Strathcona County (Sherwood Park) and Ft. Saskatchewan.
Last December, Medicine Hat council approved a plan to expand the city’s “Fair Entry” low income discounts to transit passes.
For those who qualify under localized Statistics Canada income benchmarks, the cost of a monthly bus pass would be reduced by 75 per cent starting with February’s pass.
That would reduce the cost of an adult pass from $70.50 per month to $17.60, a youth pass from $38.75 to $9.70 and a senior’s pass from $43.75 to about $11.
A full-time adult student pass typically costs $61, but could be reduced to $15.25.
Residents must apply and be approved for discounts.
