TTC cash fares to go up 10 cents today

Getting around the city by transit will cost more starting Monday as the TTCis set to hike its cash fares.

Cash fares and one-ride Presto tickets are set to go up by 10 cents to $3.35, as part of the TTC's$2.4-billion budget approved by city council earlier this year.

"Revenue from this fare increase, in addition to the City of Toronto's proposed subsidy to the TTC of $958.7 million, will help us ensure the system is reliable, safe and accessible for all Torontonians," the transit commission said.

The increase comes afterthe transit system's recent service adjustments on roughly 40 bus, streetcar and subway routes which came into effect in March.

In addition to the fair hike, eligibility for the Fair Pass Transit Discount program will be expanded to an extra 50,000 people. Fares, however, will remain frozen for monthly pass users and seniors.

The executive director of public transit advocacy groupTTCriderspreviously told CBCToronto the fair hikes are "unacceptable.

"Most transit users are low-income, shift workers, women, racialized people, and they're being asked to pay more," Shelagh Pizey-Allen said when the hikes were announced.

In March, the province announced it would beeliminating fares for trips that connect to GO Transit on most local services. While the policy has already gone into effect on March 14 incertain cities in the GTHA includingBrampton, Mississauga and Hamilton,it doesn't applytothe TTC in Toronto.

"We are working hard to make life more affordable for people in Ontario, and that's why we announced in the 2023 Budget that we will be expanding the elimination of double fares for local transit service when also using GO Transit to include the TTC," said Stan Cho, the associate minister of transportation, in a statement to CBC Toronto Monday.

"While we will have more to say regarding program implementation soon, I am proud to confirm that the initiative will be fully funded by the province and will launch by the end of the year, making transit cheaper for riders in Ontario."