Metrolinx board approves 3% fare hike starting this fall

Starting this fall, commuters on GO Transit and the UP Express will be paying more for their trips.

At a Wednesday meeting, the Metrolinxboard of directors approved a threeper cent hike for single-ticket adult fares greater than $5.65an increase that will also apply to student and senior fares and group rates.

• Fare hikes for GO Transit, Union-Pearson Express could be coming this fall

The just-approved fare increases mean taking the express train from Union Station to Pearson International Airport will cost 35 cents more. Similarly, a Gotrain trip from Union toOakvillecurrently costs $8.65 for a one-way adult ticket, but it will jump to $8.90 this fall.

Fares for short-distance trips and loyalty discounts for the Presto card fare, however, won't change.

Chief financial officer RobertSiddallsaid the new services launched by Metrolinxin the last two years are the main reasons behind the increase.

"All those new services have additional operating costs, and what we're putting forward today is what we think is a reasonable fare increase to cover those new services," he told CBC Toronto.

According to a Metrolinx report, infrastructure completed during the last two years includes theGormley Gostation on the Richmond Hill line, Mississauga Transitway's Winston Churchill station, a new storage and maintenance facility at Shirley Avenue in Kitchener, Ont., over 1,000 parking spaces across the transit network, and new station facilities like heated shelters for waiting ridersand pedestrian tunnels.

Fare increase expected to generate $8.5M in revenue

In the report,Metrolinxalso said the fare increase is "not expected to have a material impact on ridership" and would generate roughly $8.5 million in additional revenue for the 2017-2018 year.

Still, word of the impending fare hike prompted blowback online.

The increase comes after fares were frozen earlier this year following regular hikes of about five per cent per year each February from 2013 to 2016.

Itcomes into effect on Sept. 2.