[OAC_Sparky]

2001 ZTS,Apr 26 2008, 04:46 PM Wrote:If I were confrontational I would say labour costs, good thing I am not  :lol: [right][snapback]263002[/snapback][/right]

Labour costs are also a reflection of the cost of living in Toronto.

DO you believe that the only people that should be allowed to own a house in Toronto are stock brokers, doctors and lawyers?

An average modest house in TO would be about $300G. Can't really afford that on $10 an hour.

The real reasons that the TTC isn't self supporting --

1 ) The fares haven't kept pace with the change in the cost of living. Back in 1986, I was stationed at the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College at Yonge Blvd and Wilson, and lived in barracks at the Downsview base, the cost of an adult monthly Metropass was $85 a month. Today, 22 years later, that same Metropass is -- what? Yeah, $109 a month. So in 22 years the pass has increased by 28%. Now, I know for a fact that (because the child support I pay for my 2 oldest kids increases directly proportional to the cost of living) that the cost of living has increased 29% since 1995 alone. (So figure it out -- 9 years of unadjusted cost of living increases).

2 ) Fuel prices are up even more proportionately as part of the cost of living.

http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/Content/HOC/committ.../instrp05-e.pdf

Quote:The average price of regular gasoline in Canada in 1986 — when the oil and gas. industry was deregulated in Canada — was approximately 48¢ per litre ...

So, ignoring the recent pas price spike to $1.24 a litre, even at $.99 a litre that's a 100% rise in fuel cost.

3 ) The increase in the cost of equipment and parts. (Vehicles have at least doubled in price)

4 ) The increase in the size of service coverage in 20 years of urban growth, and a new subway line.

5 ) Yes, increased labour costs, but since 1986 minimum wage has also increased by more than 42%. The recent wage increases that TTC workers are not much above the annual inflation rate.

If the TTC wanted to be self-sustaining, the monthly fare should be somewhere around $200 a month. Which, considering the price of a car, insurance, gas, parking is still a bargain.