Time is money: TTC board has approved time-based transfers

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The TTC has approved a time-based transfer for PRESTO users.

According to the TTC’s Executive Director of Communications Brad Ross, the TTC board approved a two-hour transfer starting in August 2018.

TTC board has approved a two-hour time-based transfer for PRESTO card users, starting in Aug 2018.

— Brad Ross (@bradTTC) November 28, 2017

A joint movement between the Mayor and City Councillors pushed the TTC to roll out time-based transfers across the entire transit system for PRESTO users.

Earlier this month, John Tory asked the agency to look at costs associated with introducing this transfer system on all routes next year.

More to come as details become available, but Ross has confirmed the cost of the time-based transfers will be included in their 2018 budget with no addition cost to riders.

As always, the subsidy being sought from council is subject to approval. But the time-based transfer will be roled into our base budget.

— Brad Ross (@bradTTC) November 28, 2017

As well, the reason Ross gives for the 8-month rollout is that is the length of time “PRESTO estimate it will take to make the necessary programming change.”

In a statement to Daily Hive, Metrolinx said it is very supportive of TTC moving to time-based transfers.

“It harmonizes transfers across the region, and it supports fare integration,” said Anne Marie Aikins, Senior Manager, Media.

Aikins added that “while the PRESTO system is designed to offer time-based transfers as a default, the PRESTO system on the TTC was customized to meet the TTC’s original request for a direction-based transfer policy, which was unique among PRESTO-enabled agencies.”

Metrolinx will now need to reverse these customizations and change the central system, subsystems and all devices that are used across the TTC. It will also need to test the changes to make sure they work properly.

Costs are yet to be determined, but Metrolinx is “committed to ensuring that we roll out time-based transfers as efficiently and quickly as possible as we prioritize many other planned upgrades requested by the TTC under our master agreement.”

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