Council kills C-Train park-and-ride fee

Low-income Calgarians and those who use the city's LRT park-and-ride lots will benefit from two big changes to next year's budget.

City council voted Wednesday to reduce the cost of the low-income transit pass.

The budget originally called for the pass to go up to $45 a month from $41.50. Instead, it's being lowered to $40.

Ald. Brian Pincott said the gesture is small, but it will be worth a lot to some people.

"For a family living in poverty, that $5 is food for one day. That's the difference that we just made," said Pincott. "For 6,000 people in Calgary who use that pass every month, that's food for one day."

Vibrant Communities Calgary director Dan Meades argued against an increase to the pass price on Tuesday, calling it "the difference between getting to the doctor and not."

Council is allowing an earlier approved increase to the regular monthly bus pass to go ahead. It will cost $90 a month next year, up $4.75.

Park-and-ride fee gone in April

Council has also voted 10-5 to kill daily fees at the LRT park-and-ride lots.

Many Calgarians have told the city that a $3-a-day fee is punishing for C-Train commuters.

That fee has been used to improve security and conditions in the parking lots, but many see it as a nuisance.

Instead of overflowing, the park-and-ride lots are now one-third to half empty as people choose to park elsewhere or drive.

Nenshi said the city shouldn't discourage transit use, but that that's what the fee does.

Some members of council, however, were worried about giving up the estimated $6.1 million a year in revenue the fee brings in.

That move brought the projected property tax hike back up to 6.2 per cent, but budget deliberations continue.

The fee will be removed in April, subject to conditions. One of those conditions is the development of premium parking for reserved stalls.

The fee was just introduced last spring.