For years, senior Calgary Transit officials have told city hall it would cost $ 400 million to add turnstiles or other measures to Calgary’s CTrain system to keep out those who don’t really pay a fee.
This figure was said to come from a 2014 study.
CBC News filed a request for freedom of information to obtain the study. However, no report corresponds to the request.
CBC asked to speak with Calgary Transit general manager Doug Morgan, but the request was denied.
For years, politicians have asked questions about the potential costs of closing the LRT system to anyone who has not paid a fee compared to the loss of revenue from maintaining an honorary payment system.
Traffic officials say annual surveys find that only a few percent of the total number of motorists in the system do not pay fare. They say the cost of upgrading or shutting down the system for those who don’t pay would be substantial.
A Calgary Transit spokesman, Stephen Tauro, said the $ 400 million figure is actually an estimate.
“That $ 400 million is based on a number of things, mostly our experience with refurbishing and building stations in the past. The last station was Tuscany in 2014,” Tauro said.
“The approximate estimate, we’re looking at $ 5 million to $ 10 million per station, depending on its composition, how it’s developed in the community, and whether it already has a station building.”
Taurus said the $ 400 million move to switch to a closed system would not include operating costs such as having attendees at the station, as some public transportation systems do.
A complete Calgary CTrain car. (Lucie Edwardson / CBC)
When asked why officials have used the figure, he said there has been a “lack of clarity on our part” and that previous tariff evasion studies have pointed out that shutting down the system has a cost.
“There’s a lot of work in the background. So it’s not necessarily written on paper, but part of this study is looking at what it would cost compared to continuing with the honor system.”
Coun. Dan McLean recently stated that he supports a closed system for Calgary’s CTrain as a way to reduce social disorder and would help passengers feel safer.
He said he is disappointed that traffic has relied on that figure, but has not actually studied the problem.
McLean said he has also asked the administration for information on where this estimate comes from, but so far nothing has been provided.
“I might not get to say betrayed, but for me, that was the reason we closed the issue practically from the first moment, for how expensive it was,” the councilor said.
“I’d like to see the report because what did it include? Did it include some lighting, was it a turnstile system or this kind of glass in an entire facility like other cities have done? This is totally closed, partially closed? What is the cost per turnstile per platform so we can make some decisions. “
Coun. Kourtney Penner does not support a closed system, as she said the money for these changes to facilities would be better spent on expanding the LRT system or providing better traffic service.
He said he has also heard the $ 400 million figure repeatedly. After learning that there has been no study examining the cost of switching to a closed system, he asks the administration to communicate more clearly with the calgars.
“Because of me, hey, I didn’t ask for it either and I took the word of the administration that a dedicated study was done, and so that’s the work we all need to do to improve,” Penner said.
“I think this one fell through the cracks,” Gondek says
On Wednesday, Mayor Jyoti Gondek said the council often relies on information from the administration to make decisions.
“We’ve long believed that there’s this legend from a study that says they would put $ 400 million in turnstiles. Apparently, it’s not a thing. It was just an estimate at some point. So I’m researching to find out if , in fact, it was just an estimate, “he said.
Looking to the future, Gondek said one of the two things will happen and hopes it will be the first.
“That is, that administration realized that if you are going to give us numbers, you have to make sure that they are backed by empirical evidence. The second thing would be that the council, from now on, will forever ask for the report. before we believe anything. And I would like to think that we are in a more advanced society than that, “he said.
“There have been many, many times when we received information immediately when we asked for it. It has been backed up with reports and data. I think this is one that has fallen through the cracks, and I hope it doesn’t happen again.”
Last month, director of traffic Sharon Fleming told councilors that a consultant would be hired later this year to examine the problem of a closed system.
The city wants to explore the feasibility of implementing a closed system, examining impacts on the customer experience, as well as how it could affect accessibility and communities near resorts.
This study is expected to cost up to $ 100,000 to complete.