Union Pearson Express fares to be announced, as planned, Metrolinx tells coalition

"They did not accept our request to have broader public consultation over the fare issue. They feel they don’t need to do that. We’re extremely disappointed," said Smith Thursday morning following a meeting with Metrolinx senior officials at the provincial transit planning agency’s offices located within Union Station.

The coalition Smith represents is made up of an assortment of labour and community-based interest groups all seeking an affordable fare structure for UP when it launches in 2015 as a express rail service linking Pearson International Airport with Union Station.

Smith, a Unifor organizer for the Toronto Airport Council of Unions, said he was told there’s interest in holding a public consultation – but not until after Dec. 11 when UP’s fare structure will be presented to Metrolinx’s board of directors for approval.

Since September, Smith and other coalition members, including TTCriders and the Clean Train Coalition (CTC), have called for a face-to-face meeting with Metrolinx decision-makers to discuss UP’s pricing, which could be as high as $20-30 for a one-way trip along the length of the route. Metrolinx has also suggested "variable pricing" options are possible for airport employees, families and other groups.

The coalition wants fares comparable with the TTC, around $3 for a one-way cash trip, and a definite commitment to expand UP to offer better local service to West Toronto residents. The only other planned stops besides Pearson and Union are currently Weston and Bloor GO stations.

While Metrolinx senior officials, including CEO Bruce McCuaig, made themselves available for an over an hour Thursday to listen to the coalition’s concerns, Smith said he was left feeling the decision on fares has already been made.

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"Unfortunately the train is already in motion and we were just brought on the ride for this," he said.

CTC chair Rick Ciccarelli, who also attended the meeting, said there’s still a fundamental disagreement over the purpose of UP.

The coalition, he said, believes the service should be considered public transit, while Metrolinx marketing portrays UP as a premium service for business class professionals seeking an "airline experience", complete with luxury seating, baggage storage compartments and a roving passenger attendant.

"We don’t want that, we want a transit line," said Ciccarelli. "We want a public transit experience which stops in neighbourhoods."

The CTC has long been a thorn in the side of Metrolinx, even attempting unsuccessfully to halt UP’s completion as a diesel-powered rail service through a court injunction. Ciccarelli said he felt the officials in attendance at the meeting, which included UP president Kathy Haley and Metrolinx vice-president Judy Pfeifer, took the Union Pearson coalition’s concerns seriously.

"The purpose of the meeting was for them to listen," he said. "Our concern is that there hasn’t been a lot of public consultation that I’m aware of. There have been newspaper polls, project reports and focus group studies, but that’s not public consultation."

Ciccarelli also said he was heartened to hear Metrolinx intends to expand UP in the future to allow for a stop in Mount Dennis connecting to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT also under construction.

"That was news to us," he said.

Metrolinx spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins characterized today’s meeting as "very positive".

"We found the meeting to be very productive and we were able to directly hear their concerns and insights into the project," said Aikins over email. She also confirmed plans for adding a Mount Dennis stop to UP which will require additional funding.

Aikins also confirmed the public board report on the UP fare structure will contain "details about the evidenced based approach taken to model and develop the proposed ridership and fare structure for UP Express."

Last week proponents for low UP fares received some support from York South-Weston Liberal MPP Laura Albanese, who wrote an open letter last week to Metrolinx expressing her concerns.

In her letter dated Tuesday, Nov. 25 and copied to Ontario Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca, Albanese, a Liberal backbencher, takes Metrolinx to task for not holding any "meaningful and transparent" public consults, and entreats its leadership to develop a ‘fare standard’ for the service.

"Metrolinx has held public consultation on closing small streets during construction of the UP Express, therefore it should look for additional ways to engage the public on something so important as a fare that affects hundreds of thousands of transit users," Albanese writes.

UP Express is on schedule to begin service in the spring of next year right before the start of the 2015 Pan American Games.