Frequent, Electric & Fare-Free

Why make the HSR Frequent, Electric & Fare-Free?

Reducing the number of cars on the road, encouraging transit use, and switching to an electric bus fleet are important parts of addressing the climate collapse.
Mobility is important for the financial viability of families, communities, and cities. Making transit free and reliable removes a major barrier to healthcare, shopping, food, greenspace, and employment for many of our most vulnerable citizens.
Municipalities have a significant amount of control over how they provide transit services to the public and are therefore able to take bold action on a key infrastructure issue that affects every member of our community.

Who Will Benefit?

Making transit frequent, electric and fare-free benefits EVERYONE.

People who enjoy the outdoors: Hamilton is home to some truly beautiful green spaces and having access to those spaces is just as basic a human right as is access to clean water. Fare-free transit would make visiting our recreational parks, waterfalls and waterfront areas easier for everyone.

People who own a business: Making the HSR frequent and fare-free will not only make shopping hubs more accessible for more people, it will also leave them with more money to spend in your establishment. It will also increase the available workforce in Hamilton.

People who want to work: Fare-free public transit will make employment more accessible for people who cannot afford to pay for public transit, cannot drive or have mobility issues.

People who breathe: Increasing HSR use is a fast and cheap way to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are leading us to climate collapse. One of the best ways to increase ridership is to make it reliable and fare-free.

Making the HSR a fully electrified public service would be an important step in moving away from fossil fuels.

Benefits for HSR Riders

HSR users will save money by not having to pay to ride the bus.
Making the HSR more frequent will mean faster and more reliable service.
HSR users will have easier access to parks and green spaces, healthcare, and employment.
No fare collection means HSR drivers will spend less time at the curb and more time getting you where you need to be.
More people will take public transit and leave their cars at home, meaning fewer emissions, reduced greenhouse gases and better air quality for all!

Benefits for Drivers

Making the HSR frequent, clean and fare free will encourage more people to take transit, meaning fewer cars on the road and less traffic congestion.
With fewer cars on the road, drivers will reach their destinations more quickly and there would be an increase in available parking.
Fewer cars on the road means the roads will not deteriorate as quickly. The number of potholes should be reduced.
Drivers would also have the option of using the fare free HSR bus service to reach their destinations without having to use their vehicles.

How Can We Pay?

In 2021, HSR revenues were about $27 million. As a COVID year, this number represents a roughly $11 million loss from previous years. So, how do we find the close to $40 million dollars that going fare-free and electric would require?

Gas Tax Transfers

Orangeville went fare-free starting in 2023. They will be covering the costs by receiving increased gas tax transfers from the provincial/federal governments which are tied to increasing ridership. They expect a 25% increase in ridership once they go fare-free.
Gas tax transfers are funds provided by the federal and provincial governments intended to improve transit. However, Hamilton currently uses the vast majority to pay for road maintenance, when other cities are not doing this.
We need to free up this money and use it as intended. This could include upgrading the HSR to a fully electric system, expanding service and going fare-free.

Transit Area Rating

Area rating for services in Hamilton started in 2001 to deal with taxation after amalgamation. We are the only city in Ontario that continues with an area-rating pay system for transit.

Currently, the area rating system means that the richer suburbs of Ancaster, Dundas, Stoney Creek, etc. pay fewer taxes to transit. Area rating for transit must be cancelled in order to properly fund the HSR, expand the service, increase frequency, and make it fare-free.
Learn more about area rating for transit in Hamilton on the non-profit group, Environment Hamilton's website.

Fare Collection

Millions of dollars in HSR fare revenues are immediately spent on the adminstration and labour required to collect those fares. Almost 9% of HSR revenues go to the province to pay for Presto alone.

More Ideas to Investigate:

Increased parking fees. Hamilton's parking charges are some of the lowest in the country compared to other urban centres.
Red light cameras in Hamilton are starting to generate a viable source of funding.
A portion of Hamilton's Police budget of $172 million a year could be reallocated to transit.
The HSR currently receives no money for advertising (advertisers currently provide shelter maintenance ). Advertising could be a healthy revenue stream for fare-free transit.

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