Transit passengers in Hamilton may be celebrating 2010 tonight, but you won’t be riding transit after 1 a.m., and you’ll be paying more to ride tomorrow, Friday, January 1.
Hamilton City Council recently approved raising Hamilton Street Railway cash fares by 15 cents. You’ll be putting $2.55 — instead of $2.40 — into HSR fareboxes, if you’re an adult and you want to ride the bus after tonight.
Single tickets also increase by 15 cents from $1.85 to $2. (The HSR and other ticket vendors sell packages of five tickets at $10 — until today, you could get five tickets for just $9.25.) The cost of an monthly adult pass goes up to $87 from $79.
Although some HSR buses are operating after midnight tonight, fares do not increase until the start of regular service tomorrow, around 5 a.m.
You can learn more details of the new HSR fares, including the cost of senior and student tickets, here. (.pdf)
You can use 2008/2009 tickets if you throw an extra 15 cents into the farebox. You can use the “old” tickets until Sunday, February 28. Starting Monday, March 1, you can get a refund for any old tickets you haven’t used at the HSR ticket office in the Hamilton GO Centre.
Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton transit agencies have continued to raise fares during the past few years.
Upcoming fare increases
The TTC is raising fares on Sunday, January 3.
Guelph Transit is raising fares on Monday, February 1.
2009 fare increases
Durham Region Transit raised fares on Wednesday, July 1, 2009.
GO Transit raised fares on Saturday, March 14, 2009.
The Region of Peel’s accessible door-to-door TransHelp service raised its fares on Sunday, March 1, 2009.
Brampton Transit raised fares on Monday February 16, 2009.
Guelph Transit raised fares on Sunday, February 1, 2009.
Mississauga Transit raised the cost of fares on Monday, January 26, 2009.
Burlington Transit raised the cost of cash fares, tickets and passes on Sunday, January 4, 2009.
Barrie Transit raised the cost of monthly passes on Thursday, January 1, 2009.
Oakville Transit raised the cost of adult cash fares on Thursday, January 1, 2009.
York Region Transit raised the cost of adult cash fares on Thursday, January 1, 2009.
2008 fare increases
Guelph Transit raised fares on July 6, 2008.
Durham Region Transit raised fares on July 1, 2008.
Oakville Transit raised fares on July 1, 2008.
GO Transit raised fares on March 15, 2008.
Mississauga Transit raised all fares on February 25, 2008.
Brampton Transit “adjusted” fares on January 28, 2008.
The Hamilton Street Railway raised fares on January 1, 2008.
Mississauga Transit raised the cost of seniors passes on January 1, 2008.
York Region Transit raised fares on January 1, 2008.
2007 fare increases
The Toronto Transit Commission raised fares on November 4, 2007.
Durham Region Transit raised all fares on July 1, 2007.
The Hamilton Street Railway raised fares on June 1, 2007.
Barrie Transit raised fares on May 1, 2007.
Milton Transit raised fares on April 2, 2007.
Mississauga Transit raised fares on February 26, 2007.
Brampton Transit raised fares on February 5, 2007.
York Region Transit raised fares on January 1, 2007.
Durham Region Transit raised seniors and access fares only on January 1, 2007.