Low-Income Transit Pass

After being DM'd by the lovely Annalise Klingbeil shockingly and abruptly in her classic style form, she informed me she had numbers of the amount of people who have accessed the sliding scale low-income transit pass since Calgary City Council approved it last year, and started in April of this year.

The numbers are absolutely shocking and astounding. It shows that 37,472 people purchased the $5.05 monthly pass in the first three months of the program. There were 69, 764 passes bought among the three different low-income pass levels, compared to the same time last year, was 56, 173.

If you are like me and horrible at math, that's an extra 13, 299 people who have accessed the sliding scale bus pass more than there were last year on the old subsidy pass.

There are 3 levels of the passes and tiers that people are on depending on their income level. You can find that on the City of Calgary site here: http://calgary.ca/CSPS/CNS/Pages/Neighbourhood-Services/sliding-scale-fare-changes.aspx

There are things to take into consideration with the transit pass though.

1. Many people who could qualify for not only the low-income transit pass, but also the low-income recreation fee, cannot qualify because they live at home with parents. I am aware of 30-year-olds who work full time in minimum wage jobs, or cannot work due to health issues, who do not qualify and miss out on opportunities because it's to expensive for them to live outside of the home, and total household income is taken into account when applying.
2. When the low-income transit pass came into effect, people who were on Alberta Works had their extra money they were getting to account for the new transit pass. As an example, I used to get $44 a month for my transit fare, I now get $5.05. I do not save any money, or get any extra money for groceries on this.

The biggest and most important things are:

1. As it says in the Calgary Herald article, families are now able to travel together. They can now afford multiple transit passes and can GO places together now! THAT is a beautiful and wonderful thing!
2. When my Poverty Talks! lady TracyRay Lewis does peer advocacy, she is more likely to stay connected with the peers she problem solves with because they can afford to go an see her. The price of the entire lowest cost pass is less than one trip to and from where her workplace used to be, so peers she tries to advocate for can actually participate in programs, support meetings, and have coffee with peers. Without the low-income rate she would be agoraphobic most of the time and a shut-in. She wouldn't be able to do the Poverty Talks! work, or volunteer at the Alex community food centre, etc. She would be at home having panic attacks because she wouldn't be able to afford to do stuff out of the house.
3. Another Poverty Talks! member Nigel Kirk says a homeless person could pick bottles for a day and get a bus pass, provided they have their taxes done.
4. Susan Gwynn from Poverty Talks! has seen 3 people who would get tickets constantly not have a ticket since April.

In mine, and I believe a lot of peoples opinions though, this is a temporary solution. We would all love to see a Guaranteed Annual Income take place, to REALLY end poverty in Calgary, Alberta, and Canada.

Also, here is the link to the wonderful article from Annalise in the Calgary Herald. Thank You for always seeking out the people who it effects, and hearing and listening to them.

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/theres-a-need-more-than-10000-calgarians-a-month-buying-new-5-05-transit-pass