Editorial writers at the Edmonton Journal had their City of Champions shorts in a knot over public transit recently.
Seems that the creation of a new student transit pass has meant the system has "absorbed" five million more riders than expected.
This low blow to property taxpayers came about when college and university students took advantage of a annual pass that was offered at a bargain price.
The result was that student ridership averaged 40 trips per month instead of the anticipated 25. Clearly the pass price of $78.75 per year should be revisited.
But the Journal pontificators really jumped offside when they questioned the appropriateness of property taxes going to public transit. Then - a warning please move young children away from the screen - they used the S-Word (i.e., subsidy) while talking about public transit. No mention of the massive subsidies given to automobile users every day.
So Edmonton bureaucrats get the price right.
More people on public transit should be a good news story - especially in Alberta.
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