Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says come September next year the TTC will introduce a fare capping system that will allow unlimited free rides once a customer surpasses 47 fares per month.
The change would still need to pass a vote in the 2026 budget.
“Tap your phone, Presto, or credit card, like you usually do. After 47 taps in a month, every ride after is free, automatically,” Chow said on Monday morning. “No forms, so sign up, it just works.”
With a TTC monthly pass (adult) currently priced at $156 per month, and a single fare at $3.30 – $3.35, it’s pretty much a break-even situation.
But Chow says the ultimate plan is to lower the threshold to 40 rides per month by 2027.
In the meantime, she says the change will still have benefits for those who sometimes buy a monthly pass, but don’t end up using it as often as they planned.
“(It’s) breaking even assuming they use all the 47 rides,” she said. “But some people may not use 47, which means they are over-paying, that’s not fair. Some may use it a lot more, but then they can’t afford the upfront costs.”
“(You’re) not locked into a pass you might not use, but you’re protected from overpaying.”
The practice is already in use at several other transit agencies including Hamilton, York Region, and Ottawa.
TTC Chair Jamal Myers pointed out another benefit to fare capping, saying the move would help fight fare evasion.
“Now all riders are incentivized to tap in order to reach the 47 ride cap within the month,” he argued.
Transit advocate group TTCriders applauded the move towards fare capping in a release following Chow’s morning announcement, calling it a “major victory for transit riders.”
“Fare capping will make life more affordable and help rebuild ridership,” the group’s executive director Andrew Pulsifer wrote. “This is a win for transit equity, a win for working people, and a win for the future of public transit in Toronto.”
The group says it plans to ramp up advocacy around this issue to ensure it passes as part of the 2026 City of Toronto Budget.
Financial impact on TTC
Chow said the planned switch in September to free rides after hitting 47 in a month would cost the city $3.5 million per year, but said “it’s affordable for the city’s budget.”
“Why not go straight to (free after) 40? Straight to 40 costs us a lot of money and we need to build towards it,” she added, saying technological changes would also have to be implemented to bring the plan to fruition.
An initial loss in revenue would come with a long-term boost in ridership, Chow noted.
The mayor said if the plan to lower the threshold to 40 becomes reality, the TTC could see close to 17 million more rides taken per year.
