Fare Capping Program
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Earn free rides by paying with PRESTO!
Starting January 1, 2024, travellers can ride YRT for free after 40 trips for adults, 39 trips for youth or 28 trips for senior and child in the calendar month, using PRESTO.
This new fare capping program will replace monthly passes.
How it works
- You must have a PRESTO card or PRESTO mobile wallet
- Tap your PRESTO card on the YRT bus or PRESTO machine at the vivastation or terminal before boarding a Viva bus, as you normally would
- Each time you pay a YRT fare with your PRESTO card, it will track the number of trips. It will automatically stop charging you a fare after you’ve reached the trip caps below:
Concession Description Adult1 Free travel after 40 trips in the calendar month Youth2 Free travel after 39 trips in the calendar month Senior3/ Child4 Free travel after 28 trips in the calendar month YRT fare category definitions
4Children: Ages six to 12 years. Children five years and under ride free.
- PRESTO fare payment on any YRT, Mobility On-Request or TTC route in York Region will count towards your monthly trip cap
- Transfers do not count towards your monthly trip cap, including transfers from other YRT routes, other transit agencies and Ride to GO
- YRT monthly passes will no longer be sold
Reminder: Always tap your PRESTO card on every trip You must continue to tap your PRESTO card even after you've reached your monthly trip cap. This is to ensure you have proof-of-payment on your card in the event YRT Enforcement does an inspection.
Benefits
- With fare capping, customers will no longer be required to pay the upfront cost of a monthly pass. You can simply load money on the card as needed and continue to enjoy the benefits of unlimited travel, once the trip cap has been reached
- Fare capping allows budget flexibility that works for you by allowing for larger e-purse PRESTO loads for those that wish to load the maximum dollar amount for the month or the option to load smaller amounts of e-purse value to meet your budget and travel needs
- A monthly pass user who may have had an unexpected emergency, such as illness or change in job situations, may benefit from the “pay as you go” option with fare capping, as monthly passes could not be refunded
- All travellers of any age category can take advantage of fare capping
Frequently Asked Questions
| Are contracted TTC routes north of Steeles Avenue included in the fare capping program? |
| Yes. PRESTO taps on contracted TTC routes operating north of Steeles Avenue will count towards your monthly trip cap. |
| Is Mobility On-Request included in the fare capping program? |
| Yes. PRESTO taps on all Mobility On-Request trips (including Paratransit) will count towards your monthly trip cap. |
| Will transfers from other transit agencies (e.g., Brampton Transit, GO Transit) count towards my trip cap? |
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Transfers from other transit agencies and Ride to GO does not count towards your monthly trip cap; however, for trips where you board YRT first, the trip will count towards your monthly cap. For example:
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| Will companion fares count towards my trip cap? |
| No. Companion fares will not count towards your monthly trip cap. Companion fares are available on limited YRT services, and therefore do not qualify for fare capping. In addition, companion fares were not included in monthly passes. |
| Can I still purchase a YRT monthly pass? |
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No. YRT monthly passes will no longer be sold. The fare capping program provides the same benefits as a monthly pass, but without the upfront cost. The last month you can purchase a monthly pass for is December 2023 (the last day to purchase it is December 14, 2023). |
| How will I know I’ve reached the monthly trip cap? |
| When you tap your PRESTO card on a PRESTO device, the screen will display a $0 fare and remaining balance on the card. You may also look up your PRESTO transaction history by logging into your account on the PRESTO card website. |
| Do I still need to tap my PRESTO card after I’ve reached the monthly trip cap? |
| Yes, please continue to tap your card on PRESTO devices on bus, at vivastations or terminals. This is to ensure you have proof-of-payment on your card in the event YRT Enforcement does an inspection. |
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If I use credit or debit card, will that count towards my monthly trip cap? |
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No, you must use a PRESTO card or PRESTO mobile wallet to take advantage of the fare capping program. |
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Why is YRT replacing monthly passes with fare capping? |
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Monthly pass sales have been declining since 2015, with feedback received from travellers noting various reasons for no longer requiring a pass including the upfront cost, new technology options such as PRESTO, and travel pattern changes due to hybrid work. Fare capping allows budget flexibility that works for the traveller by allowing for larger e-purse PRESTO loads for those that wish to load the maximum dollar amount for the month (e.g., set it and forget it) or the option to load smaller amounts of e-purse value to meet their budget and travel needs. With no refunds, monthly passes did not allow for unexpected emergencies such as illness or change in job situations, and did not take into account if someone had funds to pay a month’s worth of transit trips upfront. The 5-Year Fare Policy Review was a joint review between YRT and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). The purpose of this project was to improve the overall customer experience and create a simple and consistent fare system, for both the TTC and YRT. From 2020 to 2022, staff completed comprehensive research and analysis, consulting with stakeholders and the public. Various fare options were analyzed and presented to the public for feedback; the study helped guide YRT to introduce monthly fare capping based on extensive customer consultation. Transit and non-transit users also preferred monthly fare capping over daily and weekly fare capping. |
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How were the 40, 39 and 28 trip caps chosen? |
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The trip caps for each fare category are closely based on the price of a current monthly pass. However, fare capping is a new fare product where customers travel free after a specific number of paid trips are reached within a calendar month; a cap is set on several paid trips and any trips taken after the cap is reached are free. With fare capping, customers will no longer be required to pay the upfront cost of a monthly pass. Customers can simply load money on the card as needed and continue to enjoy the benefits of unlimited travel, once the trip cap has been reached. A monthly pass user who may have had an unexpected emergency, such as illness or change in job situations, may benefit from the “pay as you go” option with fare capping, as monthly passes could not be refunded. |