311 Weekend Action to help youth living on low-income ride transit

Transit needs low-income youth fares 

Ask your Aldermen to include Youth in theLow Income Transit Pass Program

On December 17^th, 2012 City Council will decide whether or not to initiate a pilot project to expand eligibility for the Low Income Transit Pass to all youth.

If you know a young person who needs affordable transit, share the message with The City & Alderman by Monday, December 17^th, 2012.

By phone: 403-268-2430 or 311

By Email: Their first name.last name.calgary.ca

e.g. shane.keating@calgary.ca or your alderman site

Why should youth be included in the Low-Income Transit Pass program? 

-Affordable transit will increase opportunities for youth to participate in community.

-It will give youth more opportunities to attend after school programs, including the ‘Critical Hours’ programs.

-It will assist youth when traveling to a job, appointments and social events etc.  This will result in less isolation and exclusion among youth on low-incomes.

-It will give youth a safer way to get around our city instead of having to walk long distances.

-It will correct the imbalance between low-income youth, who pay $57.50 for a monthly transit pass and who do not always receive a rebate from schools, and their parents who will pay $44.00 per month for a low-income transit pass.

-It will make the Low Income Transit Pass program fairer for all.

Learn more! 

Watch a video from youth speaking out about transit, visit the Busting Bus Fares video! 

Read about the affordable youth transit movement, please visit the United Way Social Voice 

One giant step closer!!!!

Please help us thank Council 

 

Calgary City Council has made one giant step closer to guarantee that the low income transit pass is going to be available to everyone under the poverty line!!! 

http://www.calgaryherald.com/mobile/news/top-stories/City+council+votes+raise+seniors+annual+transit+pass+from/7616760/story.html


And if you want to help youth also get on the bus, please plan to come to council December 5th and tell share your story!

Fair Calgary Report to be read December 5th, 2012

THANK YOU!!!! And keep SPREADing THE WORD!

Fair Fares wants to thank the many people who came to City council on November 5th, 2012. 

Community showed up to share concerns about the rising costs of transit fares.  Council tabled the Fair Calgary report until Wednesday, December 5th at 9:30 am in the City Hall "Engineering Traditions Committee Room"


We need to keep on telling our stories to our City alderman. 
Help us keep the momentum going! Learn why! 

Read the story of Salia Davis, a youth speaking out for youth who cannot afford to get on the bus who showed up on November 5th at City council.  


Spread the word about the petition 

Raise awareness:
While our transit system now has some funds to help increase services, there is no commitment to create better discounts for people living below the poverty line. 
We need a balanced approach to help create a transit service for everyone to afford. 

Urgent Call To Action for Affordable City Programs: November 7, 2012

Fair Fares Call to Action 

Help us tell Alderman not to leave people behind

1. Sign the Petition
2. Join us Wednesday December 5th for the City Meeting and Fair Calgary Report
3. Call your alderman and tell why we need to help all Calgarians get on the bus
4. Write a letter to your alderman. 

On Wednesday, December 5th, at 9:30 am, City Council’s ‘Standing Policy Committee on Community and Protective Services’ will be hearing from citizens about why they City’s Low Income subsidy programs like the low-income transit pass need to help all citizens. We know of children are staying home from school and single mothers who cannot afford to get to work. 

We need your voice to help the people being left behind.  We are asking you to call or write your alderman and tell them why we need a household transit pass, a sliding scale to help families pay what they can afford and that the scale should start at 50% of the full fare.

The report from City Administration does not go far enough. If you wish to read the report and learn more visit:  

What Calgarians told us:

1.     Have one form for all of the City’s reduced fee programs and services.

2.     We need more places to apply for the reduced fee programs.

3.     Make sure all the City’s reduced fee programs start at 100% of the poverty line. (100%   
        pre-tax low-income cut off).  Currently the eligibility for the Low Income Transit Pass is   
        75% of before tax LICO

4.     Pay what you can: Use a sliding scale because some people have less income.

5.     Start the sliding scale for transit at ½ of the adult fare.

6.     Make a ‘Household pass’ to help low-income families.

7.     All people who currently receive a low-income subsidy be grandparented at the rate they   
        currently pay for transit.

8.     The reduced fees programs include people from ages 7-64.

9.     A single ride reduced fee be introduced when people cannot afford to buy a monthly pass.

What Fair Fares will recommend:

·      The eligibility for the Low Income Transit Pass be raised from 75% to 100% of   
        before tax LICO in January 2013.

·      The City set up a sliding fee scale pilot project for the Low Income Transit Pass 
        in 2013. 

·      The sliding fee scale start at 50% of the regular adult transit pass and be 
        reduced further according to an individual’s income.

·      That the sliding fee scale be applied to single fares.

·      That all members of low-income households be eligible for subsidies.

·      Low-income youth between the ages of 7 – 17 should be eligible for the Low   
       income Transit pass effective January 2013.

·      All people who currently have a low-income subsidy continue to pay the rate  
       they pay in 2012 for transit.

Call To Action:

Let’s make sure everyone can afford to get on the bus. 
Thank you for your help!

Fair Calgary Voices Report from Calgarians

We talked with Calgarians about how to make the City's reduced fees programs more affordable and easier to get. To read the report, please visit this link

Alternatively, Calgarians are invited to speak on how to make the City's reduced fee programs fairer by attending the Wednesday December 5th Standing Policy on Community Protective Services in the basement of Old City hall beginning at 9:30 am. 

Collecting Stories to Improve Access to City Subsidies

Fair Fares has joined with Fair Calgary Community Voices to collect stories on how subsidies have improved people's quality of life. 

 

One recommendation we support is the need for greater discounts for people whose income is far below the poverty line.  This is known as a 'Sliding Scale'. 

Here is Christina's story... A need for a Family Pass to ride City Transit 

If you have a story to tell, please email us or download the community package to hold a community forum in your neighborhood before June 15th, 2012.

Fair Faires Update March 2012

Making our City Fairer


Since our 2011 survey over 125 people have shared their stories about what it is like to apply for and use the low-income transit pass. Fair Fares shared these stories with City Council and administration. We are happy to report your feedback made a huge difference! To view what people said, click here

The City of Calgary is now looking at all their subsidy programs to see how they can make them better.  Fair Fares has joined with other community groups to collect stories about how the City's subsidy programs are working!  The group is called 'Fair Calgary Community Voices'. 

'Fair Calgary Community Voices' will gather the stories and experiences from you and bring this information to the City Aldermen to help them better understand the difficulties that people living on low income face when applying for a City subsidy. We will be using a host of ways to get your story. One way we plan to talk to you is through community forums...


Community Forums

Until July 2012, Fair Calgary Community Voices wants to talk to community groups and hold forums in order to get the communities’ input into Fair Calgary’s recommendations.  We want to hear your stories about why low income subsidies matters. Stay tuned for where the forums may be and how to sign up.

Survey


And thanks so much for also trying out our new survey called 'Fair Calgary Survey' It is in its pilot stages and we hope to try it out at the community forums. 


What kind of subsidies are available to you? 
Are you are finding it hard to apply for any of the following subsidy programs?

• Transit,
• Property taxes, 
• Waste disposal,
• Recreational fees,
• City links services for Seniors, 
• Spay and neuter programs, 

Check out our links section or call 311.