Cost of #freetransit in Edmonton would be $160/year per household, councillor

He said he got the idea after hearing from a family of four that claims they spend $3,000 a year on transit.

“It turns out that if we went solely with a property tax hike — which is not what I’m recommending — but if we did that, it would cost, on average, households $160 a year. And everybody gets free transit all the time.”

Part of Paquette’s research looked at studies from Europe where fare-free public transit (FFPT) was done to remove vehicles from the road to reduce emissions.

https://globalnews.ca/news/4504563/edmonton-councillor-aaron-paquette-free-transit/

Free Transit in Calgary? Maybe Not as Crazy as it Sounds!

mailchi.mp : "Then there is the social benefit – by removing all economic barriers to transit, cities are empowering all citizens to explore, to engage, and to contribute. This has the potential to increase your tax base.
 
And the health benefits – respiratory illnesses due to pollution are common even here in Canada, especially in communities where the single-occupant car is . By eliminating gridlock, there is the potential that health care costs in our single payer system would be reduced. We would also increase overall productivity by decreasing the number of sick days due to illnesses related to pollution. That has a big impact on our local economy.
 
The more I sit and consider this wild idea, the more I like it. What do you think?"

Mayor sets sights on free transit for youth 12 and under

Metro Edmonton : "“It’s really just to make it easier for all families but particularly low-income families to be more mobile, and to get out and enjoy the city," Iveson said, after making the information request to administration at a council meeting on Tuesday.

He says the change would help manage congestion during busy events.

Ahmed Bushiha, a downtown resident, says he would "very much encourage” the change as he would prefer to take transit with his eight-year-old son more frequently.

“If it’s free, I would take my son to his school on the LRT instead of in the car,” he said."