If your express bus fare is $4.00 cash, but most express
bus users buy a pass, it works out like this:

Monthly express pass= $101.00

Average twenty round trips per month = 40 rides per month.

$101.00/40 = $2.53 cost to the user per ride.

BUT - remember that your average express route recovers
no more than 40% of its operating costs at the farebox.

SO - $2.53/.40 = $6.31 total cost per ride to place a bum
on an express bus seat.

Or, if you are not lucky, a place to stand on said bus*.
(* - See below)

So, the taxpayer is footing a bill of $6.31 - $2.53 = $3.78
for every person taking an express bus.

Now, let's do the math for the "Transit Captives," those
who cannot afford an express fare, and are "forced" to use
slow, clunky routes like the #95, #96, # 101, etc.

Monthly regular pass= $81.00

Average twenty round trips per month = 40 rides per month.

$81.00/40 = $2.03 cost to the user per ride.

BUT - remember that your average regular route recovers
about 70% of its operating costs at the farebox, DURING
THE PEAK PERIOD, which is the only FAIR way to
compare regular route cost recovery to the express buses.

SO - $2.03/.70 = $2.90 cost per ride to place a bum on an
regular route bus seat.

Or, if you are not lucky, a place to stand on said bus*.

So, the taxpayer is footing a bill of $2.90 - $2.03 = $0.87
for every person taking a regular route bus.

O.K., let's compare -

Your average express bus user costs the taxpayer $3.78
per ride.

Your average regular bus user costs the taxpayer $0.87
per ride

Your average express bus user is therefore enjoying a
taxpayer subsidy that is 4.3 TIMES the subsidy enjoyed
by your average regular route bus user.

So, who is subsidizing whom?

:>)
Tim

* I think that once (if?) the bus system ever gets back to
full service, Transpo will discover, to its horror, that there
won't be enough people still willing to TAKE the bus, so
that standing won't be a problem, anymore.
Especially once Spring arrives, and a LOT of former
bus users rediscover the joys of cycling.
I know that I will be doing a LOT more cycling, rather
than bus riding, as soon as the snow is gone.