Little increase
in UPX ridership since launch
Previous fares seen as too costly, fewer intend to use than at
launch
TORONTO February
23rd - In
a random sampling of public opinion taken by the Forum Poll™ among 836 Toronto
voters immediately before fare reductions were introduced, just one tenth had
used the Union-Pearson Express, or UPX (11%), and this is the same ridership
noted last summer after the service had launched (August, 2015 - 9%). Ridership
is common to the youngest (14%), the least wealthy (18%, often a proxy for
youth), in the downtown (18%) and Etobicoke (21%) and among Olivia Chow voters
from the last mayoral election.
Sharp increase in those seeing UPX as too costly
Close
to 8-in-10 see the UPX as “too expensive” at the previous fare levels (79%), compared
to about two thirds who thought this in August (68%). As a corollary, the
proportion who think the former fare is “about the right amount” has declined
from one quarter (August - 25%) to one seventh now (14%). Thinking this fare
too high is characteristic of the youngest (84%), mid income groups ($40K to
$60K - 87%) and the wealthiest ($100K to $250K - 87%), in North York and
Scarborough (87% each) and among Olivia Chow voters (85%).
Percentage who intend to use UPX declines slightly
One
seventh of non-users are “very likely” to use the UPX if they had to travel to
the airport (14%), and this represents a slight decline from August (16%). In
total, about one third (34%) are now likely to use the UPX to get to or from
the airport, a clear decline from August (39%). Those most likely to use UPX
are the mid aged (45 to 54 - 18%), males (16%) rather than females (12%), the
least wealthy (23%), in the downtown (23%) and East York (18% - caution: small
base size), and among Olivia Chow voters (17%).
“What we have seen is that,
the more Torontonians got to know the UPX, the more expensive they thought it was
and the less likely they were to ride it. It is also curious to find that what
was designed as a premium service is most used by the youngest and least
wealthy," said Forum
Research President, Dr. Lorne Bozinoff.
Lorne Bozinoff, Ph.D. is the president and founder of Forum
Research. He can be reached at lbozinoff@forumresearch.com or at (416)
960-9603.
