Metrolinx is planning significant changes to GO Transit fares that would make short trips cheaper while raising the price of longer journeys.

The proposed changes, announced by the provincial transit agency Monday and scheduled to go into effect April 20, would lower fares for trips less than roughly 10 kilometres to $3.70 when paid for using a Presto fare card, a reduction of as much as $2.

At the same time, the cost of longer distance trips using Presto would increase by a smaller amount of up to 4 per cent.

Metrolinx president and CEO Phil Verster said the lower fares, combined with more frequent service the agency has implemented over the past year and a half, are intended to attract a different type of rider than the long-haul commuters who traditionally use GO.

“We see a huge market for short-distance ridership which we have not tapped into yet,” he said.

“We are seeing more and more people being flexible in how they travel. Shorter journeys on GO now becomes cost-wise very attractive.”

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Verster said the lower prices on short trips are expected to attract two million new riders a year to GO, and could provide “relief” to the TTC by diverting customers away from the crowded subway system.

For example, under the proposed new prices a trip from Bloor GO station to Union Station would take about 12 minutes and cost $3.70, 60 cents more than a similar subway trip from Dundas West to Union that would take twice as long, according to Metrolinx. The GO ride from Bloor to Union currently costs $4.71.

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Verster couldn’t say how many TTC riders might be convinced to make the switch to GO.

Riders transferring between the TTC and GO will still have to pay two fares, but under a pre-existing policy will still get a discount of $1.50 if using Presto.

The proposed reduction of fares for shorter trips isn’t as steep a cut as promised by the former Ontario Liberal government. In their final budget before being ousted by the Conservatives in last June’s election, the Liberals promised to slash GO fares for short trips to $3 by early 2019, which would have made them even with the price of taking the TTC. The reduction also would have applied to all trips within the city of Toronto, in addition to those under 10 kilometres.

Under the new plan, the $3.70 fare would apply to trips between the network’s main hub at Union Station and only five existing GO stations in Toronto: Exhibition, Mimico, Danforth, Bloor and Scarborough.

Trips between Union and a half dozen additional stops in the city that are more than 10 kilometres from the main rail station would also be discounted, but not all the way to $3.70.

Making fares between GO trips and the TTC equivalent is seen as key to the success of Mayor John Tory’s SmartTrack plan, which would add up to six stations to existing GO corridors in Toronto. Two of the proposed stops in the mayor’s plan would be more than 10 kilometres from Union.

In a statement, Tory said the cheaper GO rides announced Monday were “a positive step” but he would continue to push for parity between GO and TTC fares.

The Liberals projected their planned reduction to $3 would have cost the province $90 million over three years. Verster said Monday the more modest cut now being contemplated won’t cost Metrolinx anything because the expense will be offset by additional revenue from the projected ridership increase as well as an estimated $22 million generated by the higher long distance fares.

He said Metrolinx doesn’t expect higher fares for longer trips to drive away any riders because the increase isn’t very large. For instance, the cost of a GO train from Union Station to Barrie South using a Presto card would rise about 42 cents to $12.82.

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Single fare paper tickets would also be affected by the proposed changes. Those for journeys shorter than 10 kilometres would fall from $5.30 to $4.40, while tickets for longer trips would increase by 10 per cent.

The proposed fare changes wouldn’t apply to the Union Pearson Express.

The Metrolinx board is expected to debate the new GO fare structure at its April 10 meeting.

Correction - April 2, 2019: This article was edited from a previous version. Metrolinx initially said the fare cut to $3.70 would apply to trips between Union Station and four GO stations. The agency later confirmed that the fare cut also applies to a fifth station, between Union and Scarborough GO station.

Ben Spurr is a Toronto-based reporter covering transportation. Reach him by email at bspurr@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @BenSpurr

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