As the price of commuting increases around the region with fare hikes and talk of new taxes to pay for transit expansion, at least one cost remains constant.

GO Transit continues to maintain it has no plans to charge customers to park in the 61,102 spots in its frequently overflowing lots.

But the “free parking” policy has some questioning whether Metrolinx, the provincial agency that operates GO, is out of step with the Toronto region’s fiscal reality.

After the Metrolinx board approved a 5-per-cent GO fare hike, CEO Bruce McCuaig confirmed Wednesday there are no changes in the works to the parking policy.

“Right now our business model has the parking charge embedded in the price of the ticket. As we look at how we continue to evolve the system we may have to look at that but right now we’re not” intending to charge, he said.

But given the millions Metrolinx is pouring into building new parking decks, GO rider Dan Hammond says those who ride and walk to the station deserve an incentive for doing the right thing.

“The incentive should be for all people who are not using parking,” said Hammond, who belongs to Transport Action Ontario, a rail and sustainable transportation advocacy group. “When I look at the expenditures on parking it’s really becoming huge.”

A new six-tier parking deck with 1,381 spaces that opened in Oakville cost $41.1 million.

Former Metrolinx board member Paul Bedford said GO should charge for parking to help pay for transit expansion.

“Nothing is free, including parking. This is especially true for all those brand new multi-storey parking garages,” he said.

“Charging for parking at GO stations should be part of the long-awaited Metrolinx investment strategy. It is one of the many regional funding tools that it is essential to discuss in an intelligent manner with the public. It doesn’t do much good to keep announcing more and more transit initiatives without also talking about how to pay for them,” said Bedford.

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