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With ridership numbers dipping, the city’s transit authority is looking for new ways to bolster lagging revenues.

In a report destined for Wednesday’s Transportation and Transit Committee meeting, the city is looking beyond traditional revenue sources to shore up the service’s bottom line, including through creative advertising partnerships and low-fee automated teller machines.

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“With the decreased ridership, it’s a huge challenge,” said Coun. Brian Pincott, a member of the city’s transit committee.

Policy direction from council calls for Calgary Transit to maintain a revenue-to-cost ratio of 50 to 55 per cent.

Lower ridership, coupled with increased fuel, parts and labour costs have contributed to lower operating ratios for the transit service — falling from 58 per cent in 2006 to last year’s low of 46 per cent.

Previous fare increases have not kept pace with rising costs of maintaining current service levels, states the report.