Fines, Not Fares: The Punitive Nature of Transit Enforcement in Canadian Cities

Despite calls for reform, many transit agencies rely heavily on enforcement to increase fare revenue and perceptions of safety. Both fare evasion and behavior violations (like loitering and public intoxication) can carry heavy fines, and lead to debt collection and criminal justice system involvement. Yet there has been limited examination of the financial and social costs of transit fines, and whether enforcement programs can achieve promised revenue goals. Using administrative data obtained through freedom of information requests, I use an exploratory approach to document the nature and extent of transit enforcement and fines in sixteen Canadian cities. Enforcement varies considerably between cities, ranging from no enforcement to high rates of bans and tickets. I find that transit fines are excessively punitive when compared with parking violations, as transit fines are on average five times higher than comparable parking infractions. While there may be deterrence value from enforcement, few transit fines are paid, and the costs of enforcing transit violations are likely significantly greater than revenue from payments. Given this, transit agencies should evaluate the goals, impacts, and outcomes of enforcement programs, with a full accounting of both the financial and social costs, and consideration of alternative programs.