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Questions and answers about the YVR AddFare

Questions and answers about the YVR AddFare

A ticket vending machine on the Canada Line.
A ticket vending machine on the Canada Line.

So since many people have questions about the YVR AddFare, our media relations department has put together a Q&A document.

Just so we have a one-stop shop for this info, I’m going to copy and paste that Q&A over here. I’m also going to include the questions from the earlier post on the YVR AddFare. So hopefully this post will answer most things you are wondering!

General questions and answers about the YVR AddFare

  1. Why is the YVR AddFare coming in?

    In 2004, there was a funding gap between the cost of construction and the maximum the various funding partners were able to pay. Several measures were approved to close that gap including charging an additional amount on trips to Vancouver International Airport, as is the practice at many airports around the world. The amount to be charged would be enough to recover an additional $55 million (in 2003 dollars) of construction that would need to be invested and financed by the Contractor.

  2. When does it come into effect?

    Monday, January 18, 2010.

  3. Who gets the money?

    The funds go to TransLink to pay for the costs not funded by the other partners.

  4. Does the money go to the Vancouver International Airport Authority?

    No. YVR contributed $300 million for the portion of the Canada Line from Bridgeport Station to YVR-Airport Station.

  5. Who has to pay the YVR AddFare?

    Anyone boarding the Canada Line at YVR-Airport Station, Sea Island Centre and Templeton Stations, buying their ticket at a Ticket Vending Machine (TVM). This includes concession (seniors and students) fares. The TVMs at the Sea Island stations (YVR-Airport, Sea Island Centre and Templeton) will be adjusted to charge the additional $5 automatically.

  6. Who does not have to pay it?

    People who use pre-paid fare media, such as FareSaver Tickets, monthly FareCards, Vancity U-Passes, BC Government Bus Passes and other such tickets, do not have to pay the Canada Line-YVR AddFare.

  7. I have a pre-paid ticket, but need to buy an AddFare to travel to additional zones. Will I be charged the additional $5?

    No. TVMs charge the regular AddFare prices to upgrade a pre-paid ticket, the same as at other stations. The YVR AddFare is only charged for a new ticket purchased at a TVM at one of the three Sea Island Stations. (The ticket will be marked “Airport” to so fare inspectors can see it.)

  8. Can I buy pre-paid tickets like DayPasses at the airport?

    DayPasses and other pre-paid tickets can be purchased at any FareDealer location, and there are two in the vicinity of the airport: one at the Pharmasave on Level 1 (Domestic Departures) and another at the 7-11 store on Grant McConachie Way; DayPasses will not be sold at TVMs on Sea Island.

  9. Are there exemptions for YVR Employees, Burkeville residents and/or staff and students at BCIT Aerospace?

    Those who have pre-paid fare media are exempt from the Canada Line YVR AddFare, these people may wish to purchase these media if they have not already done so.

  10. If I get on Canada Line at Templeton or Sea Island Centre, how will the TVMs “know” if I’m going towards Richmond or downtown Vancouver, or if I’m going to the airport?

    Since trips between one Sea Island station and another are free of charge, a proof of payment is not necessary on Canada Line unless one is travelling to Bridgeport or beyond. Therefore, the only tickets one needs on Canada Line are those for a trip off Sea Island.

  11. The Commissioner’s order is different from what TransLink was asking for. What will this mean for TransLink’s revenue?

    It’s hard to say at this stage: Canada Line usage by air travellers has been good so far but it will take a few years to fully understand the trend and determine whether the loss of the YVR Addfare on prepaid media will make a very great difference in the long run. The plan is to pay off that portion of the cost in approximately 30 years.

Questions from Buzzer blog commenters

  1. How it will work when travelling on Sundays or holidays with my pass? I am normally allowed to take 1 adult with me. Will they also be exempt from the YVR AddFare on these days still?

    Since a monthly FareCard is exempt, additional travellers for the Sunday group offer would also be exempt.

  2. Will the Concession Month Pass cover the YVR AddFare?

    Yes, the Concession pass covers the Canada Line YVR AddFare.

  3. If I want to go from Waterfront to YVR and back to Waterfront, and I buy my ticket from a TVM at Waterfront, do I need to add $5 on my fare when I get to YVR for the way back?

    If you travel out of YVR before your original ticket expires, you are fine. If not, and you require a cash or credit card purchase for the return ticket from Sea Island, then you have to pay the YVR AddFare.

  4. Will DayPasses purchased on Sea Island station vending machines be subject to the $5 addfare?

    No, the passes are the same cost wherever they are purchased. No YVR AddFare will be applied to passes bought at the airport.

  5. Will prepaid ticket sales be banned at the airport?

    No, we will not be banning prepaid fare sales at the airport.

  6. Are West Coast Express 28-day passes exempt from the YVR AddFare?

    Yes, they are.

  7. Are Olympic tickets and souvenir Olympic passes exempt from the YVR AddFare?

    Yes, they are.

  8. Does this apply to the N10 bus as well, if you’re boarding at the airport and going downtown late at night?

    The YVR AddFare is Canada Line only, and the N10 is not affected.

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