By Anthony Lippa-Hardy
The cost of commuting and frequent long trips to campus affect some Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) students’ social lives while being an extra financial burden.
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has raised fares several times between 2019 and 2023, with a monthly adult pass increasing from $146.25 to $156.00. These fare adjustments affect approximately 77 per cent of the TMU student body that’s composed of commuter students, according to statistics gathered from a StudentMoveTO study.
For Amna Saeed, a second-year fashion student, commuting is one of the most significant expenses in her university life outside of tuition. “I don’t think I should have to pay extra money just to get to school,” she said.
With a daily commute costing her roughly $10 each day, four times a week, Saeed spends just under $1000 per school year getting to and from campus. The expenses quickly add up alongside her program’s annual tuition fees starting at $7,305. While her tuition is a considerable cost, the price of commuting is a noticeable addition to her budget as it’s nearly another 13 per cent of her total academic expenses.
“I don’t think I should have to pay extra money just to get to school”
According to the TMU tuition and fees page, students can expect to pay around $128 per month to commute with a TTC student pass. However, this particular pass isn’t feasible for students like Saeed who use other forms of public transit.
“My daily commute is about 40 minutes by GO train, and then it’s another 10 minutes by TTC,” said Saeed.
If she were to buy a recommended monthly TTC pass, it would not apply to her GO Transit needs as it is only valid for TTC usage. Currently, she pays an extra $32 per month above the university’s recommended monthly transit expenses.
Frequent TTC fare increases exacerbate this financial burden, including a hike in 2023 when fares went up by 10 cents for adults and post-secondary students.
While the TTC cites inflation, rising operational costs and service improvements as crucial factors behind these increases, grassroots advocacy groups like TTC Riders argue that these hikes are unfair to low-income riders who rely on public transit daily.
“Unequal access to affordable, high-quality and frequent public transit is a public health and equity issue that disproportionately affects low-income people,” according to the TTC Riders website.
For Tanisha Kumar, a second-year RTA media production student who commutes to campus from Scarborough, the long transit times and fare increases have also affected her life. Kumar spends about $250 a month on commuting, roughly equivalent to 20 per cent of her annual tuition costs. At the end of her four-year program, Kumar can expect to pay roughly $6,000 in total commuting fees. While her parents help her cover the costs, it still takes a toll on her as a student.
“It’s almost every year now that there’s always a little bump [in fares]. I think it’s stupid because [the subway] is such an outdated system,” said Kumar.
Her daily commute can take up to an hour each way, leaving her feeling drained at the end of her school days. Kumar expressed that her routine leaves her with little time or energy for extracurricular activities or personal projects. Overall, this leads her to question the sustainability and efficiency of commuting long-term, especially with the prospect of future fare increases.
“I just feel that dread of getting home really exhausted and drained from school,” said Kumar.
“I’d rather spend $8 for the five minute [Uber ride] to school, than spend $3.25 for a 25 minute transit [ride]”
Alternatively, some students have decided to walk to campus to cut costs on commuting.
Meghan Agaba, a third-year psychology student, shared that walking to campus has been a cost-saving measure since she only lives 20 minutes from campus. She said if fare prices were more affordable, she would opt to commute.
Much like Kumar, Agaba also finds issues with the efficiency of her commute. On days when she has exams and can’t afford to be late, she uses alternative methods of transit.
“There are some instances [when] I’ll take an Uber to school,” said Agaba. “I’d rather spend $8 for the five minute [Uber ride] to school, than spend $3.25 for a 25 minute transit [ride].”
William Galloway, an assistant professor and urban planning expert at TMU, explains that commuting is often necessary for students due to the lack of affordable housing near the university.
“Most of my students—or a very large number of them—are divided between those who live uneasily paying high rent downtown and those who [have to commute] a couple hours away,” he said.
Galloway pointed out that long commutes not only affect students’ finances but also their mental health. “Mentally, it’s not good. Physically, it’s not good. Academically, there is no benefit from having that trip twice a day,” he said.
Kumar explained how she often feels drained after commuting, holding her back from social events and wonders how much time she accumulates every year riding TTC.
“You just have to allocate so much extra time [for commuting]. I really do wonder a lot about how much time I’m actually [spending] commuting, every month or every year,” she said.
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