City of Edmonton incorporates senior fares into Arc fare system

The city of Edmonton, Alberta, has added a senior fare profile to Arc, the region’s electronic fare payment system. Seniors aged 65 years and older will now be able to sign up for the Arc senior fare profile when activating their Arc card to be charged the senior fare amount.

The senior fare group joins the U-Pass, standard adult and youth and student riders who can already use Arc.

While riders eligible for seniors fare can start using Arc immediately, riders who already have a January monthly transit pass are encouraged to wait to start tapping on and off the system until Feb. 1 to receive the full benefit of the monthly fare cap. The monthly fare caps are the same price as existing monthly transit passes. Once riders reach the monthly fare cap, they can ride transit for free for the rest of that month.

Seniors who use paratransit services are encouraged to continue to purchase and use paper tickets or transit passes until the city of Edmonton begins collecting fares with the Arc handheld validators on paratransit vehicles later this year.

Arc will be rolled out to seniors who participate in the Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) annual pass programs (subsidized and regular) starting May 1.

Staff and outreach teams from participating transit agencies will hand out complimentary Arc cards, while supplies last, to senior riders at various transit centers, light-rail transit (LRT) stations and shopping centers across the Edmonton region. Complimentary Arc cards for the fare group are available at select recreation centers and in-person service centers across the region.

In Edmonton, an additional layer of support will be available to seniors as they transition to Arc. The city will work with seniors residences and community groups to offer in-person presentations to provide more information about Arc. The sessions will help riders gain comfort with the system through direct support. Complimentary Arc cards will also be distributed at these sessions. Drop-in sessions will also be held at convenient locations.

Arc cards are also available for purchase online, by phone, at transit centers and LRT stations through Arc fare vending machines and at select retailers.

While senior fare riders in Edmonton are encouraged to transition to Arc, they can continue to purchase senior 10-pack ticket strips and monthly transit passes at ETS sales outlets and through the online ETS store. Once Arc has been fully implemented for all ridership groups, ETS will discontinue offering paper tickets and passes, which is anticipated to occur at the end of 2024. Cash fare will continue to be accepted. Each region has its own plans regarding paper fare products.