[1overcosc]

One of the things that is proving a thorn in the side of GTA fare integration efforts is that the TTC makes a huge amount of money (in the tens of millions per year) off the fact that riders from other agencies have to pay full fare to ride the TTC. By contrast most 905 agencies have agreements for free transfers between their areas. In addition, the TTC is adamant on retaining a single fare for all trips within Toronto's borders.

One solution could be fare zones with a rule that the first zone change is free. Then, the city proper of Toronto could be divided into two zones, one covering downtown/inner city Toronto and another covering the 416 suburbs (Scarborough, North York, etc.). That way, travel entirely within Toronto is still one fare. Travel between the 416 suburbs and the inner 905 suburbs would become one fare. TTC keeps the extra fare from people headed downtown. While it will lose fares from 905ers travelling to the inner suburbs, it will probably attract new riders in the inner suburbs (many Scarborough residents commute to Markham, for example) who are more likely to transit once it doesn't them $6 each way, so it could very well be revenue neutral for the TTC.