Recent budget talks at Calgary city hall included discussion about more financial support for public transit.

Although the previous city council approved an update to the RouteAhead transit strategy for the next 10 years, the difficult work is yet to come: ponying up cash to turn strategy into reality.

City council coughed up some new funds but it also dinged riders with a higher-than-planned fare increase next year, bringing the price of a single-ride adult ticket to $4 and a full-fare monthly pass to $126.

Mayor Jeromy Farkas voted against the fare increase and suggested the transit system would have to offer improved service to justify the price hike. Coun. André Chabot, who supported higher fees, suggested riders would accept a more expensive ticket in exchange for better service.

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