Wouldn't it be nice if you never had to pay a TTC fare ever again? Well it might just happen, because that's what one MPP is promising, should he become the leader of the Ontario Liberal Party come March.

MPP Michael Coteau of Don Valley East is proposing that TTC fares be eliminated entirely within the next decade in order to encourage residents to take public transit to help combat climate change.

This morning I released bold ideas to fight the climate crisis and protect Ontario’s natural beauty. Read the ideas at https://t.co/XY5sY8jSXA. #onpoli #cdnpoli #olpldr pic.twitter.com/fj8cW5OdFT

— Michael Coteau (@coteau) November 11, 2019

"Climate change is an urgent, existential threat. We need to act in ways that empower Ontarians to reduce their carbon footprint and save their hard-earned money," he said. 

"I believe, as a principle, that like other public services in Ontario, public transit should be free at the point of access. This initiative will involve all local, regional and provincial transit entities in all parts of Ontario and entail all modes of public transit."

Coteau said their plan is to conduct a cost/benefit analysis in order to determine whether fare-free transit is an effective way of achieving environmental, economic and social objectives. 

He said this will also help determine the return on the province’s investment in free transit.

From a plan to move to fare-free transit to planting 140 million trees to protecting our water to #RighttoRepair -- this is worth your time to read to know @coteau's ideas to restore Ontario's leadership in the fight against the climate crisis. #onpoli #cdnpoli #olpldr https://t.co/sfSrnL4QVi

— Jonathan Scott (@J_Scott_) November 11, 2019

"We will use the findings of this analysis to inform evidence-based decision-making on the role free transit can play in transitioning Ontario to a greater reliance on public transit to meet our transportation needs," he said. 

Coteau isn't the first to propose this idea, and it's by no means guaranteed. 

When I ran for Mayor, I announced a call for free transit on ⁦@GlobalTV⁩ at the first televised debate. At the time, they said it was ‘crazy’. Now, Liberal candidate Michael Coteau promising free public transit to curb climate change | The Star https://t.co/DIHy3pvCDa

— Saron Gebresellassi (@SaronGeb) November 11, 2019

In order to officially introduce this plan, Coteau will have to become the Liberal leader on March 7 and then beat Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives in the 2022 provincial election. 

If he manages to accomplish both of those things, Coteau said the change will be introduced incrementally.

It'll begin with young people and seniors, as well as anyone whose switch from driving to public transit would provide the most significant impact toward achieving targeted environmental, economic and social objectives.

He added that the province will support the gradual adoption of free transit programs "by local, regional and provincial transit entities all across the province to facilitate the migration of their business models to a fare-free transit ecosystem."

"Our initiatives to encourage public transit use, including by providing fare-free transit, will be integrated with a province-wide plan to prioritize public transit improvement and expansion as the key component of new public infrastructure in Ontario," Coteau said.