Year in review 2015
January 19: Toronto Mayor John Tory and TTC Chair Josh Colle announced a $95-million investment to significantly expand and enhance transit service, reduce wait times and crowding and reverse the service cuts that were imposed on the TTC in 2011. The Mayor and Chair also announced that children 12 and under will ride the TTC for free starting on March 1.
February 2: The TTC Board approved the 2015 Operating Budget with $95-million worth of new and enhanced service priorities to meet ridership demand across the city, such as: more bus and streetcar service at off-peak periods to reduce crowding and benefit 55 million customer trips and add 1.8 million new customer trips; a city-wide network of 10-minutes or better service frequency to benefit 48 million customer trips and add 1.8 million new customer trips; new express bus services at off-peak periods; phased-in restoration of all-day, every day service on the vast majority of bus and streetcar routes; and expand the overnight Blue Night Network with 12 additional bus and streetcar routes and add 300,000 new customer trips.
February 9: Mayor John Tory toured Harvey Shop and answered questions from workers on a variety of topics in a half-hour open microphone session.
March 1: New fare rates in line with the rate of inflation took effect. The pricing change saw a 10-cent increase in the price of a single Adult token ($2.80 from $2.70) and a proportionate increase to all other fares, plus a one-trip increase in the price of the Adult Metropass. Cash fares remained unchanged while the Child fare was eliminated.
April 13: The TTC announced a new agreement with Bechtel Canada Co. for the project management of the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension, which reset the opening of the subway line into York Region to the end of 2017.
May 24: Standing at a bus stop in Scarborough, Mayor John Tory and TTC Chair Josh Colle announced that the TTC will be ready to roll out new and improved services (all-day-every-day and overnight) on 61 bus and streetcar routes across the city, starting in the fall.
June: The TTC’s Employee Support and Court Advocate Program won the Canadian Urban Transit Association’s Leadership Award for Safety and Security.
June 7: 2015 Roadeo champions: Bus Roadeo: Grand Champion John Bome; 2nd Kevin Chan; 3rd Ed Mernagh. Wheel-Trans Roadeo: Grand Champion Donald MacLeod; 2nd Rick Rideout; 3rd Stephen Brumpton.
June 7: The TTC removed its 41 remaining Sunday-only streetcar stops that had been in place since the 1920s.
June 17: St George, Bay and Bloor-Yonge and the entire ‘U’ on Line 1 became the first stations to provide customers with cellular phone service as WIND Mobile signed on to the TTC’s cellular network. TTC riders with WIND had access to unlimited talk, text and data service underground.
July 2: Federal Finance Minister Joe Oliver, Provincial Tourism, Culture and Sport Minister Michael Coteau, TTC Chair Josh Colle and TTC CEO Andy Byford officially marked the completion of major renovations at Union Station.
July 8: TTC riders and Pan Am spectators were able to purchase a Day or Group Pass using their iOS and Android devices. The e-Ticketing option was introduced in advance of the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games.
July 9: The TTC’s massive and highly successful Pan Am/Parapan Am Games transit service got underway. Frequent and convenient transit service was provided to all Games venues in Toronto. The TTC enlisted more than 1,600 employees as customer ambassadors. Pan Am service ran until July 27. Parapan Am service operated from Aug. 6-15.
July 19 & July 26: Sunday subway service started at 6 a.m. as part of the TTC’s commitment to keep the city moving during Pan Am Games.
August 3: The TTC carried its 30 billionth customer. To mark the ridership milestone, longtime MDP subscriber, Grant Scott of Toronto, was selected to receive a free Metropasses for a year. It was presented to him by TTC Chair Josh Colle and CEO Andy Byford at Davisville Station on Aug. 24.
August 21: Subway Musicians’ Auditions kicked off at the CNE. The three-day event to award 74 licences takes place every three years.
September: The installation of PRESTO smart card readers began in mid-September on the legacy CLRV and ALRV streetcar fleet. The entire fleet was PRESTO-enabled by the end of the year.
September 28: The 10th new low-floor streetcar (#4411) entered service on the 509 Harbourfront route.
September 29: TTC Chair Josh Colle and Deputy CEO Chris Upfold introduced the first bike repair stop outside Davisville Station. The bike stands were installed at 10 stations.
October: The TTC’s focus on continuous improvement began to show dividends as customer satisfaction rose to an all-time high of 81 per cent, according to the Q3 Customer Satisfaction Survey.
October 5: The Tunnelling Association of Canada presented the TTC with the Canadian Project of the Year Award for the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension’s Twin Tunnels Project.
October 15: The first rebuilt ALRV (#4217) re-entered service on the 501 Queen route. In total, 30 ALRVs will undergo a major life-extension overhaul to improve reliability and ensure continuous and safe operation.
October 18: Route Supervisor Richard Lee signed copies of his new book, Get OnBoard: Walk in the Shoes of a Transit Operator, at a book launch event at Spadina Station.
November 22: New streetcar #4405, operated by Russell’s Joseph Martinez, became the first vehicle to run out of Leslie Barns, the newest carhouse at the corner of Leslie Street and Lake Shore Boulevard East. The Barns, still under construction, is expected to be fully occupied in early 2016.
November 25: Chris Upfold, Deputy CEO and Chief Customer Officer, received an Individual Leadership Award of Excellence from the Canadian Urban Transit Association at the 2015 Fall Conference and Trans-Expo in Montreal.
December 14: Proof of payment (POP) and all-door boarding went into effect on all 11 streetcar routes. TTC riders with POP could board any streetcar through any door.
December 31/January 1, 2016: For the third consecutive year, the TTC will be offering free New Year’s Eve rides courtesy of Corby Spirit and Wine.