Last Thursday (April 14), the TTC Board approved a non-union employee wage increases for levels 1-15 for 2022, consistent with the City of Toronto’s compensation for management/non-union staff. This increase comprises both a Cost of Living Adjustment (CoLA) and a pay for performance increase effective January 1, 2022. I’ve heard from some of you that you would like more clarity on what this means for you and next steps. As you know, this has been a priority for me as I brought the non-union salary increases to the Board both in February and again last week. The motion that was approved by the Board was comprised of two parts: a CoLA adjustment and a pay for performance increase. The Board’s direction was to align our compensation program with the City’s program in 2022 as an interim measure, understanding that the TTC is developing its own permanent pay for performance program that will be reported to the Board in Q1 2023.

Work is currently underway by the TTC’s Talent Management Team to develop a fair and equitable plan to deliver on the Board’s direction as quickly as possible to ensure that you will receive your wage increase retroactive to January 1st, 2022 shortly.

I know that you will have more questions and we are committed to making sure you get the answers you need. In the coming weeks, we will share the wage increase plan, finalize Q&As, host town halls as well as provide further updates to you.

I know that you will have more questions and we are committed to making sure you get the answers you need. In the coming weeks, we will share the wage increase plan, finalize Q&As, host town halls as well as provide further updates to you.

Our objective at the TTC is to ensure that we are offering a competitive salary and benefits package for all our employees. We believe that this is an important way to recognize your hard work and it is also critical in retaining our talent.

Going green for Earth Day
Today (April 22) is Earth Day, but here at the TTC, we have made green initiatives our focus year round. Thanks to our Green Bus Program, our fleet will transition to zero-emissions by 2040, including most recently the procurement of approximately 300 eBuses to be delivered starting in 2023. Keep an eye out on the TTC’s social media channels and on our MyTTC | Now TVs to learn more about how the TTC is leading the charge in green transit.

If you’re looking for another way to get involved and do your part to keep our planet healthy, Mount Dennis Division is holding a community clean-up event on April 23 at 9 a.m.

Staying safe and alert
As you may be aware, earlier this week, a customer was pushed onto the tracks at Bloor-Yonge Station just as a train was pulling in. Fortunately, the customer was able to move under the lip of the platform and avoided serious injury from the oncoming train. I want to commend all employees who helped respond to this incident. In particular, I would like to thank the above-and-beyond role subway Operator Jennifer Pattison played in the same-day arrest of the individual. Thanks to Jennifer’s knitting knowledge, she was able to identify the suspect from the unique design of their hat, and was quick to inform Transit Control of their location.

Incidents like these are rare, but they are a stark reminder of the importance of staying alert and being aware of our surroundings. If you ever notice something out of the ordinary, please notify your Supervisor or Transit Control immediately.

Thank you for your continued dedication to moving the people of Toronto. Stay safe.

Richard J. Leary
Chief Executive Officer
April 22, 2022

TTC Board Highlights

TTC Board Meeting April 14, 2022

CEO presentation: TTC Corporate Plan update
CEO Rick Leary started his remarks by extending the TTC’s support and sympathy to New York City subway riders and the MTA affected by the mass shooting on its subway on April 12. The CEO provided a presentation and video highlighting the progress made to date under the 2018-2022 Corporate Plan. The TTC’s four key service objectives form the foundation of strategic planning underway for the next Corporate Plan, which is scheduled to be before the Board in January 2023. Those objectives are:

• Transform to solidify the fiscal foundation;

• Provide safe, seamless and reliable transit service;

• Provide inclusive and accessible service; and

• Innovate for future demand.

Diversity and Culture 2021 Annual Report
After receiving remarks from the TTC’s External Advisor on Diversity and Inclusion, Arleen Huggins, Board members received the Diversity and Culture 2021 Annual Report. The Diversity and Culture Group’s first annual report, A Year of Firsts, contains updates on initiatives aimed at creating an organizational culture of equity, inclusion, belonging, respect and dignity that is free from harassment and/or discrimination.

In 2021, the TTC launched the Racial Equity Office as part of the newly created Diversity Department, and the Fare Inspector and Special Constable Complaint Office as part of the Human Rights and Investigations Department. These two offices were created to advance the commitments made to employees, riders and the community at large. The TTC continues to recognize the importance of taking action, being responsive, reflecting the communities it serves as well as providing positive workplaces that value and support the full participation of all employees.

TTC Special Constable Service 2021 Annual Report
Board members received the TTC Special Constable Service 2021 Annual Report. The report provides an overview of 2021 activities for the Special Constable Service, and has been revised to demonstrate the alignment with the ongoing Revenue Protection and Special Constable Service Culture Change program. The Special Constables Annual Report will be forwarded to the Toronto Police Services Board (TPSB) as per Section 8.9 of the Special Constable Agreement between the TPSB and the TTC.

The Revenue Protection and Special Constable Service departments are undergoing transformative internal and external change to demonstrate a commitment to accountability, transparency, building public trust, addressing regulatory concerns, and ensuring bias-free service delivery. The departments have considered critical recommendations from various third-party reports, expert stakeholders and industry benchmarking, while focusing on the essential priorities of transit safety, security, at the same time maximizing revenue protection.

Line 5 Eglinton – Train Operating and Funding Agreement
Commissioners approved a report authorizing the TTC CEO to enter into and execute the Train Operating and Funding Agreement for Line 5 Eglinton, and any other necessary agreements, which shall be consistent with the Terms contained in Attachment 1 (Term Sheet A: Operating Terms and Term Sheet B: Commercial Terms), whereby the final agreement will be subject to terms and conditions acceptable to the TTC General Counsel.

Line 5 Eglinton, also known as the Eglinton Crosstown (or ECLRT) is the latest Light Rail Transit (LRT) line to be delivered in Toronto, and will operate as the official fourth mode of transit within the TTC network. Line 5 is expected to open for service in late 2022 with the official in-service date to be communicated by Metrolinx. Once operational, Line 5 will allow the TTC to move more customers more reliably with enhanced accessibility along the Eglinton corridor with key points of intersection with Lines 1 and 2 and various bus routes.

Line 5 Eglinton is owned by Metrolinx, maintained by Crosslinx Transit Solutions (Construction and Maintenance consortium) and operated by the TTC. As the Operator of the Line, the TTC is responsible for: vehicle operations and supervision; Control Centre function; customer service; communications; control of traction power distribution; station operations; and security and revenue protection.

Line 3 Bus Replacement Study Final Recommendations
The TTC Board approved the final Line 3 Bus Replacement Study report with the following recommendations:

• Approve the replacement of Line 3 train service with an express bus service in Q4 2023;

• Approve the conversion of the Line 3 right-of-way between Kennedy Station and Ellesmere Station to a bus roadway, with stops at Tara Avenue, Lawrence Avenue East and Ellesmere Road;

• Approve the operation of a temporary express bus service (as described in report) until the conversion of the Line 3 right-of-way to a bus roadway is complete;

• Report back through the 2023 budget process on the operating and capital funding required to advance the Line 3 bus replacement project;

• Endorse the City of Toronto’s efforts to develop adaptive reuse of the Line 3 infrastructure that will not be required for continued transit service; and

• Forward the report to the City Manager, City of Toronto, the President and CEO, Metrolinx, and the Deputy Minister, Ministry of Transportation, for their information.

Board members also approved a motion directing TTC staff to report back to the Board in July 2022 with an update on the progress of negotiations to fund the service replacement costs of the Line 3 project. The report should include a confidential attachment should legal opinion be required.

The decommissioning of the SRT will require a very frequent bus replacement service to provide alternate service for customers connecting between important nodes, such as Scarborough Centre and Kennedy stations. To facilitate this frequent bus service, which will have buses operating more frequent than every minute during the peak periods, modifications will be required to the existing bus platforms at Scarborough Centre and Kennedy, and the construction of a new temporary bus terminal in the south parking lot at Kennedy Station.

Here’s a high-level timeline for construction, closure of train service, and operation of bus service:

• Detailed design of required bus terminal expansions in 2022.

• GO Transit and intercity carriers would vacate their space at Scarborough Centre Station in Q3 2022.

• Modification of the bus terminals at Kennedy and Scarborough Centre and construction of the temporary bus platforms and transit signal priority by Q4 2023.

• Train service would end in Q4 2023 once bus terminal modifications and the temporary bus platforms are complete.

• Bus service would start using on-street routings the day after train service ends in Q4 2023.

• Conversion of the Line 3 right-of-way for bus operation would begin after train service ends in Q4 2023, and could be complete by Q4 2025, at which point the bus service would move from on-street routings to the new busway on the former right-of-way.

Times and project stages are subject to further review and refinement. The closure of Line 3 Scarborough, and the implementation of bus replacement service, will need to be co-ordinated with a service change date. The candidate dates for Q4 2023 would mean the last day of train service could be Saturday, October 14, 2023 or Saturday, November 25, 2023. Bus services would run at least until 2030 when the Scarborough Subway Extension is scheduled to open.

The TTC will continue to work with the City to study future alternate uses for the existing Line 3 guideway east of Ellesmere Station. This study will inform the scope of any decommissioning and demolition for the existing Line 3 infrastructure not needed for bus replacement service or adaptive reuse.

Green Bus Program: Final results of TTC’s Head-to-Head eBus evaluation
Commissioners approved a report providing the final results of the TTC’s head-to-head evaluation of long-range, battery-electric buses (ebuses), with a recommendation to delegate authority to the TTC CEO to:

• Enter into contribution agreement(s), where required, with government partners to receive any net new funding/financing for the TTC’s Green Bus Program; and

• Subject to commitment of matching funds from provincial and/or federal government partners, amend existing and pending contract(s) to increase the eBus procurement quantity and associated infrastructure works in proportion to the additional funds committed.

The TTC’s first of 60 eBuses entered service in June 2019. The head-to-head evaluation formally began in October 2020. The objective of the evaluation was to study all three eBus types in the TTC’s operating environment and leverage lessons learned to inform eBus technical and commercial specifications for future procurements. Further, the TTC has been committed to sharing its findings with the broader transit community through an open exchange of best practices to assist with eBus planning and adoption.

Lessons learned to date have been applied to the technical and commercial terms of the TTC’s next eBus procurement of approximately 300 buses to be delivered starting in 2023 as the TTC progresses towards full-fleet electrification.

The TTC’s Green Bus Program identifies a procurement strategy to transition the fleet to become zero-emissions by 2040. The plan aligns with the City of Toronto’s TransformTO Action Plan and the C40 Fossil-Fuel-Free Streets Declaration. When the entire fleet is zero-emissions in 2040, the following benefits are expected to be realized:

• Greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by approximately 250,000 tonnes of CO2 annually;

• Diesel emissions will be eliminated from bus operations thereby improving local air quality;

• Vehicle reliability and availability will have increased by an estimated 25 per cent; and

• Total lifecycle cost of zero-emissions buses is estimated to be lower than any currently available fossil-fuel propulsion alternative.

Digital Connectivity Strategy
Commissioners approved the TTC’s new Digital Connectivity Strategy. The strategy has four strategic objectives designed to support the City’s work of bridging the digital divide and increase the penetration of affordable high-speed internet services. Analysis of the TTC’s corporate priorities, trends across industry, and feedback from across the organization fed into the development of the strategic objectives, which are: A Connected TTC; An Exceptional Customer Experience; Enhanced Operations and Employee Experience; and A Digitally Connected City.

In 2021, City Council approved ConnectTO, a City-driven collaborative program that aims to leverage the use of municipal resources and assets to increase digital equity and expand access to affordable, high-speed internet to underserved Toronto residents. The program also aims to streamline and update existing City processes to ensure internet connectivity (public Wi-Fi, laying fibre conduits in existing construction work, etc.) is embedded in planning and execution of various City activities. The TTC’s Digital Connectivity Strategy is aligned with

ConnectTO in seeking similar outcomes, and therefore, the work of the Strategy will ensure the TTC leverages opportunities to support ConnectTO objectives.

Notice of Motion: Working together to address transit worker assaults
The TTC Board approved a Notice of Motion moved by TTC Chair Jaye Robinson with the following recommendations:

• Request the Government of Canada to amend subsection 269.01 of the Criminal Code to include all transit workers in these provisions, not just Operators.

• Direct TTC staff to co-ordinate a table with representatives from all three levels of government to work with ATU Local 113 on a national framework aimed at eliminating transit worker assaults.

• Request TTC staff to explore options, in consultation with ATU Local 113, to continue to raise public awareness of transit worker safety and respect for TTC employees, as soon as possible.

The TTC has developed a 10-point action plan to address transit worker assaults and support employees. An internal, cross-sectional working group has been tasked with implementing and monitoring the progress of the plan.

Easier access and second exit contracts awarded
Commissioners approved the award of two separate contracts for station accessibility. One contract worth $25.9 million (inclusive of all applicable taxes) was awarded to Duron Ontario Ltd. for Museum Station Easier Access III, Second Exit/Entrance and Structural Paving Rehabilitation. Another contract worth $18.1 million (inclusive of all applicable taxes) was awarded to EllisDon Civil Ltd. for the High Park Station Easier Access III project.

Next meeting of the TTC Board
The schedule of regular Board meetings in 2022 is condensed as a result of the municipal election on October 24. The next scheduled TTC Board Meeting will be on Thursday, May 19.

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