CEO's Report: August Commentary

There is a new way to pay your TTC fare. Payment for adult fares with debit and credit cards, or mobile devices, was announced on August 10 and launched across the entire network on August 15.

TTC customers are charged $3.30 for their fare (rather than the adult cash fare of $3.35), which is the same as the adult single-ride fare on a PRESTO card. The two-hour transfer is also activated, which is currently only available to riders paying with a PRESTO card or PRESTO ticket.

Seniors, youth, Fair Pass Transit Discount program users and monthly pass customers should continue using a PRESTO card as their fares are lower than the $3.30 debit/credit fare.

Credit cards accepted include VISA, MasterCard and American Express. Canadian Interac® debit cards, VISA debit cards and MasterCard debit cards are also accepted. Customers can use cards on a smartphone or smartwatch.

Similar to the PRESTO card, customers should tap every time they board a TTC vehicle or enter a station. Only one fare will be charged within the two-hour transfer limit. Riders should also tap solely with their payment card to make sure no other debit or credit cards are charged at the validator. Customers can visit ttc.ca/PRESTO for more information.

As of the week ending August 18, the TTC’s average weekday boardings stand at 76 per cent of pre-COVID levels, at 2.2 million. Boardings by mode continue to be highest on the bus network at 84 per cent of pre-COVID levels while streetcar and subway boardings were at 69 per cent and 74 per cent, respectively. Wheel-Trans ridership is at 74 per cent of pre-COVID.

In anticipation of students returning to school and more people heading back to the workplace, our service priorities are to ensure we deliver service that is more reliable, that there is more room onboard our vehicles and customers have shorter wait times. These priorities are achieved through the following measures:

• Increasing service across all modes and on many routes to make sure we are delivering service where and when it is most needed;

• Recruiting, hiring and training additional frontline workers to meet service investments;

• Enhancing cleanliness across the network, including a summer station cleaning blitz (more details on this below); and

• A renewed focus on safety and customer service excellence.

The TTC will be providing increased service on the following routes:

• 65 Parliament and 75 Sherbourne servicing George Brown College.

• 102 Markham Road, 134/913 Progress and 902 Markham Road Express servicing Centennial College Progress.

• 905 Eglinton East Express and 938 Highland Creek Express servicing University of Toronto Scarborough.

• 927 Highway 27 Express servicing Humber College North.

Diversity and Culture Group

TTC collecting backpacks and school supplies
​This year, the TTC in partnership with the Toronto and Region Chapter of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO), collected 833 backpacks filled with school supplies, well surpassing the goal of 500 backpacks. The backpacks will be distributed to children and teens in Neighbourhood Improvement Areas around the city as they head back to school this September.

Donations were collected across TTC worksites, as well as during the TTC’s annual Stuff-the-Bus event, which saw the TTC and COMTO volunteers parking a TTC bus outside the Walmart Supercentre in Etobicoke on August 12 and 13, and encouraging members of the public to donate. This year’s total surpassed last year’s collection of 450 backpacks.

Thank you to all those that donated and volunteered their time for this important initiative.

Underground Freedom Train Ride on Line 1
​The TTC was proud to once again be supporting and participating in the annual underground freedom train ride to celebrate Emancipation Day on August 1. The special event to mark the role of the Underground Railroad in Canadian history took place on Line 1 Yonge-University, between Union and Downsview Park. Upwards of 1,000 people participated this year, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow.

The symbolic midnight ride was hosted by the Blackhurst Cultural Centre, and involved singing, poetry readings, drum playing and moments of reflection. It was a very moving public event.

Observing Emancipation Day is just one way we are working hard to build a more equitable, inclusive and welcoming transit system for everyone. We are making progress, but as a society, we have more work to do.

TTC participates in Toronto Caribbean Carnival
​The TTC was part of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival Grand Parade on August 5. We invited employees and their guests to dance alongside the special TTC bus in the parade. More than 150 staff and workers joined the festivities. In celebration of Caribbean heritage, we are also featuring employees on workplace screens and posters through the month of August.

TTC’s newest accessible streetcar has arrived
​The TTC’s newest accessible streetcar arrived in Toronto on August 5. Car #4604 was offloaded at Hillcrest on August 9.

The arrival of our 205th accessible streetcar from Alstom’s manufacturing plant in Thunder Bay was received with great anticipation. The new vehicle is expected to enter revenue service in September after thorough testing and commissioning.

Funding commitments by Federal, Provincial and City partners enabled us to secure the additional vehicles and much-needed investments at Hillcrest to accommodate an expanded fleet. Design and construction to modernize Hillcrest is already underway. The TTC’s Streetcar Program gives us the ability to provide a reliable and accessible service for decades to come.

In 2021, City Council unanimously approved the TTC’s capital budget amendment for the purchase of 60 new accessible streetcars and upgrades to Hillcrest Complex. The purchase will bring the total fleet size to 264 over the next couple of years. We are looking forward to continuing to expand our fleet.

Operations and Infrastructure Group

Station cleaning update
​The TTC’s summer student cleaning campaign is making excellent progress. As of August 23, the cleaning blitz has completed 69 stations, including 23 that were blitzed twice. Our students are continuing to work through the system, with 20 stations currently in progress (including a second pass through eight of those stations, and a third pass through five others. All stations are scheduled to be completed by the end of August.

The students are divided up into several teams manually scrubbing walls and stairs, as well as performing detailed cleaning of stainless steel doors, door/window frames, waste receptacles, elevators, escalators and benches. TTC customers can follow their progress on our social media channels. City Councillors have been contacted and are welcome to share the progress via newsletters to their residents.

Strategy and Customer Experience Group

Innovations in accessibility on TTC
​The TTC is always looking for new and innovative ways to make our system and stations more accessible. We are embarking on two new pilots to improve accessibility for customers.

The first is a subway-style, rear-door exit chime on new hybrid-electric buses that are entering service on routes in North York. This innovation gives TTC riders who experience low vision an audible cue that the rear doors are about to close. The sound replicates the three-tone chimes that is heard in subway trains when the doors are closing.

The second feature we are testing is the Contactless AccessTM elevator app at five subway stations: Finch, Kennedy, Kipling, Union and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. This unique app allows customers to use their smartphone to control elevators, providing a touch-free experience that would benefit customers with disabilities, seniors and anyone who may be carrying large objects or pushing strollers.

I want to encourage everyone to provide any feedback by completing a suggestion form that is available in the Customer Service section on ttc.ca, by calling 416-393-3030 or e-mailing accessibility@ttc.ca.

Transportation and Vehicles Group

Free TTC travel on Warriors’ Day for Canadian military and veterans
​The TTC was honoured to continue our long-standing tradition of providing free rides to all current members of the Canadian Armed Forces in uniform as well as war and peacekeeping veterans wearing military service medals or ribbons on Warriors’ Day, August 19.

Each year, the TTC recognizes the valuable contributions of the Canadian military, veterans and peacekeepers by providing free rides on both Warriors’ Day and on Remembrance Day. Free TTC travel is also extended to one companion.

The 2023 Warriors’ Day Parade at Exhibition Place honours the women of the Canadian Armed Forces, Emergency Services and the Home Front. The TTC has a long and proud history of military service. It was 80 years ago next month that women on the home front were first recruited as bus Operators while men in the TTC workforce served overseas in the Second World War.

The TTC Honour Guard will be representing our organization in the annual parade.

Innovation and Sustainability Group

Bus Design Innovation
​At the July 12 Commission meeting, I was especially proud to bring the Board’s attention to the Bus Design Innovation (BDI) program. This exciting program was developed in partnership with the TTC and Centennial College. The initiative explores opportunities for new bus designs with the goal of developing a safer and more environmentally friendly transit vehicle while also improving the customer experience.

Our teams have developed a superior and complete barrier to help prevent assaults. A prototype bus with the newest design is making the rounds at divisions to gather Operator feedback. This project was presented to the U.S. Federal Transit Administration in Washington D.C. in June and the ATU International Conference last fall.

The BDI program is a demonstration of effective management-labour collaboration, while leveraging our long-standing relationship with Centennial College and apprenticeship programs and other partners committed to our safety and security objectives. Through our apprenticeship programs, a new generation of college students is actively engaged on research and development of these new designs. We will continue to share innovations from the BDI program.

TTC wins Innovative Solutions Award
​The TTC has won METRO Magazine’s Innovative Solutions Award. METRO is an industry trade publication.

The award recognizes the TTC’s Green Transit Zones. With this application, a hybrid-electric bus will be detected when it enters a designated geo-fenced green-zone area and go into zero-emission Electric Vehicle (EV) mode. While in EV mode, the hybrid bus is operating with its engine off, and all power for propulsion and accessories is provided by the energy storage system (batteries) onboard.

Safety and Environment Group

Top 10 Back to School Tips
​With back to school right around the corner, here are some helpful tips for customers of all ages that can help the TTC to provide a better, safer service to students and the community:

1. Be safe. Follow traffic signals. Never run or jaywalk to catch a bus or streetcar.

2. Form a single line at a transit stop. Stay back from the curb.

3. Look both ways before exiting transit vehicles.

4. Always be courteous when riding the TTC.

5. Do not rush the doors. Let others exit first.

6. Keep your school bag away from the doors. Carry it in front of you, on your lap or at your feet.

7. Do not block the doors. Move to the back or centre of the vehicle.

8. Allow customers using mobility devices to board first.

9. If you are 13 or older, have your payment ready.

10. Set your PRESTO card for discounted youth fare at a Shoppers Drug Mart or at the TTC Customer Service Centre above Davisville Station.

This year, we have developed a video for young customers explaining how to pay fares and ride safely. The video will be available on the TTC's website and YouTube channel and will be used by our Community Engagement team at school events. We also work closely with the school boards to provide them with safety messaging for their students.

TTC expands availability of naloxone to all stations
​Within the next month, subway stations will be equipped with naloxone kits in the event of an opioid overdose incident on TTC property.

The number of employees authorized and trained to administer naloxone is being expanded to include: Fare Inspectors, Mobile Supervisors, Chief Supervisors, Training Instructors and supervisory station staff. In total, about 630 TTC employees will be trained on opioid overdose prevention, recognition and response, including about 100 Special Constables who carry naloxone with them. All trained staff are also first-aid certified. The naloxone kits will be available in Collector booths for trained personnel to use. Naloxone may also be provided to a bystander to administer when requested or volunteered.

SRT train derailment investigation
​Last month, we experienced a train derailment on Line 3 Scarborough. Days after the incident, we announced that we were undertaking an investigation and that a decision about reinstating train service will only be made once the review is complete. Several leading industry experts were immediately called in to assist TTC staff with the investigation. Line 3 remains on full bus replacement.

I want to stress that safety is paramount to everything we do, and we are taking every necessary action to ensure the well-being and safety of our customers and employees. Despite our best efforts, SRT infrastructure is long past its design life and has shown to be unreliable at times, particularly during extreme winter weather. The TTC was already planning on decommissioning the SRT in November 2023.

I want to express my thanks for the work of emergency responders and all those employees who continue to work diligently and safely to make repairs to the line. I am grateful also to our frontline workers who are providing alternate transit service to our customers in the east end.

We will share more information with employees and the public as it becomes available.

In closing, it is with deep sadness that I let you know that Sam Savona, former Chair of the Advisory Committee on Accessible Transportation, passed away on August 5. Mr. Savona was a long-time member of ACAT. He was an inaugural member of the committee when it was formed in 1993, and went on to serve twice as its Chair. Mr. Savona was instrumental in improving Wheel-Trans services and persuading the former Metro Council to install elevators in subway stations. On behalf of the entire TTC, I would like share our condolences with his family and friends.

The next scheduled TTC Board meeting will be on Tuesday, September 26. The public meeting will be live-streamed on the Official TTC YouTube Channel.

Stay safe.

Richard J. Leary
​Chief Executive Officer
​August 2023

This commentary is published in the CEO’s Report, which can be found on the TTC Intranet and ttc.ca.