CEO's Report: July Commentary

I would like to congratulate the members of the TTC’s cricket team, the Red Rockets, who were crowned 2023 CIMA Mayor’s Trophy cricket champions at Sunnybrook Park on June 24. Our team beat the Toronto Police in the final match of the annual contest. The TTC has a proud tradition in the tournament – the day was filled with exciting competition with our peers in the transit industry and other organizations in the GTA. As in past years, the free event was open to the public and friends and family members enthusiastically supported our players.

Ridership on the TTC continues to remain steady. As of the week ending June 16, the TTC’s average weekday boardings stand at 70 per cent of pre-COVID levels, at 2.28 million. Boardings by mode continue to be highest on the bus network at 81 per cent of pre-COVID levels while streetcar and subway boardings were at 59 per cent and 63 per cent, respectively. Wheel-Trans ridership is at 73 per cent of pre-COVID.

A decline in ridership is expected in July and August as elementary and secondary schools enter summer break. Although more office employees are expected to return to the office at least two-to-three days per week throughout the year, customer demand is expected to remain at the current level throughout the summer.

As we head into summer, I hope everyone will be able to take some time to rest and recharge. I also want to say a special thank you to all our employees for their hard work over the past few months. Getting our customers to and from their destinations safely and getting more people back on transit is thanks to you.

Diversity and Culture Group

Underground Freedom Train Ride
The TTC is 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 will take place on Line 1 Yonge-University on Sunday, July 31, starting at 10:45 p.m. The midnight train ride is hosted by the Blackhurst Cultural Centre and ushers in Emancipation Day on August 1. The event is open to the public.

Activities celebrating this annual ride include singing, poetry readings, and drum playing. Honouring Emancipation Day reminds us of how important it is to combat anti-Black racism and to eliminate discrimination in all its forms in our communities as well as our workplaces, something the TTC is firmly committed to eliminating.

Indigenous Peoples Month
We were honoured to participate in the profound Sunrise Ceremonies held at our various work locations in June. Sunrise ceremonies have deep cultural significance for many indigenous nations. They symbolize meeting the sun at the beginning of the day, embracing Mino Baamodziwin (the good way) through prayers, and expressing gratitude.

TTC at Special Olympics in Etobicoke
Special Olympics Ontario held its annual Athletics Meet at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke on June 10. The TTC was pleased to lend its support with one of our buses on site as a cooling station. We also had staff in attendance to offer information, such as Travel Training Handbooks, Wheel-Trans Re-Registration forms as well as TTC buttons, stickers, and colouring books.

Among the track and field competitors vying for medals this year was the daughter of Queesnway Bus Transportation Manager Terry Hughes. We were thrilled to learn that Ashley finished first in the 100- and 200-metre races. Congratulations, Ashley, the TTC is very proud of your accomplishments!

Strategy and Customer Experience Group

TTC partners with the Toronto Zoo
The TTC has collaborated once again this summer with the Toronto Zoo to promote our new seasonal service from Rouge Hill GO Station and to celebrate the opening of the new Orangutan exhibit. Specially wrapped buses and streetcars began appearing around the city in June.

A new, weekday seasonal service was added on the 200 Toronto Zoo route in June to meet the increased travel demand to the zoo during the summer months. Service between Rouge Hill GO Station and the Toronto Zoo via Port Union Road and Sheppard Avenue East runs from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Buses arrive every 20 minutes in all time periods.

TTC thanks employees for service excellence
The TTC congratulated its latest group of Rewards and Recognition winners, representing Marketing, Legal, Signals, Streetcar and Bus Maintenance, Engineering and Construction, Rail Cars, Training, Safety, and our Bus, Streetcar, and Subway transportation departments.

I was proud to express personal thanks to our recipients for outstanding achievements in the categories of Leadership, Customer Service, Safety, Diversity, Teamwork and Innovation and Sustainability. Congratulations to: Ryan Brooks, Louise Gallotta, Samantha Haffner, Sajid Maqbool, Jeffrey Matheson, Ben Kirton, Moganaraj Rajathurai, Robert Sorrenti, Stephen Cartaciano, Deborah Herbert, Krzysztof Potasz, Patrick Rameshwar, Mario Arruda, Ricardo Couto, Elizabeth Hoare, Bruno Perrella, Roy Hartley, Vince Perruccio, Sal Maltese, Alexandra Kargutkar, Gordon McKee, Felician Burca, Ming Li, Keith McGill, Shanae Brown and Tejinder Jawandha.

Operations and Infrastructure Group

Station cleaning blitz underway
I am pleased to report that the TTC has brought back the Student Janitor Program this year. This initiative is led by Jamal Richardson, Head of Stations, and his team in Station Services.

So far, the blitz has hit 31 stations and another 26 are currently underway with our aim of completing all stations at least once by September. Some of the busier stations will see additional passes by the blitz team of more than 100 students. That is amazing progress and we are already hearing from our customers that they appreciate the difference this effort is making. We are promoting this program on our social media channels as well as arranging for local Councillors to see our progress at stations in their wards.

Station Hubs now fully operational
All six of the TTC’s new Station Zone Hubs in the subway system are now operational. The last two hubs at St Clair West and Sheppard-Yonge went into service recently. These Hubs provide zone management, security monitoring, and the ability to respond efficiently to customer service requests. The other Hubs are located at York University, Union, Kipling, and Bloor-Yonge.

Zone Hubs are part of the Stations Transformation Program, which also includes:

• Upgrading the subway’s Public Announcement system;

• Upgrading Passenger Assistance Intercoms; and

• Installing/upgrading existing CCTV cameras.

Transportation and Vehicles Group

Building and sustaining career paths in TTC trades
For many years, the TTC has partnered with high schools and colleges in Toronto to offer Truck and Coach Technician apprenticeships and technician positions within our ranks. This year we will be celebrating two groups (2021 and 2022) that have graduated from the Truck and Coach program within our Bus Maintenance and Shops Department and who have received a Technician License.

Within the last four years, and with the expanding light rail industry, we have worked closely with our partners at Centennial College to introduce an apprenticeship focusing on getting our technicians certified and licensed and recognized as Journey Persons (technicians within 268R licensing).

This has been hugely successful within our streetcar maintenance area.

The first group of candidates is scheduled to graduate by mid-2024. I am very proud to say that we will be the first in Canada – and most likely North America – to have licensed technicians recognized by Ministry standards to maintain and repair our vehicles.

Our Bus Maintenance and Training staff have shown keen foresight in forecasting the future and pioneering a license towards the light rail industry as it is expanding nationwide, and recognizing the future needs across our industry.

I am also proud to add that over the years, we have focused on underrepresented groups, such as women in trades and diverse young students who are passionate about the trades. Many of our apprentices have moved into leadership roles and are enjoying lasting careers at the TTC.

Given the trades shortage in the province, the Ontario government is investing more than $225 million towards developing a Skilled Development Fund. We are working hard at the TTC, in partnership with Centennial College, to submit a proposal for funding to secure training equipment and other resources to ensure the apprenticeship programs are equipped with the latest technology.

501 Queen Streetcar service to return to Long Branch Loop
The TTC and the City of Toronto are pleased to announce that beginning on September 3, 501 Queen Streetcar service will be restored at Long Branch Loop.

The City and the TTC are nearing completion of major infrastructure upgrades in the King Street West, Queen Street West, The Queensway, and Roncesvalles Avenue (KQQR) intersection area. Upgrades include TTC track renewal and improvements as well as TTC traction power and overhead contact system renewal and improvements.

From January 2021 until May 2023, buses replaced the 504 King between Dundas West Station and Dufferin Street, including the intersection at King Street West and Roncesvalles Avenue to accommodate the construction. 504A King Streetcar service between Dundas West Station and Dufferin Street resumed in May. The 501 Queen is currently short-turning at Queen Street West and Roncesvalles Avenue. 501L Queen buses are operating from Queen Street West and Dufferin Street to Long Branch Loop.

For more information on the construction progress or TTC service updates, customers are encouraged to visit www.ttc.ca/kqqr.

Engineering and Construction Group

70 years ago this month
Seventy years ago on July 30, 1953, the TTC’s first subway cars (#5000 an #5001) arrived in Toronto from Britain. From the plant of the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Ltd., the cars were shipped by road to Avonmouth (the Port of Bristol) where they were loaded onto the vessel, City of New York. After an uneventful trip across the Atlantic Ocean, they were unloaded at Montreal onto specially equipped railway flatcars and shipped via Canadian National Railway to Toronto. The initial order was for 104 subway cars. The red Gloucester trains were the first to operate on the original Yonge line. Canada’s First Subway officially opened on March 30, 1954.

Safety and Environment Group

The City of Toronto Dashboard on Community Safety and Well-being
As a reminder, the City recently launched a dashboard on community safety and well-being in the transit system. This dashboard draws from information provided by the TTC, the City, Toronto Police, and other external partners, and highlights areas where there has been some positive change as well as indicators where there is a need for more work.

The metrics in the dashboard are updated monthly to demonstrate the progress and impacts of the various interventions that have been taking place on the network. Publishing the data allows everyone to identify trends and ensures accountability. The dashboard is available at www.toronto.ca/transitdata.

I am grateful to our employees and our many partners for the hard work and collaboration to tackle the complex challenges our system has faced over the past several months.

The next scheduled TTC Board meeting will be on Wednesday, July 12. The public meeting will be live-streamed on the Official TTC YouTube Channel, starting at 1 p.m.

Stay safe.

Richard J. Leary
Chief Executive Officer
July 2023

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