CEO's Report: November Commentary

We have seen our ridership continue to steadily rise over the past few months – our average weekday boardings are at 82% of pre-COVID levels, or 2.55 million boardings. This is an important milestone for the transit agency.

For the week ending October 27, average weekday boardings were 80% of pre-COVID levels, or 2.50 million boardings. Weekend ridership continues to exceed weekday demand, being 100% for this week. Bus boardings lead recovery at 94% of pre-COVID levels, while streetcar boardings are at 63% and subway at 72%. Wheel-Trans ridership is at 76% of pre-COVID levels.

We are continuing to review and monitor our customers’ emerging travel patterns to learn about how to better serve them. Part of this work is through the TTC’s 2024 Annual Service Plan (ASP), which provides a roadmap for service changes for the coming year –including recommendations for new and revised routes based on input and engagement with TTC customers, employees and the community.

The 2024 ASP is our first annual plan under a more stable environment following the peak of the pandemic. It applies valuable lessons learned from recent years to enhance transit in Toronto, ensuring a more efficient and reliable system for all riders. There are three key themes of the 2024 ASP:

• Improving on the basics: Continuing to align service as ridership patterns stabilize across the network, reinforcing the role of TTC Service Standards in defining service quality, and improving existing processes to deliver better transit service.

• Making stronger connections: Preparing the transit system for major changes to the network with the future opening of Line 5 Eglinton and Line 6 Finch West; monitoring and adjusting the Line 3 Bus Replacement Network; adjusting other routes across the city to create better connections and respond to community growth and input; and preparing for future changes, such as the first phase of the regional fare integration.

• Doing disruptions differently: Learning from recent years of construction and transit disruptions across the city to develop a service disruptions framework; piloting new approaches to maintain mobility during construction; and improving customer communication approaches and tactics.

In addition to the three key themes, there is more work that is ongoing as we continue to develop and implement the 20-Point Action Plan, including the measures initially approved by the Board in the 5-Year Service Plan.

Diversity and Culture Group

TTC Recognized for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
​The TTC was recently awarded a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award by the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA). Last spring, the TTC launched a new partnership with Special Olympics Ontario, an organization dedicated to promoting respect, acceptance, inclusion and human dignity for people with intellectual disabilities through sport.

In the past, the TTC has received feedback that people with intellectual disabilities face challenges with taking public transit. The TTC currently has several programs in place to support these individuals, such as the TTC Travel Trainer program and the MagnusCards app, a life skills app that helps people with cognitive disabilities learn how to navigate the world around them – including taking the TTC.

This initiative represents an important part of the TTC’s commitment to creating an accessible transit system for everyone. Congratulations to all those who supported this important initiative!

Anti-Racism Strategy and Policy
​In December 2020, the TTC adopted a 10-Point Action Plan on Diversity and Inclusion and a Five-Year Diversity and Human Rights Plan. Together, the plans identified short-term changes the TTC could make immediately as well as long-term objectives for building a more diverse and inclusive organization.

The TTC remains committed to identifying, preventing and eliminating systemic racism. The TTC is currently working on its new Anti-Racism Strategy and Policy, which will be presented to the Board in the New Year. Overall, the goal of the strategy is to guide and support the TTC on a path to becoming an organization that is free from systemic racism in the workplace and in the delivery of services.

The draft policy has several key components, including:

• Addressing community concerns on racial profiling and the over-representation of Black and Indigenous people in the TTC’s enforcement activities.

• Enhancing fairness for employees and customers who file complaints of racial discrimination.

• Enhance co-ordination, integration and alignment of the TTC’s system-wide anti-racism approach.

We look forward to sharing more with you on this important work in the coming months.

Strategy and Customer Experience Group

Ongoing support for open payment
​To support open payment and the use of their payment systems, both VISA and AMEX have made substantial advertising buys on the TTC. Additionally, Interac offered a free ride to TTC customers on October 26 to those customers tapping into the system with their Interac card and Rogers is offering a similar discount to customers using their bank card beginning October 30.

The TTC will continue to report back to the Board on the success of open payment in the coming months.

TTC’s Be Essential campaign wins CUTA award
​The TTC was recently awarded a Marketing and Communication Award by the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) for its Be Essential campaign. The campaign was developed to support hiring efforts, and it positioned employment opportunities in transit as essential to the well-being of Toronto. The campaign creative featured TTC employees in their work locations. The campaign over-delivered in digital ads, and overall the TTC saw a 700% increase in unique views to the jobs page at ttc.ca.

The TTC launched the Be Essential recruitment campaign in 2022. The campaign spoke to the important role the TTC plays in the lives of our customers who trust us to help them get around Toronto. Whether it is to get to work, to appointments or to shop for groceries, millions of people rely on the TTC on a daily basis.

Public Forum on Accessible Transit
​I want to thank everyone involved in pulling off another successful and eventful Public Forum on Accessible Transit last month. It was great to be back in person this year at the Toronto Reference Library to share experiences with staff and the public.

Hearing directly from our customers is absolutely essential in helping us to get our service right. The forum is also our opportunity to update customers on the many accessibility initiatives recently introduced or underway, such as the wayfinding pilot at York Mills Station, the trial of rear-door chimes on buses, Community Bus improvements and the launch of the Wheel-Trans mobile app.

Major capital projects discussed at the public meeting included elevator construction that is underway at 15 subway stations; expansion our accessible streetcar fleet by 60 vehicles over the next couple of years, with the first two new cars already on property; and renewal of the Wheel-Trans fleet, with the remaining 30 seven-metre buses scheduled to arrive in Q1 2024.

Transportation and Vehicles Group

Honouring Remembrance Day
​As has been our tradition for many decades, the TTC was honoured to provide current and former members of Canada’s military with free rides on Remembrance Day, Saturday, November 11. The TTC also paused all service for two minutes in honour and memory of Canada’s fallen on that solemn day. All subway Operators held their trains in stations, bus and streetcar Operators held their vehicles at service stops and Wheel-Trans Operators held at a safe location. The complimentary ride offer also extended to one travelling companion.

It was our privilege, as always, to join Canadian veterans and Davisville Public School students at Leslie Station to formally launch the Toronto Royal Canadian Legion’s annual TTC Poppy Campaign on October 27. Poppy donations continued until Remembrance Day.

In World War II, more than 600 TTC workers enlisted for military service. Their names are remembered on the TTC’s Honour Rolls, including a dozen who were killed in action.

Winter Preparedness at the TTC
​The TTC has been busy through the summer months reviewing contracts with suppliers to make certain that all of our winter inventory and equipment is ready to go. Winter preparedness for the TTC is a multi-faceted and multi-departmental effort to ensure each transportation mode is prepared to deal with the severe weather ahead, and that we make all necessary adjustments to our severe weather operations plans.

On top of all that, Subway and Surface crews have lengthy annual checklists of activities that are undertaken, including, to name a few:

• Subway line inspections and repairs to heating equipment.

• Subway yard trackside heating checks.

• Snow fence installation in yards and mainline stretches.

• Leaf cleanup along tracks and tree pruning in the open cuts.

• Inspections of vehicle heating systems, cab defrosters, HVAC filters and ramp systems.

• Windshield wipers and fluid top-ups.

• Installation of winter tires on articulated buses.

• Installation of anti-icing tanks on T1 and TR storm trains.

• Testing of auxiliary equipment, such as plows, snow throwers and salting equipment.

As always, we will be reminding customers to leave extra time in their commutes and to check ahead on the status of their TTC service by following @TTCNotices on X (formerly Twitter) or by signing up for eAlerts.

Operations and Infrastructure Group

Streetcar service returns along The Queensway
​On October 29, the TTC restored 501 Queen streetcar service to Humber Loop in the west end. This followed the completion of major infrastructure upgrades by the City and the TTC in the King Street West, Queen Street West, The Queensway and Roncesvalles Avenue (KQQR) intersection area.

It is the first time since January 2021 that streetcars are running along The Queensway, including to stops at Glendale Avenue providing direct access to St. Joseph’s Hospital. The 501L Queen replacement buses continue to run both ways between Long Branch Loop and Humber Loop. Additional streetcar service through to Long Branch Loop is scheduled to return in the peak periods on November 19. 507 Long Branch streetcars will operate from Long Branch to Humber Loop, every day to 10 p.m., with riders boarding from platforms on Lake Shore Boulevard. 301 Queen buses continue to operate between Long Branch Loop and Neville Park Loop in overnight periods, seven days a week.

People Group

TTC introduces Trauma Assist Program
​As part of our role in moving Toronto, there are sometimes unavoidable situations that TTC employees witness or are involved in that have an effect on our mental health and well-being. That is why the TTC recently introduced a new Trauma Assist Program to support employees exposed to traumatic incidents in the workplace.

The Trauma Assist Program provides specialized care to treat individuals, manage symptoms and build resiliency through a flexible program that adapts to the needs of each individual. This program helps individuals quickly access and receive assistance and counselling from specialized clinicians.

This new program is voluntary, confidential and available for all employees who experience trauma in the workplace, such as a traumatic injury, violent act, witnessing violence or death.

This program is in addition to the already existing Peer Support Program, which offers confidential peer support to employees who have experienced a traumatic incident at work.

Mental health is an essential aspect of safety, and we take it seriously.

The next scheduled TTC Board meeting will be on Wednesday, November 22. The public meeting will be live-streamed on the Official TTC YouTube Channel.

Richard J. Leary
​Chief Executive Officer
​November 2023