FROM THE CEO: TTC Board Highlights

Today is International Employee Appreciation Day. On behalf of the Executive Team, I want to extend sincere thanks to everyone for your hard work and dedication. I encourage you to take a moment to recognize one another for the great job you do every day. The TTC’s greatest asset is its people!

A more formal recognition of the essential work that our employees do will take place March 18 when Transit Operator and Worker Appreciation Day is observed across North America. Stay tuned for more details as they become available.

Construction kickoff at Hillcrest Complex
​Yesterday, I was joined by Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities of Canada, Mayor Olivia Chow, and TTC Chair Jamaal Myers to officially launch construction at Hillcrest Complex.

Hillcrest will undergo major upgrades over the next five years to store and maintain approximately 25 new accessible streetcars. This work allows us to modernize our facilities for future transit growth. Hillcrest is also the closest maintenance facility to the 512 St Clair and 511 Bathurst routes, which will benefit from the new vehicles.

TTC celebrates International Women’s Day
​March 8 is International Women’s Day, an important reminder that we must continue to work toward a more equitable and inclusive organization. The TTC celebrated on Wednesday, March 5, with an employee event centred on this year's theme, Accelerate Action.

Accelerate Action reinforces our commitment to advancing equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility, both in the workplace and in the services we provide. Progress requires continuous effort, decisive action, and a genuine commitment to breaking down systemic barriers to gender equity.

Since launching TTC Connects: Women as Transit Operator program in 2021, the TTC has consistently met its goal of ensuring that at least 40 per cent of new Operators are women. This program strengthens our commitment to a more diverse and inclusive workforce. Our Talent Acquisition team remains dedicated to this initiative, prioritizing female candidates during the recruitment process.

TTC Board Highlights
​Please note, last week the Board approved a contract for the supply of five battery-electric vehicles for Wheel-Trans. Refer to the Board Highlights below for further details and decisions made on February 24.

Greg Percy
​Chief Executive Officer
​March 7, 2025

​TTC Board Highlights
​TTC Board Meeting February 24, 2025

Supply of Battery-Electric Paratransit Buses and Green Bus Program Update
​Commissioners approved the award of a contract worth $5.55 million, inclusive of all estimated contract costs, including spare parts, special tools, contract change allowance, and HST, to Damera Bus Sales Canada Corporation for the supply of five battery-electric paratransit buses.

Delivery of these vehicles is planned to be completed by 2026 in line with the approved Wheel-Trans Fleet Plan. This will be followed by a two-year evaluation of the pilot vehicles, which will help inform, through lessons learned from the pilot, the steady-state bulk procurement planned to commence in 2028. With this plan, and subject to pilot results and funding, the TTC aims to have the Wheel-Trans fleet fully electrified by 2040. Staff will report back to the Board with the results of the pilot.

BYCI Project – Progressive Design-Build Development Phase
​Board members approved the award of Contract C82PB24097, Bloor-Yonge Capacity Improvements (BYCI) Progressive Design-Build Development Phase, to Kenaidan Murphy Joint Venture, in the upset amount of $154.6 million, inclusive of HST, on the basis of highest total weighted score. The Board also passed the following motions:

• Request the TTC CEO and the Progressive-Design Build contractor to identify during the development phase, the costs for individual elements of the design, to allow the TTC to make recommendations to the Board, on which design elements may need to be omitted to keep the project within the current budget without impacting the project benefits.

• Request that TTC staff give a presentation at the next TTC Board meeting that provides a detailed financial update for the BYCI project, including projected costs, actual costs, and variances for different elements of the project, including design, legal, and land acquisitions year-to-date.

The scope of this contract includes the supply of all labour, equipment, and materials to:

• Establish a joint project delivery office and team consisting of TTC and the Progressive Design-Builder to collaboratively develop the design of the Bloor-Yonge Capacity Improvements project to approximately 70% during the Development Phase of a Progressive Design-Build (PDB) project delivery model; and

• Negotiate a Project Agreement and target price between the TTC and the Progressive Design-Builder for the Implementation Phase of a PDB project delivery model to complete the design, undertake construction, and closeout of the project (subject to subsequent Board approval at a future date).

Upon completion of the Development Phase, including 70% project design and negotiation of the target price, schedule and Project Agreement, Board approval will be required to enter into the Project Agreement and begin the Implementation Phase to complete the design to 100% and undertake construction. Completion of the Development Phase is expected in Q1 2027.

Bloor-Yonge interchange station is a major transfer point in the TTC subway system. Line 1 and Line 2 are expected to experience significant ridership growth reflecting ridership generated from population growth and from the implementation of transit expansion initiatives on Lines 1 and 2.

Improving the capacity of Bloor-Yonge Station is a key pre-condition for further network expansion planned by Metrolinx and has been identified as a priority project by the City of Toronto, the Province of Ontario, and the Government of Canada. It is anticipated that without modifications to Bloor-Yonge Station, overcrowding will increase dwell times, create bottlenecks, and reduce the level of service to customers at this critical interchange station as well as across Lines 1 and 2. The total estimated cost for the BYCI project is $1.514 billion and is fully funded by all orders of government.

Transit Priority Measures on Queens Quay East – Interim Bus Priority Lanes
​Board members approved a report recommending the installation of transit priority measures on Queens Quay and Front Street West. The report will be forwarded to City Council, through the Executive Committee, for approval of bus priority lanes and bylaw amendments to support transit priority. The Board also passed the following motion:

• Direct staff to expedite a review of the 114 Queens Quay East bus route that incorporates public feedback and includes focus on accessibility, frequency and continuous routing with implementation of any changes timed with the opening of the dedicated bus lanes on Queens Quay East.

Queens Quay East is a rapidly growing corridor and is the major thoroughfare of the East Bayfront neighbourhood. Several key destinations and institutions are located here, such as George Brown College Waterfront Campus, the Waterfront, and Ookwemin Minising. The corridor has experienced major development growth over the past 15 years. From 2016 to 2021, over 5,000 new dwelling units were constructed in the East Bayfront neighbourhood, resulting in population growth of approximately 200%, compared to the city-wide growth of 2.3% in the same period. Over 90% of the dwellings in East Bayfront are high-rise apartments.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of a Pilot for Free Wi-Fi Service on Bus and Streetcar Platforms
​Commissioners considered a report on the cost-benefit analysis of a pilot for free Wi-Fi service on bus and streetcar platforms, and adopted the following:

• Direct the Chief Information Officer, Toronto Transit Commission, to partner with the Chief Technology Officer, City of Toronto to review opportunities, innovative solutions, including partnership opportunities, and costs to deliver public Wi-Fi across TTC transit operations, including tunnels, in-line with City Council directions to close the digital divide.

• Direct the Chief Information Officer, Toronto Transit Commission, in collaboration with the Chief Strategy and Customer Experience Officer to conduct a customer survey about the need for public Wi-Fi.

• Direct the Chief Information Officer, Toronto Transit Commission, to report back on the status of this work to the Toronto Transit Commission Board of Directors in July 2025 with a final report in October 2025.

Improving the TTC’s Response to Major Snow Incidents
​The TTC Board requested staff report to the Board in Q2 2025 on a proactive extreme weather plan to:

• Improve the functioning of the system during extreme weather incidents, including major snowfalls, focusing on the above-grade portions on TTC’s Lines 1 and 2.

• Work in collaboration with the General Manager, Transportation Services, and consult with the Advisory Committee on Accessible Transit and Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee, to develop service standards for snow clearing around TTC surface route stops to ensure TTC passengers can embark and disembark from vehicles safely and identify costs and necessary resources required for achieving these service standards. The developed service standards and information regarding the associated cost and resources required should be transmitted to City Council for consideration as part of the 2026 Budget process.

• In collaboration with the General Manager, Transportation Services and Toronto Police Service, report back on the feasibility of increasing fines for vehicles that block TTC surface route operations and removing them quicker during extreme snow events.

Urgent Need to Improve Bus/Streetcar Travel Time, Reliability
​Board members passed the following motion:

• Affirm the position of the TTC Board that urgent prioritization of surface transit in the City of Toronto is crucial to improve travel times and reliability, and to encourage transit use and help manage congestion; and that any changes to Toronto’s roadways contemplated by the City consider the impact on transit.

• Request that City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Services, provide a report to the TTC Board on how transit travel times and reliability are prioritized in roadway design, decision-making, and operations and how we rethink the place that public transit occupies in this analysis.

• Request that City Council request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to report to the TTC Board how transit travel times and reliability are being prioritized in planning decisions and city-wide policy.

• Request City Council in conjunction with the Toronto Parking Authority and the TTC evaluate the impact of dedicating scarce arterial road infrastructure to vehicles that are not moving, i.e. street parking. This analysis could include, but not be limited to parking policy, parking alternatives, supply, and pricing.

• Request City Council to accelerate the implementation of RapidTO on priority corridors identified in the TTC’s 5-Year Service and Customer Experience Action Plan and provide resources to advance implementation of the Surface Transit Network Plan to provide a network of transit priority corridors to benefit transit riders across the entire city.

• Forward this motion to the Toronto Region Board of Trade, Metrolinx, and the Ministry of Transportation, Ontario.

Council Transmittals
​Commissioners adopted a Council transmittal on the assessment of the Scarborough Rapid Transit adaptive reuse and next steps. Based on the TTC’s completed review and analysis, the 2.5-km SRT guideway located between Ellesmere Station and 100 metres east of McCowan Station at Grangeway Avenue, is no longer required for transit uses. Most of this portion of the SRT is elevated infrastructure except for an area located north of Ellesmere Station, which includes a small portion at-grade and below-grade as it changes to an east-west orientation. As per Municipal Code Chapter 279, the TTC holds real estate and infrastructure assets for the purpose of a transportation system, and therefore assets no longer required for transit operations are declared surplus.

Commissioners also received Council transmittals on advancing the Eglinton East LRT and the Waterfront East LRT.

Chief Executive Officer Mandate
​The TTC Board received an in-camera update with respect to the mandate of the Chief Executive Officer, and directed that the information contained in Confidential Attachment 1 remain confidential in its entirety as it relates to personal matters about an identifiable individual, including a city or local board employee. The Interim CEO was scheduled to provide an update on the CEO’s mandate and objectives.

Next meeting of the TTC Board
​The next scheduled TTC Board meeting will be on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

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