Prepare for fare hike, TTC chair says
Published On Fri Nov 25 2011

Michael Woods Staff Reporter

Public transit riders should brace themselves for another fare increase, TTC chair Karen Stintz said Friday night.

“We’ve tried to do everything we can to avoid it,” she said. “But we still have a gap, and unless something changes we’ll need to close the gap through a fare increase.”

In a letter to TTC customers, Stintz suggested a fee increase is on the way if the province doesn’t cover more of the $1.5 billion it costs to run the TTC.

“The current support from the province, while truly welcome, is not enough,” the letter said.

The TTC received $91 million from the province for operations in the 2010-11 fiscal year. That amounts to six per cent of costs, which Stintz said is “inadequate.”

TTC commissioners will decide next month whether to raise 2012 fares by 10 cents. Its next meeting is on Dec. 14.

With the province giving “no indication” it will provide more money and the city looking for savings, the commission will have to make some “difficult choices” despite trying to avoid increasing fares through staff layoffs and service cuts, Stintz said.

“We’ve exhausted all of our options.”

Stintz’s comments follow the news that Mayor Rob Ford’s budget cuts will take a toll on 62 transit routes across the city in 2012. The TTC board voted for the service cuts to help meet Ford’s directive that all city departments and agencies slash spending by 10 per cent.

The TTC will save $15 million per year by reversing service enhancements made as part of its ridership growth strategy, back to 2004 levels.

TTC fares went up 25 cents in Jan. 2010.

........

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1092973--prepare-for-fare-hike-ttc-chair-says?bn=1

http://www.priceoftravel.com/595/public-transportation-prices-in-80-worldwide-cities/

Toronto is already the highest of North American cities. Europe in general is much higher but seriously, their transit is what Toronto can only dream of.

Perfect. Let's raise fares when we cut service and ridership is going up. Sounds reasonable. Mayor McCheese is making me puke.

Oh, another 10c fare hike ... want to bet that at the last minute they find the money that they need?

For me the funniest thing is that regular operating cost hikes are partly necessary because TTC is having trouble finding enough operators to operate their vehicles so they have to pay overtime to a lot existing operators.

And now with TTC declared an essential service, operator salaries are going to increase, meaning we are going to have to pay higher operator costs and less money going into the actual service.

Cheers, m

Oh, another 10c fare hike ... want to bet that at the last minute they find the money that they need?

For me the funniest thing is that regular operating cost hikes are partly necessary because TTC is having trouble finding enough operators to operate their vehicles so they have to pay overtime to a lot existing operators.

And now with TTC declared an essential service, operator salaries are going to increase, meaning we are going to have to pay higher operator costs and less money going into the actual service.

Cheers, m


i'm wondering how much it would cost to automate the subways.. how much would that save us on operators?

i'm wondering how much it would cost to automate the subways.. how much would that save us on operators?depends on whether we can get rid of the operators or not.

Scarborough RT has automatic train operation, but the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113 made the case that passengers would be uncomfortable without an operator. So the operators are paid to open & close the doors, keep an eye out, etc.

Yonge line is moving to Automatic Train Operation as well - I expect that you will see the same push for operators as a safety measure ... and since the Scarborough RT is going to be converted to LRT and linked to the Eglinton Crosstown Line, I expect that we are going to keep operators on our trains for a long, long time.

When I first visited Singapore and saw that their NorthEast Line (run by SBS Transit) was fully automated, I spoke to the station master and said "I'm surprised your trains do not have operators. (The older EW and NS line trains run by SMRT corp. have operators). He said 'why do we need operators?'

Cheers, m

i agree. people don't feel awkward on the Pearson monorail. (its automated isn't it?) i can see why streetcars need operaters, as they mingle with traffic. but subways run in a completely isolated system. i find no need for operators on them at all.

Why are people so obsessed with automatic subways? It makes little sense to fully automate an old line, unless the line is at capacity, or other options(siphoning riders to commuter rail, other lines, etc) have been exhausted. To automate the Yonge Line requires platform doors, rebuilding of the terminal stations, new trains. I do not see full automatic operation as being cost effective for the Yonge Line.

Why are people so obsessed with automatic subways? It makes little sense to fully automate an old line, unless the line is at capacity, or other options(siphoning riders to commuter rail, other lines, etc) have been exhausted. To automate the Yonge Line requires platform doors, rebuilding of the terminal stations, new trains. I do not see full automatic operation as being cost effective for the Yonge Line.

The new trains have ATC to allow them to run with shorter headways in Peak service. Once all T1's are replaced on the Yonge-University line with new TR's the TTC would only need to put in the platform doors for full ATC, which would have the additional benefit of reducing the number of "smoke at track level" incidences.

This is a kind of joke, right?

How can Toronto score so high in livability ratings with such a crappy and expensive transit system?

The subway lines in the suburbs go nowhere, transit in the centre is slower than a bicycle ride, the majority of their employees are rude (at least those with which I interacted) and the TTC is already one of the most expensive transit systems in the world. Oh, did I forget to mention that we have no proper connection to our two city airports?

At the same time we see articles which tell us how Toronto is becoming a world class city, how it is growing upwards and how it attracts "creative people", many of which do not want to drive cars. Well, tell you what - this means now is the time to make some serious improvements in our transit system!

Rising ridership hikes without any serious infrastructure investments should not be allowed by law. And if they are short on budget, there are other ways to make up for the difference. They just need to look at their expediture, not at their income.

The new trains have ATC to allow them to run with shorter headways in Peak service. Once all T1's are replaced on the Yonge-University line with new TR's the TTC would only need to put in the platform doors for full ATC, which would have the additional benefit of reducing the number of "smoke at track level" incidences.unfortunately the latest budget cuts mean that the TTC will not be buying any extra TR trains to fill up capacity on the Yonge-University-Spadina line and send all the T1s to Bloor Danforth.

So the Yonge Line will still have some T1 trains for a while longer.

Cheers, m

The new trains have ATC to allow them to run with shorter headways in Peak service. Once all T1's are replaced on the Yonge-University line with new TR's the TTC would only need to put in the platform doors for full ATC, which would have the additional benefit of reducing the number of "smoke at track level" incidences.

It's not that easy. The terminal station(Finch, I assume VCC and Steeles West will be built to handle more trains per hour) still have to be re-built to be able to cycle trains quicker. That is going to cost money. The TTC estimated the cost of adding PSD's to be $1 Billion.

unfortunately the latest budget cuts mean that the TTC will not be buying any extra TR trains to fill up capacity on the Yonge-University-Spadina line and send all the T1s to Bloor Danforth.

So the Yonge Line will still have some T1 trains for a while longer.

Cheers, m

As I understand the YUS line will be all TR's, its just they won't add the extra trains (which can run closer with full ATC signalling), it will be a train for train replacement with fewer spares, and the TR's sets are supposed to have a 10% capacity boost over the T1's.

This is a kind of joke, right?

How can Toronto score so high in livability ratings with such a crappy and expensive transit system?

The subway lines in the suburbs go nowhere, transit in the centre is slower than a bicycle ride, the majority of their employees are rude (at least those with which I interacted) and the TTC is already one of the most expensive transit systems in the world. Oh, did I forget to mention that we have no proper connection to our two city airports?

At the same time we see articles which tell us how Toronto is becoming a world class city, how it is growing upwards and how it attracts "creative people", many of which do not want to drive cars. Well, tell you what - this means now is the time to make some serious improvements in our transit system!

Rising ridership hikes without any serious infrastructure investments should not be allowed by law. And if they are short on budget, there are other ways to make up for the difference. They just need to look at their expediture, not at their income.

good points. but, i have some too. one, many of the "creative" people (i suppose i'm included) live downtown, and walk/longboard/bike everywhere. i work from home (mostly) and while i do use the ttc ten times a month or so, when i do, i RARELY pay. ask a ttc driver to give you a ride, and they usually will, for free! if that isn't liveable, i don't know what is. if not, just grab a transfer from a garbage can (if you're at a subway station). only pay as a last resort.

No wonder they need so many fare hikes to keep afloat. Hopefully with the Presto card implementation, transfer fraud can be dramatically reduced!

If you believe the majority of TTC riders are selfish asses like Ying-Yang, I have funds locked away in Nigeria that I need help accessing!

There is nothing wrong with modest fare hikes every year or so. The TTC have been doing this while sustaining and increasing service every year. Considering how little money the TTC receieves comparable to other systems, the TTC is doing pretty good.

As I understand the YUS line will be all TR's, its just they won't add the extra trains (which can run closer with full ATC signalling), it will be a train for train replacement with fewer spares, and the TR's sets are supposed to have a 10% capacity boost over the T1's.well, that's better news but it would still be nice to have the extra trains.

I suppose someone will manage to point out that if we are not going to have the extra trains to run closer, why invest in the ATC now?

Cheers, m

If you believe the majority of TTC riders are selfish asses like Ying-Yang, I have funds locked away in Nigeria that I need help accessing!

There is nothing wrong with modest fare hikes every year or so. The TTC have been doing this while sustaining and increasing service every year. Considering how little money the TTC receieves comparable to other systems, the TTC is doing pretty good.

brother, everyone is a selfish ass sometimes, including the TTC. i don't pay often because they don't provide me with optimal service, only a last-resort service. paying, like the level of their service, is a last resort.

I even see old ladies opening a latched gate to enter the subway without paying. There's only one ticket collector per station and they are caged inside their room too busy collecting tickets to bother.

TTC approves 10-cent fare hike
Published 23 minutes ago

Paul Moloney Staff Reporter

A 10-cent fare hike effective Jan. 1 and restoration of full bus service on some busy routes like Finch, Dufferin and Don Mills have been approved by the Toronto Transit Commission.

The commission on Wednesday okayed a compromise plan from the TTC chair, Councillor Karen Stintz, that uses about $5 million in expected 2012 diesel fuel savings to continue bus service.

“The TTC management will go back and give us a breakdown on which routes will be maintained,” Stintz said. “And they would likely be the busiest routes like Finch, like Don Mills, like Dufferin. But the exact details are still being worked out.”

TTC chief general manager Gary Webster said the money would restore half the rush-hour bus service that had been on the chopping block. Transit advocates vowed to keep pushing council — which meets in mid-January to pass the city’s budget — to come up with $14 million to keep current bus service operating.

“It’s up to councillors now to find the remaining money to avoid service cuts in the TTC,” said Jamie Kilpatrick, of the Toronto Environmental Alliance.

The 10-cent fare hike, the first since January, 2010, when fares went up 25 cents, will increase the adult token to $2.60. The cash fare remains at $3.

For future TTC budgets, the commissioners granted their approval in principle to levy regular 10-cent fare increases in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Transit advocate Steve Munro said regular fare increases are one of three strategies to place the TTC on a stronger financial footing.

“Fares should go up regularly by reasonable amounts; the city must be prepared to increase TTC funding from (property) tax revenues; and if we get more money from the province or the feds…it should contribute to actual improvement of service,” Munro said.

Also Wednesday, the commission decided to find $2 million to continue Wheel-Trans service for about 800 ambulatory dialysis patients who need to make 5,000 trips a week for treatment. The dialysis trips would continue for the first six months of 2012, providing time to lobby the province for funding.

Stintz said that of the $5 million in expected diesel fuel savings, $1.5 million would go to retain 2011 service standards through January, and $3.3 million would go into retaining bus service on busy routes.

A complicating factor is that the TTC needs to buy 54 buses to maintain the higher level of bus service in 2013, Webster said.

“We don’t know where that money is coming from at this time,” he said. “We’ve been asked to go away and work with the city to find what alternative financing approaches we might be able to use to buy the buses.”

About 80 people had signed up to share their outrage over the proposed service cuts. ACORN, a social justice advocacy group, even delivered a seasonal sack of coal to the TTC board — one lump for each of 282 buses that will no longer be available to riders in 2012.

Most speakers made it clear they understood their words wouldn’t move the TTC off its insistence of a 10-cent fare hike or prevent it from reducing service on routes across the city to pre-2004 levels.

Many were furious not just about service cuts and fare hikes, but with the cutting climate pervading the city hall budget process.

What they told the commissioners

“Scarborough is being excluded from future transit expansion. The Sheppard subway extension and the failure to build any line to the Scarborough campus of U of T won't do anything for residents there.

“Scarborough residents should have the benefit of transit just like residents in any other part of the city.”

Beverly Thompson, Scarborough Transit Action community group

“Approving a fare increase while cutting service is like lowering the allowance and giving more chores to a good kid.

"I think it is disrespectful to raise fares while cutting service. I wanted to voice my opinion because I think my views represent many taxpayers who want a functioning, affordable city."

Gilleen Witkowski, daily TTC rider

“Cuts to the TTC do not make sense when there are more people riding the TTC. It’s unsafe to the TTC drivers and the general public at large to ride an overcrowded bus, streetcar or train during the rush hour. Why would the TTC commission suggest something knowing it was not safe? I say ‘yes’ to the increase in TTC fares even though it’s hard to swallow. I say ‘no’ to the decrease in service. It’s the city’s job to figure out this problem, not ours.”

Paulette Hamilton, Danforth area resident who expects cuts to her Coxwell bus route

“I don’t have a car. They’re very expensive and I don’t want one. I use the services you’re thinking of cutting. It’s also an issue of climate change. We can step up and provide a transit system that is reliable and funded fairly.”

Ryerson University employee Jessica Bell

“You guys really suck at your job. Sometimes I make it to work on time, sometimes I don’t, but most of the time I don’t know when I’m going to make it. It’s safe. Your employees, that’s another matter, and I know you’re working on it. Preparing for the future — that’s where you guys are failing taxpayers of Toronto. What we really need is creative, clever, visionary thinking. We even need some leadership. Raising a fare is old, tired, lazy thinking. Cutting services is stupid, stupid thinking. We’ve done that. Study after study shows that raising the fare cuts transit ridership.”

Jennifer Foulds, rider

“The TTC is becoming a mode of transport people increasingly want to take. Riders get less service for more money. We have a minority at Queen’s Park right now so we do have an opportunity (to restore some provincial operating funding). We’re the only G8 country without a national transportation strategy. We can’t cry poor when we’re projected to lose about $65 million on Transit City. You owe to everybody in our city to have a full and honest discussion about road tolls and congestion charges or a personal vehicle tax.”

http://www.thestar.com/news/transportation/article/1102203--ttc-approves-10-cent-fare-hike?bn=1

I wonder if this is where the line is drawn, and "you go no further" starts a revolution.

Hmm...maybe TTC can lease Mississauga's old Artic fleet. I've heard that the 2001 buses are up for sale/retirement soon as Mississauga will be buying more articulated buses for 2012.

Cheers, m

Toronto's transit system makes little sense. It is expanding, but with the rising cost of fares will reduce the demand of the system, especially among those who use the TTC for non-essential travel. Toronto's transit system is regressive in the worst way possible, forcing those who have no option but to use transit to spend an ever larger portion of their income on transit. It is not like real wages are increasing for many workers in the city. In the end, we all lose out, due to lower demand for other goods that these consumers could have bought instead of paying more for less and creating even greater disincentives for people to stimulate the economy in other parts of the city, and creating more ghettoization by forcing people to stay in their neighbourhoods.

It is expanding, but with the rising cost of fares will reduce the demand of the system, especially among those who use the TTC for non-essential travel.

1) TTC has never cost more than today. Ridership has never been higher than today.
2) Fares have been increasing above the inflation rate for a long time (since the 90's); but ridership is higher than ever.
3) When the TTC last increased the fare by 25 cents, ridership continued to increase.
4) Recent TTC ridership history (1980 through present) shows that ridership correlates significantly more with service levels and downtown employment levels, than fare. If you want ridership to drop, cut service or convince the banks to layoff 50k people.

In short, your assertion is incorrect.

1) TTC has never cost more than today. Ridership has never been higher than today.
2) Fares have been increasing above the inflation rate for a long time (since the 90's); but ridership is higher than ever.
3) When the TTC last increased the fare by 25 cents, ridership continued to increase.
4) Recent TTC ridership history (1980 through present) shows that ridership correlates significantly more with service levels and downtown employment levels, than fare. If you want ridership to drop, cut service or convince the banks to layoff 50k people.

In short, your assertion is incorrect.Not only is ridership higher now than the highest previous years (2004, if I recall correctly) but the surface vehicle fleet (Bus & streetcar) is smaller than it was in 2004.

Cheers, m

Not only is ridership higher now than the highest previous years (2004, if I recall correctly) but the surface vehicle fleet (Bus & streetcar) is smaller than it was in 2004.

I'm pretty sure that isn't true. TTC has built and opened a new garage in that time and not closed any.

The room per passenger is back to about the same. The ridership growth strategy was implemented after 2004 and we're going back to that loading standard (presumably the same as 2004).

@ rbt

I am aware that ridership is the highest it has ever been in absolute numbers, that is most likely a function of at least two things:

1. Population growth
2. Increasing inequality, un/underemployment.

The real test of whether or not fares affect the ridership numbers would be a relative figure. I would be interested though to see if those numbers are higher today than they were in the 1980s as a percentage of all citizens of the city/or commuters. Also, another important figure, but one I do not think can ever really be available, is the number of trips most commuters make. If the number of trips the average rider takes has decreased since the 1980s, then, no, my assertion is correct.

Remember, my claim is that non-essential travel will likely be reduced as people would face higher costs to travel. So, you have not yet proven my claim incorrect, in part because you misunderstood the claim in the first place.

Ridership has gone up probably because gas prices have gone up too. You use the TTC where parking is expensive or where travel time by car is similar as to taking the TTC.

Remember, my claim is that non-essential travel will likely be reduced as people would face higher costs to travel. So, you have not yet proven my claim incorrect, in part because you misunderstood the claim in the first place.

A large chunk of TTCs ridership growth over the last few years has been off-peak trips. As for whether they are essential or not, you should be able to get that information from the TTC.

They pay a random selection of riders (a statistically valid sample) who carefully document all of their TTC trips. Start-point, stop-point, route taken, time of day, why they took the trip. This information drives a large number of TTC fare-policies which is documented as strongly favouring a fare increase over a service cut to maintain ridership.

@ rbt

Do you have the figures on you, or do you know where these figures can accessed?

Yes, of course people would rather pay more than have even worse service. That being said, the very fact that people are put in this bind is a sign of our failing system.

@ rbt

Do you have the figures on you, or do you know where these figures can accessed?

For ridership? Steve Munro does a good job of explaining these kinds of things. Dig through http://stevemunro.ca/, particularly anything pertaining to the operating budget.

The original source are normally budget related documents. Off-peak usage seems to be related to metropass sales; they're "free" trips for the customer.


I know very little about the rider reports. I've never seen the raw data (probably significant privacy issues with that); but it gets hinted at once in a while and is one of the ways of estimating how a typical metropass holder behaves.

The new trains have ATC to allow them to run with shorter headways in Peak service. Once all T1's are replaced on the Yonge-University line with new TR's the TTC would only need to put in the platform doors for full ATC, which would have the additional benefit of reducing the number of "smoke at track level" incidences.

Platform doors are not required for ATC. Vancouver does fine without them.

Platform doors are not required for ATC. Vancouver does fine without them.

Not too certain of that. It's not worse but also not better than Toronto's rates based on ridership (skytrain carries about 1/3rd the ridership).

http://thetyee.ca/News/2008/11/18/SkyTrain/

If you scale up their ridership they would have frequent track-level accidents too.

Rob Ford’s war on public transit
Published On Fri Dec 30 2011

Bungled and botched policies are hallmarks of the Ford administration, but no file has been more badly mishandled at Toronto City Hall than public transit. The impact of that failure hits riders starting Sunday, when a 10-cent fare increase kicks in. But that marks only the beginning of their woes in the coming year, and beyond, thanks to Mayor Rob Ford.

On taking office last December, Ford forthrightly declared his goal of making life easier for motorists, announcing: “The war on the car is over.” Left unsaid — but made clear by subsequent events — was that a war on public transit had begun.

The 10-cent fare hike is part of the onslaught. Yes, there have been plenty of fare increases in the past, including under Ford’s predecessor, David Miller. But Miller raised fares while expanding public transit and giving riders more for their money. The Ford administration is doing the opposite — burdening commuters with new costs while reducing Toronto Transit Commission service levels. Meanwhile car owners pocket an extra $60 a year thanks to Ford’s elimination of the city’s motor vehicle tax.

The mayor’s favouritism toward drivers goes even beyond that. It was instrumental in his killing of Transit City, a fully funded expansion of TTC service that would have pushed light rail lines into almost every part of Toronto. Ford’s main objection was that cars would have had to share street space with these lines, which he called a “disaster.”

Ford’s alternative was to take Transit City’s funding and use it to bury one of the planned light rail routes, the Eglinton crosstown line, effectively turning it into a subway. To its shame, Queen’s Park went along since granting Ford’s wish wouldn’t cost the province any more money. Even some of the mayor’s supporters now recognize that burying the entire 20-kilometre length of the Eglinton line would be a mistake.

The original Transit City plan called for putting about 11 kilometres underground, in the most built-up sections of Toronto’s downtown. It was correctly felt that beyond this zone there would be ample space on Eglinton to accommodate both surface light rail and car traffic. But that wasn’t good enough for Ford. His burial plan almost doubles the cost of the Eglinton light rail line, to more than $8 billion, while providing fewer stops for commuters. Riders are shortchanged. But never mind: it’s more convenient for drivers.

Ford’s flawed vision for public transit involves replacing another planned light rail line, the Sheppard East route, with a subway. The problem there is that Toronto doesn’t have an extra $4 billion to build a Sheppard subway. No worries, says Ford; the private sector will cover most of that.

Except it won’t.

Gordon Chong, the man appointed to make this subway happen, wasn’t able to deliver a preliminary report by Christmas as promised. Instead, that’s been put off until February, with Chong saying that working up a full business case will take more time and up to $10 million in new funding for research and analysis. Even with that investment, Chong says it’s already clear that private funding will pay for only 10 to 30 per cent of the Sheppard subway’s cost, leaving Toronto with a multi-billion-dollar bill.

The bottom line: Ford rashly took a comprehensive and provincially funded transit plan and tore it up in favour of building a subway the city doesn’t need (the entirely underground Eglinton line) and a subway it can’t afford (the Sheppard line). Because the switch involved cancelling several already-signed contracts, it’s going to cost an estimated $65 million in penalties. That’s another $65 million that could have been invested in public transit but is instead being thrown away. Outraged? Relax, motorists still get their tax cut.

It’s now clear that Ford’s approach consists of little more than telling people what they want to hear, regardless of the facts. His simplistic and repeated denial of reality is an understandable strategy, given that it got him elected. But reality has a nasty way of making itself felt over the long run. The real pity is that a great deal of damage has already been done. And those in line for future pain are this city’s hard-pressed transit riders.
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1109029