Take action for transit in the 2022 City Budget

Take action for better transit in the Toronto City Budget by RSVPing for an upcoming phone bank or outreach event or by signing the petition! TTCriders is campaigning for funding for the transit discount for minimum wage workers, more bus service, the TTC’s 5-Year Fare Plan, and N-95 masks distributed on the bus network.

The transit discount for minimum wage workers is not funded

Do you earn minimum wage or a low income? Take the TTCriders survey to tell us how a transit discount would affect you.
In 2016, Toronto City Council approved the a discount program for low-income people, also known as the Fair Pass. It provides discounted single fares ($2.10) and monthly passes ($123.25) to eligible Toronto residents, similar to senior and student discount rates.
There is no funding in the 2022 City Budget yet to expand the Fair Pass discount to low-income workers. The annual cost of expanding the discount to all low-income workers has been estimated to between $20-30 million, but staff said during the January 18, 2022 Budget Committee meeting that the amount is lower than they originally estimated.
The first two phases of the discount have been funded for people receiving Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), or a Child Care Fee Subsidy. Funding was allocated in 2021 to expand the Fair Pass discount to people living in Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) housing, which will be rolled out in early 2022.

Toronto is proposing making Fair Pass discount available for ALL people receiving OW and ODSP, even if you get transportation supports over $100

If you receive OW or ODSP, you are not currently eligible for the Fair Pass if you receive $100 or more in medical or employment transportation supports. But City Councillors could change that this year.
In the Budget Committee meeting on January 18, 2022, City staff confirmed that if City Council approves the budget that this restriction will be eliminated. This would be a positive change.

The TTC is not planning to restore full service until June 2022

TTC reduced service in November 2021. But the TTC is not planning to restore service to “pre-pandemic” levels until June 2022 - this is too late.
The TTC had a $36 million operating surplus in 2021. This surplus should have been reinvested into more service.
At the December 10, 2021 TTC Board meeting, TTC staff acknowledged that there were service reductions before the vaccine mandate came into effect.

The TTC should budget for a plan to win back riders

The TTC Budget has allocated funds to create a “Service Plan Reset and Ridership Reacquisition Strategy,” but not to boost service or implement any changes to bring back riders.
Toronto City Council approved the TransformTO strategy to get to Net Zero, which recommends more bus and streetcar service. But there is no plan to fund increased service in 2022 and its capital needs (for more vehicles) are also unfunded.
To win back riders with better service, TTCriders is calling for measures like transit priority and adjusting crowding standards and boosting service outside of traditional rush hours.
Any plan to win back riders needs to include a plan to hand out more masks out and hiring staff to promote their use.

The TTC should budget for fare policies to win back riders

The TTC must budget for lower fares, fare integration, fare capping, which will bring riders back to our system.
The TTC’s 5-Year Fare Plan has been delayed 3 times. It’s a shame that it will be debated after this budget because we need to budget now to implement fairer fare policies.

Transit funding and pandemic effects

The TTC needs $561 million to fund the continued financial impact of COVID-19 (*note: In December 2021, the TTC estimated that they need $461 million. This figure was updated during the City budget process.).
The TTC is asking the provincial and federal governments for this funding, but the City could do more to raise more revenues for TTC.
LESS funding is planned to come from provincial and federal governments in 2022. That means riders are paying for more of the budget.

2021 TTC operating budget

2022 TTC operating budget

2021 City Base Funding: $789.8 (36.7%)

2021 Passenger Revenue: $496.3 (23%)

2021 Relief Funding: $796.4 (37%)

Ancillary: $54.7 (2.5%)
Reserves: $15.8 (0.7%)

TOTAL: $2.153B

2022 City Base Funding: $854.4 (38%)

2022 Passenger Revenue: $851.9 (38%)

2022 Relief Funding: $461.21 (21%)*

Ancillary: $49.5 (2%)

Reserves $20.7 (1%)

TOTAL: $2.235B

Read more:

*note: The TTC is now estimating a budget gap of $561 million in 2022.

Steve Munro’s blog: https://stevemunro.ca/2021/12/14/ttc-2022-operating-budget/

TTC’s operating budget document: https://ttc-cdn.azureedge.net/-/media/Project/TTC/DevProto/Documents/Home/Public-Meetings/Board/2021/Dec-20/2_2022_TTC_Conventional_and_Wheel-Trans_Operating_Budgets.pdf?rev=ea8d3ccf148c42d2ae149824f0cff364&hash=0DED0713B3FC18D9190283622B62B28C

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