Check out TTCriders' top highlights from 2024. None of our efforts are possible without supporters and volunteers like you -- thank you!
TTCriders has been spreading cheer in the TTC this week to drum up support for a new revenue tool that could raise over $100 million each year for more frequent transit service. City Councillors will be voting next year about this new tool.
The more people who are equipped to speak up for better transit, the bigger transit improvements we can win. That's why TTCriders regularly organizes workshops and outreach to engage more transit users.
It takes resources to print flyers, provide snacks and transit fares at in-person events, and translate materials.
Consider chipping in to support more fun engagement with transit riders in 2025. When you donate to the Organizing Transit Riders initiative, your support goes directly to these training and engagement costs and you get a tax receipt!
Our friends at Environmental Defence Canada organized the "Transit for Tomorrow Summit," where cities and advocates issued a joint declaration for a new transit funding model to support transit operating costs. TTCriders was invited to moderate a panel at the Summit, and we joined lobby meetings with Members of Parliament the next day to explain why federal operations funding for transit is needed to deliver more frequent service.
We released data that shows Malvern, Lawrence Heights, and Rexdale would be most impacted by potential restrictions to door-to-door Wheel-Trans service. After Wheel-Trans users spoke up, TTC staff and Board members stated that there were no immediate plans to make the "Family of Services" service model mandatory, and the TTC Board passed a motion to report back with an equity analysis about the program.
More than 200 transit riders passed through our day-long Summit at the Scarborough Civic Centre to learn skills like how to speak to the media and strategize together about how to fix the transit funding model and many other issues. We offered workshops with interpretation into Mandarin and Tamil to make the event accessible to more people. We were thrilled to welcome advocates from other cities and regions in Ontario! We intend to collaborate more with rider groups across Ontario and Canada in 2025 with two likely elections.
We gave Toronto's slowest bus route a gold medal and urged Council to speed up plans for bus lanes. Now, Toronto plans to speed up bus priority on Dufferin and Bathurst in advance of the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup! TTCriders was invited to participate in an advisory committee that will make recommendations about how the World Cup can have a positive legacy for transit users. We also helped mobilize support for bus priority measures on Jane Street.
After years of grassroots campaigning, we were thrilled that Mayor Olivia Chow's 2024 Budget included the $70 million needed to transform the decommissioned Scarborough RT corridor into a busway to save 10 minutes of travel time in each direction. Recent news that tunnelling of the Scarborough subway has run into delays highlights how important the busway is -- and it will continue to be useful after the subway opens, because it will run 2km west of the subway route!
TTCriders asked the federal government to pay their share for Toronto's transit needs, including new subway trains on Line 2. We held a rally to fix the TTC, met with federal MPs and invited them to sign a pledge, and spoke with thousands of transit users across Toronto about why the federal government must invest in operations funding.
We were thrilled when the federal government approved funding for new subway trains late last month! While we are celebrating the Canada Public Transit Fund (CPTF), Toronto does not have the flexibility to use the funding for preventative maintenance or fixing subway slow zones. That's why TTCriders has been asking the federal government to make the CPTF flexible so cities can use some of the funding for transit operating budgets.
TTCriders developed new "Know Your Transit Rights" resources about how to navigate Wheel-Trans appeals, what your rights are when interacting with TTC staff and enforcement, and how to apply for the Fair Pass transit discount. We held workshops with groups of transit riders and with organizations across the city, like West Neighbourhood House (pictured above!).
TTCriders launched a complaint to Toronto's Auditor General (AG) about the shocking derailment of the Scarborough RT, asking her to investigate the TTC's maintenance practices. This pushed the TTC Board to ask for an investigation too. The AG's recently-announced work plan for 2025 and 2026 includes an audit about "inspection and preventive and corrective maintenance of the TTC’s subway," and may look into lessons learned from the derailment.
After a year of subway shutdowns and slow zones, accountability is top of mind as the TTC searches for a new CEO. That's why TTCriders encouraged transit users to fill out the public survey about the next CEO. We think the next CEO should use transit regularly, have a vision to increase ridership, and tackle reliability and repair issues.
TTCriders volunteers spoke up regularly this year at TTC Board meetings to make sure the Board heard perspectives directly from transit users. One positive development you might have missed: We convinced the TTC Board to extend the deadline to June 1st, 2025 to use up metal tokens and paper tickets, because riders were not given enough notice.
Help keep the TTC accountable to transit riders by chipping in to support our work!
Our team looks forward to working with you in the new year to keep improving public transit for everyone.
P.S. We are organizing one last event in 2024! Join us Friday, December 20th at Yorkdale Mall from 2pm-3:30pm to sing for a better TTC. 🎶Click here to see a preview of one of our transit-themed carols.🎵
Ben Spurr and Ben Cohen of the Toronto Star report on the 2025 City Budget. TTC riders are considered winners due to the investments being made in transit!
Read analysis from TTCriders about what's being proposed in the TTC budget in 2025 and how to get involved! Members of the public can speak directly to City Councillors during budget hearings on January 21 and 22 at locations across Toronto.
TTCriders reaction to the release of the 2025 TTC budget.