Where do Toronto-Danforth councillor candidates stand on transit?

"I am committed to keeping TTC fares affordable and to fighting the idea that riders should be the first place we turn when the operating budget is under pressure. I will advocate for sustainable provincial and federal operating funding so maintaining service does not depend on repeated fare increases.

Affordability is also about whether people can rely on the service they pay for. A worker who waits for a bus that does not come, misses a connection and has to pay for a taxi or rideshare has not experienced affordable transit.

I support strengthening reduced-fare programs for people with low incomes and making transfers between transit systems seamless. Transit gets people in Ward 14 to work, school, childcare, healthcare and local businesses. It is essential public infrastructure. Keeping it affordable means protecting both the price of the fare and the quality and frequency of the service riders receive."

"Transit needs to remain affordable. I support the planned reduction of the monthly fare cap to 40 paid trips in 2027, as well as measures that make transit more affordable for students and lower-income Torontonians, including continued progress on the Fair Pass program. While I support keeping fares as affordable as possible, I don't believe it is responsible to commit future Councils to an indefinite fare freeze without considering the TTC's financial position, service needs and available funding. Affordability must go hand in hand with frequent, reliable service and sustainable operating funding from all three orders of government."

"Cutting the revenue of the TTC is only prudent if at least equivalent funding is obtained from other levels of government."

"Make it work. Make it free!"

"Transit affordability is central to my campaign. I support maintaining the fare freeze, lowering the fare cap and expanding Fair Pass so more low-income residents qualify. Once a rider reaches the cap, the remaining trips should be free. This makes household expenses more predictable and helps people get to work, school, medical appointments and family responsibilities. These improvements must be supported by sustainable government funding so lower fares do not result in reduced service. My goal is to make everyday life easier and ensure cost is not a barrier to using public transit."

"My concern is that support to enable affordability of the TTC should be targeted to low income riders, such as with the planned phase 3 of the Fair Pass program. Higher income people taking public transit to their downtown jobs do not need a fare freeze. As well, the TTC needs revenue to be able to implement repairs and service improvements."

"Reliability is one of my highest transit priorities. Riders need to know the bus, streetcar or subway they depend on will get them where they need to go.

I support accelerating RapidTO, but I cannot promise every identified corridor will be completed within one Council term. Toronto has a large transit network, and projects require design, funding, consultation, construction coordination and Council approval. I won’t promise a completion date one councillor cannot control.

I will advocate for Ward 14 service, including the 72 Pape, 25 Don Mills, 62 Mortimer, 87 Cosburn, 8 Broadview, 31 Greenwood, 22 Coxwell, 56 Leaside, 83 Jones, 506 Carlton, 505 Dundas and 504 King, plus Line 2 and connections to the Ontario Line. I will push for measurable improvements in frequency, reliability, slow zones and transit priority, working with riders and TTC staff to identify where service fails and get practical improvements moving."

"Reliable transit will be one of my priorities. I support RapidTO and other transit-priority measures where the evidence shows they will improve service safely and effectively. However, I don't believe I should pre-commit to delivering a particular RapidTO project in Ward 14, or to voting for projects elsewhere in Toronto, before reviewing the proposed corridor, design, safety analysis and local impacts. I will consider each project on its merits. We also need to address subway slow zones, state-of-good-repair needs and streetcar reliability, while holding the TTC accountable for measurable improvements in service."

"We need to manage *the experience* of TTC. I have proposed consultations for new rider comfort standards as well as rider-perspective art installations."

"Riders deserve service that is frequent, reliable and worthy of the fares and taxes they pay. I support expanding transit-priority measures, repairing slow zones faster and investing in state-of-good-repair work. I would work toward completing a RapidTO project in Ward 14 using safety evidence, operational data and meaningful community consultation. I also support a network-wide streetcar improvement strategy, with specific measures selected according to the conditions of each corridor and consideration given to accessibility, local businesses and surrounding neighbourhoods."

"Accessibility has to cover the entire transit trip, not just the vehicle or station. An accessible bus or subway is not accessible if someone using a wheelchair, walker or mobility device cannot reach it because sidewalks, curb cuts, stops or boarding areas have not been cleared of snow.

I commit to making accessibility a priority in every transit and street decision I make at Council. I will advocate for reliable snow clearing around TTC stops and accessible routes, continued investment in elevators and station accessibility, and stable funding for Wheel-Trans. Wheel-Trans is essential public transit, not an optional service.

I will also insist that people with disabilities have a meaningful role in planning and design. I have spent my career working in healthcare and advocating for accessible communities. I will bring that same commitment to City Hall. The test is simple: can someone leave home, reach transit, make their connections and arrive safely, reliably and with dignity?"

"In terms of signage and information, it should be seen in part through the objective lens of whether a first-time transit user could find their way around the network, whether they're a tourist or a newcomer to our city. Many of us know the feeling of taking transit in another major city and being a bit lost or intimidated. Part of being an accessible city for all current and future residents and visitors is having clear signage and connections across our transit network."

"Accessibility must be built into how the TTC operates, not treated as an afterthought. I support fully implementing the TTC’s 10-year wayfinding strategy, protecting and expanding door-to-door Wheel-Trans for riders who need it, and prioritizing snow clearing around transit stops and accessible loading areas. A transit system is only truly reliable when people of all ages and abilities can use it safely, confidently and independently."

"Expanding Wheel-Trans is vital but also is dependent upon access to other government/additional levels of funding"

"I have proposed the creation and maintenance of an accessible van-share fleet for wheelchair users who come with their own drivers. Like zip car for mobility device users :)"

"Accessibility must be built into every part of the TTC experience. I support clearer wayfinding, reliable elevators and escalators, protected door-to-door Wheel-Trans service and timely snow clearing around transit stops. A route cannot be considered accessible if a rider cannot safely reach the stop, understand the signage or rely on the service arriving. I will listen directly to riders with disabilities and ensure accessibility is treated as an essential service standard rather than an optional improvement."

"I answered no because I will not promise that platform edge doors will be operational within one Council term when the infrastructure required to support them is not yet in place. At Bloor-Yonge, for example, platform edge doors depend on new Line 2 trains and Automatic Train Control.

I strongly support moving this work forward. My commitment is to advocate for the funding required for the enabling infrastructure, new trains, ATC, station preparation and platform edge door implementation, so Toronto is actually ready to install and operate them.

I would rather commit to funding and completing the work that gets us there than promise an operational date that Council cannot responsibly guarantee."

"People should feel safe using the TTC, and people experiencing homelessness, mental-health challenges or addiction deserve appropriate care and support. Those goals are not in conflict. I support expanding appropriate crisis-response services on the TTC and investing upstream in supportive and affordable housing, shelters and health services so transit does not become Toronto's default shelter or mental-health system. I also support working toward properly designed platform edge doors as the subway is modernized, based on engineering, operational feasibility and a costed implementation plan."

"I support platform edge doors - they are highly desirable. I support modifications to make boarding safer but we need to find a way to fund them."

"I would also be attentive to air quality hazards.. smoke, extreme odour, heavy fragrance"

"Everyone deserves to feel safe using the TTC. I support expanding the Toronto Community Crisis Service throughout the network and working toward 24-hour crisis-response availability. Trained crisis workers can respond appropriately to mental-health emergencies, while police and emergency personnel must remain available when there is violence or an immediate danger to the public. I also support more visible TTC staff, improved lighting, frequent service, platform-edge doors and better shelter and housing options so vulnerable people receive appropriate care rather than relying on transit vehicles and stations for shelter."