We asked candidates 18 questions on autonomy & funding, affordability, service & reliability, accessibility, and safety. See their responses on the tabs below.
Will candidates fight to keep the TTC under Toronto's control and work to secure more transit funding?
Local decisions should remain at the local level.
In recent years, the provincial government has increasingly intervened in decisions that are usually made at the municipal level. This includes legislation requiring the removal of bike lanes on major Toronto streets, and eliminating municipalities' ability to use speed cameras. Now, Bill 98 gives the province greater power to intervene in how local transit systems operate, including decisions around fares and service.
TTCriders firmly believes that the TTC must remain a publicly owned and municipally governed transit system that is accountable to the riders who use it. We oppose the privatization of TTC services and do not believe that Metrolinx or the Ontario government should have a say in how our local transit system operates.
Over the next four years, Toronto City Council must be prepared to stand up to make sure local decision-making remains local. Here's what we asked candidates:
1. Ontario's Bill 98 gives the Province the authority to make regulations affecting how the TTC is governed. Do you commit to fighting to keep transit decision-making at the local level so that the City of Toronto and the TTC Board retain final authority over fare policy, service planning, and transit operations?
| Nadia Guerrera |
Yes |
| Debbie King |
Yes |
| Diana Chan McNally |
Yes |
| Bridget Ogundipe |
Yes |
| Adam Pham |
Yes |
| Vanessa Raponi |
Yes |
| Holly Weber |
Yes |
| Steve Yuen |
No |
2. Will you advocate for sustainable TTC operating funding from the provincial and federal governments to prevent service cuts and reliance on fare increases to run the system?
| Nadia Guerrera |
Yes |
| Debbie King |
Yes |
| Diana Chan McNally |
Yes |
| Bridget Ogundipe |
Yes |
| Adam Pham |
Yes |
| Vanessa Raponi |
Yes |
| Holly Weber |
Yes |
| Steve Yuen |
Yes |
3. Will you advocate for increased federal and provincial capital funding for the TTC to expand the rapid transit network, address the growing state of good repair backlog, install platform edge doors, and eliminate slow zones on the subway system?
| Nadia Guerrera |
Yes |
| Debbie King |
Yes |
| Diana Chan McNally |
Yes |
| Bridget Ogundipe |
Yes |
| Adam Pham |
Yes |
| Vanessa Raponi |
Yes |
| Holly Weber |
Yes |
| Steve Yuen |
Yes |
Some candidates offered extra comments about their position on TTC autonomy and funding:
"The TTC must remain publicly owned, municipally governed and accountable to the people who use it. I will oppose provincial interference in local fare, service and operating decisions. At the same time, Toronto cannot fund a growing transit system alone. I will work with other councillors and both senior governments to secure sustainable operating and capital funding, protect service and address the TTC’s state of good repair backlog."
"The TTC is one of the most important pillars of our city, and it requires municipal autonomy to truly meet the needs of the everyday riders. It must be well funded, because it needs to constantly expand to meet rising populations and increased demand. We cannot fund this through municipal revenue tools alone, we must rely on the provincial and the federal governments to support us as well."
"The TTC needs to be safe, reliable and affordable. By increasing safety and affordability of the service this will help increase TTC ridership. People in the city rely on the TTC everyday and its important that the people who live here and use the TTC everyday have control over the decision making."
