City budget will hurt TTC service, despite Tory's claim it won't

The City’s claim in the Preliminary 2017 City Capital and Operating Budget released on Tuesday December 6th that service will be maintained is not true. The TTC is facing real service cuts.

>The failure of Mayor Tory and City Council to fairly fund the TTC has resulted in a decline in service quality on at least 58 TTC routes and the sixth fare hike in six years. This budget means that riders will be paying more for less service in 2017. The TTC reduced service on 15 routes in November meaning riders on these routes will be waiting longer for their bus or streetcar. The TTC is also quietly violating overcrowding standards on a quarter of all TTC routes as revealed by the Toronto Star on Friday November 18. Instead of increasing service on these routes to match ridership as the agency is required to do so, the TTC choose to keep this information quiet. In fact, the TTC Commission voted to reject $1.5M in scheduled service improvements in September on the grounds that ridership levels didn’t justify the increase to meet City Council’s request to cut the TTC’s budget. Find out what is happening to your route. The TTC’s budgetary woes are caused by Mayor Tory’s and City Council’s refusal to fairly fund the TTC. In July, City Council voted for the TTC to cut its budget by 2.6% and absorb all increases in costs. Riders have had to deal with six fare hikes since 2010. Fares have been rising much faster than inflation. The TTC has the most expensive monthly pass in Canada. The City’s property tax rate has been rising below inflation.” TTCriders is also calling on City Council to raise revenue for the TTC using other revenue tools, such as bringing back the vehicle registration tax, raising property taxes, or bringing in a parking tax. The absolute worst way to pay for the TTC is through fare hikes because it hurts low income Torontonians and it discourages transit use. Read more about what revenue tools the City is considering, and what we think. Despite the cuts and fare hikes, the TTC is still facing a $61M to $90M shortfall. If City Council forces the TTC to cut even further the agency will be forced to make some drastic moves. Some of the options being considered include:

imposing another fare hike,
the elimination of some fare discounts for seniors and students,
the elimination of free TTC for kids under 12,
reductions to peak and off-peak service,
and an end to the 10-minutes or better service on certain bus routes.

Here is the list of drastic options the TTC is considering to address the $61M to $91M shortfall and balance its budget. TTCriders believes the TTC should be funded at the North American rate of $2.60 a ride, increase service, and immediately introduce rider friendly fares including the two hour fare transfer and a fair discount for low income riders. The TTC gets the least amount of government support per ride compared to all major transit systems, making it the most underfunded system in North America. In 2010, the TTC received a city subsidy of 93 cents per ride. Currently, the TTC gets a city subsidy of just 92 cents per ride. The City budget process has now officially started. It will be finalized in February.

WHAT DO I DO?

Read City staff’s presentation on the budget.
Watch the City Staff’s presentation on YouTube.
Did your councillor vote to cut the TTC’s budget? Find out, and send a message to your councillor to do the right thing for riders in 2017. Scroll down to see what is happening to your TTC route, and also get the contact details of your councillor. Personal messages are the best.
Attend a City Budget briefing and share your opinion.

January 5, 2017 Scarborough Civic Centre 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and 6:00 p.m. onwards January 5, 2017 Etobicoke Civic Centre 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and 6:00 p.m. onwards January 9, 2017 East York Civic Centre 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and 6:00 p.m. onwards January 9, 2017 North York Civic Centre 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and 6:00 p.m. onwards January 10, 2017 City Hall 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and 6:00 p.m. onwards January 10, 2017 York Civic Centre 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and 6:00 p.m. onwards

WHAT IS HAPPENING TO YOUR ROUTE?

The following TTC routes have experienced a drop in service quality. As a result of funding cuts, you will be waiting longer for your bus or street car and you will experience more overcrowding on these routes. If you want the full analysis then please read Shaun Cleaver’s excellent blog post on the cuts. Shaun's blog post will be updated frequently.

11 Bayview

22 Coxwell

23 Dawes

24 Victoria Park

29 Dufferin

32 Eglinton West

35 Jane

36 Finch West

41 Keele

42 Cummer

43 Kennedy

45 Kipling

52 Lawrence West

53 Steeles East

56 Leaside

57 Midland

60 Steeles West

63 Ossington

68 Warden

7 Bathurst

73 Royal York

75 Sherbourne

79 Scarlett Rd

84 Sheppard West

85 Sheppard

89 Weston

90 Vaughan

95 York Mills

102 Markham Rd

108 Downsview

111 East Mall

116 Morningside

121 Fort York-Esplanade

122 Graydon Hall

123 Shorncliffe

124 Sunnybrook

125 Drewry

129 McCowan North

131 Nugget

133 Neilson

161 Rogers Rd

168 Symington

191 Hwy 27 Rocket

192 Airport Rocket

195 Jane Rocket

198 UTSC Rocket

199 Finch Rocket

501 Queen

504 King

505 Dundas

506 Carlton

509 Harbourfront

510 Spadina

511 Bathurst

512 St. Clair

514 Cherry

YOUR COUNCILLOR'S CONTACTS

Toronto	Mayor	John	Tory	[email protected]	416-338-7125
Etobicoke North	Councillor	Vincent	Crisanti	[email protected]	416-696-4207
Etobicoke North	Councillor	Michael	Ford	[email protected]	416-397-9238
Etobicoke Centre	Councillor	Stephen	Holyday	[email protected]	416-392-4004
Etobicoke Centre	Councillor	John	Campbell	[email protected]	416-696-4138
Etobicoke-Lakeshore	Councillor	Justin	Di Ciano	[email protected]	416-392-4127
Etobicoke-Lakeshore	Councillor	Mark	Grimes	[email protected]	416-397-9279
York West	Councillor	Giorgio	Mammoliti	[email protected]	416-397-9282
York West	Councillor	Anthony	Perruzza	[email protected]	416-696-4144
York Centre	Councillor	Maria	Augimeri	[email protected]	416-392-7109
York Centre	Councillor	James	Pasternak	[email protected]	416-392-7299
York South-Weston	Councillor	Frances	Nunziata	[email protected]	416-392-4118
York South-Weston	Councillor	Frank	Di Giorgio	[email protected]	416-392-1675
Parkdale-High Park	Councillor	Sarah	Doucette	[email protected]	416-696-3667
Parkdale-High Park	Councillor	Gord	Perks	[email protected]	416-392-0398
Eglinton-Lawrence	Councillor	Josh	Colle	[email protected]	416-392-4191
Eglinton-Lawrence	Councillor	Christin	Carmichael Greb	[email protected]	416-392-4129
Davenport	Councillor	Cesar	Palacio	[email protected]	416-392-0212
Davenport	Councillor	Ana	Bailão	[email protected]	416-392-7957
Trinity-Spadina	Councillor	Mike	Layton	[email protected]	416-392-4100
Trinity-Spadina	Councillor	Joe	Cressy	[email protected]	416-392-4130
St. Paul's	Councillor	Joe	Mihevc	[email protected]	416-392-7466
St. Paul's	Councillor	Josh	Matlow	[email protected]	416-392-0124
Willowdale	Councillor	John	Filion	[email protected]	416-392-7388
Willowdale	Councillor	David	Shiner	[email protected]	416-397-9290
Don Valley West	Councillor	Jaye	Robinson	[email protected]	416-395-6439
Don Valley West	Councillor	Jon	Burnside	[email protected]	416-392-7427
Toronto Centre-Rosedale	Councillor	Kristyn	Wong-Tam	[email protected]	416-696-4300
Toronto Centre-Rosedale	Councillor	Pam	McConnell	[email protected]	416-392-7296
Toronto-Danforth	Councillor	Mary	Fragedakis	[email protected]	416-392-4123
Toronto-Danforth	Councillor	Paula	Fletcher	[email protected]	416-397-5200
Beaches-East York	Councillor	Janet	Davis	[email protected]	416-397-9289
Beaches-East York	Councillor	Mary-Margaret	McMahon	[email protected]	416-392-7444
Don Valley East	Councillor	Shelley	Carroll	[email protected]	416-392-4101
Don Valley East	Councillor	Denzil	Minnan-Wong	[email protected]	416-397-4100
Scarborough Southwest	Councillor	Michelle	Holland	[email protected]	416-392-7394
Scarborough Southwest	Councillor	Gary	Crawford	[email protected]	416-696-3658
Scarborough Centre	Councillor	Michael	Thompson	[email protected]	416-397-9280
Scarborough Centre	Councillor	Glenn	De Baeremaeker	[email protected]	416-392-7428
Scarborough-Agincourt	Councillor	Jim	Karygiannis	[email protected]	416-392-7431
Scarborough-Agincourt	Councillor	Norman	Kelly	[email protected]	416-696-4172
Scarborough-Rouge River	Councillor	Chin	Lee	[email protected]	416-392-7433
Scarborough-Rouge River	Councillor	Vacant	Vacant	[email protected]	416-696-4159
Scarborough East	Councillor	Paul	Ainslie	[email protected]	416-392-4006
Scarborough East	Councillor	Ron	Moeser	[email protected]	416-392-7429

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