Commuters ask City Councillors to fund TTC streetcars, buses, and fare discounts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Commuters ask City Councillors to fund TTC streetcars, buses, and fare discounts

February 6th, 2020 (Toronto, ON) - TTC users around Toronto were greeted by advocacy group TTCriders today. Volunteers distributed thousands of flyers and urged commuters to contact their City Councillors about the 2020 City Budget.

“Toronto is running out of streetcars and buses,” said TTCriders spokesperson Milen Tewelde. “If City Council does not order the transit vehicles we need and invest more in operations, crowding and delays will get worse.” 

TTCriders is calling on City Councillors to order enough streetcars and buses and to increase TTC operations funding. The TTC requires 60 more streetcars and 1,575 additional buses just to maintain current service levels in the coming years. 

“It’s unfair that the TTC is raising prices before the Fair Pass discount program is available for all low income people,” said Tewelde. “Today we’re asking transit users to call their City Councillors and ask for more funding in the 2020 budget so riders get better service and lower fares.” 

Toronto City Council votes on the 2020 budget on February 19th. 

 

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CONTACT: Shelagh Pizey-Allen, [email protected]

The TTC’s 5-Year Service Plan (approved December 2019) warns that if funding is not available to procure new buses and streetcars, the TTC will be required to “forego service improvements for growth and reliability for multiple years.”

http://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Commission_reports_and_information/Commission_meetings/2019/December_12/Reports/16_5_Year_Service_Plan_and_10_Year_Outlook.pdf 

 

The TTC’s 10-Year Capital Investment Plan (approved January 2020) allocates one-third of the required funding for 60 streetcars and 1,575 buses. City Council will vote on the plan on February 19th.

http://ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Commission_reports_and_information/Commission_meetings/2020/January_27/Reports/10_TTCs_2020_2029_Key_Capital_Investment_Priorities_Subway_I.pdf 

Key messages

 

City Council must move forward with ordering all of the TTC vehicles we need, because we are running out of streetcars and buses. 

 

We’re asking transit riders to call their Councillors and ask for more funding in the 2020 budget, so that we see better service now and lower fares for all. 



Q&A (questions the media might ask)

 

What are you doing today? 

TTCriders volunteers are at subway stations across Toronto to ask transit riders to call their City COuncillors. We want to see enough streetcars and buses ordered this year, and more funding for the TTC so we get better service and lower fares. 

 

Didn’t Mayor Tory just invest $4.5 billion in the TTC? 

The new City Building Fund is an important step forward, but we’re still $21 billion short when it comes to buying the vehicles we need and keeping the TTC in a state of good repair. 

 

The City has only committed one-third of the funding needed to purchase streetcars and buses. It’s urgent that we order the streetcars and buses we need this year.


Contact:
Jenna Scott

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