John Tory? Doug Ford? What's your plan to increase service now?
By Shaun Cleaver
“Truth” has become a point of contention in the Toronto Mayor election. This talk has been stimulated by transit proposals, or more specifically Olivia Chow’s proposal to boost bus service and John Tory’s response to it.
Regardless of whom you support, or who is actually voted mayor next month, one important truth is that it is about time that people are FINALLY talking about buses.
It is true that Toronto needs more rapid transit; but not true that this issue should dominate all conversation. After all, those of us who use transit to get around this city rely on a network; a mix of vehicle types including subways, streetcars AND buses to get us to where we need to go. Although new LRTs will give us even more mobility, and building “surface subways” can be a good idea, it is not true that any one “one seat ride” can take us everywhere. It is therefore also true that anyone who claims that the construction of one single line to solve all problems of a large, vibrant, and diverse city is not thinking like a transit rider.
I take transit to work, to meetings, for errands, when going out, and when visiting friends. Even if every one of the countless rapid transit plans ever proposed were built (which is a tad unlikely), I would still not arrive within walking distance of all of my destinations without the backbone of local bus service. New rapid transit stations are great, but not if I have to trudge for an hour to reach the station. Meanwhile, the under-funded bus service is bursting at the seams with riders during parts of the day, and painfully infrequent at others. Because of this current situation we are often left waiting at the curb.
John Tory’s main criticism of Olivia Chow’s bus plan is that it is too expensive, at $15M/year with capital costs around $200M. Indeed, Mr. Tory has called the TTC irresponsible for proposing short-term and tangible solutions to urgent problems with our transit system, because of the associated costs. These are shocking accusations in a city where our leaders have endorsed a billion dollars in spending in order to destroy a plan that would have provided direct service to more riders than its alternative.
The truth, Mr. Tory, is that remaining silent on the urgency of increased bus service stops Toronto from moving. Even without increased capital spending there are some ways to improve. But at a time when politicians are proposing billion dollar lines on maps I am confused why a few hundred million dollars to buy buses and a garage has become a sticking point. If anything, these investments in our mobility are merely modest steps forward.
The truth is that I just want to be able to get to where I need to go. And that matters.
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.