According to a new report by the transit advocacy group TTCriders, only ten of the TTC’s bus and streetcar routes are meeting the benchmark for on-time service during rush hour throughout the city. Catalina Gillies with the details.
TTC’s on-time metrics don’t match actual transit rider experience: report
A new report by the transit advocacy group TTCriders suggests that the TTC’s on-time metrics don’t actually match the transit rider experience.
The report says that riders wait 50 per cent longer than scheduled on 10 routes across the city and transit users wait 30 per cent longer than scheduled on 41 routes. The issue is apparently due to “bunching” – when one bus falls behind and the bus behind it catches up.
The report found that riders on routes where “bunching” is common waited an average of four minutes longer than scheduled.
TTC 'bunching' to blame for widespread service delays on buses, streetcars, report suggests
Transit agency piloting bunching reduction program to ensure vehicles evenly spaced
"100 per cent of the time there is a service interruption,"
says @MooreintheAM. @VincentTuronno Puhakka at @TTCRiders talks how this will be a year full of bad service from the city’s transit agency.
Parks and wrecks: Toronto is set to spend a record amount on fixing public greenspaces and potholed roads — and it still won’t be enough
The TTC’s aging vehicles and infrastructure — the subway’s “slow zones” being one obvious symptom — hamper its reliability, increase disruptions and add to its escalating repair backlog, according to the agency’s budget report.
The TTC plans to spend $11.2 billion on state-of-good-repair work over the next decade, with $10.6 billion of that coming from the city. The transit agency expects to slice its repair backlog by almost half — to a projected $4.34 billion.
The money will be allocated to replace, maintain or upgrade major components on buses, streetcars and subways so they run properly. But the budget also includes plans for new trains on Line 2 (with funding help from the province and Ottawa), more electric buses, and fixing subway signals, the TTC’s communications systems, escalators, elevators and more.
TTC Expects Service to get Worse This Year Because of Repair Work
TTC delays and closures are expected to get worse — and longer — this year before overall service gets better, according to the transit agency.
The TTC published its annual report Monday outlining which closures and diversions will be needed carry out “necessary” repair work to upgrade or maintain its aging infrastructure and expansion projects. The agency has pegged its need for state-of-good-repair work at $11.2 billion over the next decade.
The report shows that subway and streetcar delays that frustrate commuters trying to navigate the city — amidst world-famous congestion on the streets — will continue. It’s a necessary part of the city’s transit growing pains, TTC staff say, with new subway lines and cars on the horizon.
Lucky or late: A report on TTC metrics vs. rider experience
Taking public transit should not be a gamble: it should be a given that your bus or streetcar will show up when you expect it to.
But the TTC’s current “On-Time Performance” metrics hide more than they reveal about the state of service and reliability that transit riders experience.
This report uses TTC on-time performance statistics obtained via Freedom of Information request as well as bunching calculations gathered by TransSee from TTC real-time vehicle location data to demonstrate the actual condition of TTC reliability and how the TTC could report on service in more accurate and transparent ways.
Unions, homeowners, TTC riders: Who wins, who loses with Olivia Chow’s new spending plans?
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!
What's in the 2025 TTC Operating Budget?
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 welcomes TTC plans for fare freeze, service restoration, state of good repair investment
TTCriders reaction to the release of the 2025 TTC budget.
Free Wi-Fi on subway platforms to end amid improvements, TTC says
Free TTC wi-fi is a safety and accessibility need. Toronto Today covers the issue and our Integrity Commissioner complaint, made "after the TTC board voted down a proposal to receive more information about a contract and cost estimate provided by Rogers."
TTCriders 2024 Wrapped
Check out TTCriders' top highlights from 2024. None of our efforts are possible without supporters and volunteers like you -- thank you!
