Don't Steal Our Subway!

Key points to add to your message:

To fix our overcrowded transit system and make it more affordable, your government should provide a dedicated operating subsidy to the TTC, not break it apart.

The TTC belongs to the people of Toronto. We've paid for the TTC at the fare box and through our property taxes. 

The TTC has owned, operated, and maintained Toronto’s public transit system since 1921. 

Breaking apart the TTC will mean higher fares, reduced service, and less say for transit riders. The TTC is accountable to the people of Toronto because elected Toronto City Councillors sit on its board.

I urge you to reject the subway upload. I will be paying attention to your voting record on this issue.  

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Why is the province’s plan to steal our subway a bad idea?

Another Presto disaster?

If the province can’t run the Presto card properly, we can’t trust them with the TTC. The rollout of the Presto system is delayed and readers malfunctions daily.[1]

No more delays

We need better transit now. We’ll be waiting years for new lines while the city and province argue over the details. Even the provincial transit agency admits that relying on developers to build new stations is a risky plan that will delay the transit we need.[2]

The Relief Line can’t wait

The Relief Line is urgently needed to relieve dangerous subway overcrowding. Parts of the Yonge Line (Line 1) have been over capacity for the last decade.[3] We can’t risk leaving new stations up to the real estate market. The northern Relief Line extension to Sheppard will also serve the priority neighbourhoods of Flemingdon Park and Thorncliffe Park.

Scarborough deserves better transit

Experts agree that the province’s plan will delay new transit in Scarborough.[4] Waiting for developers to pick up the tab didn’t work for rapid transit on Sheppard Avenue, and it won’t work now.[5]

Lining the pockets of big business

Big business and developers donated money to the PC party. So it’s no surprise that the province wants to hand over our subway and development “air rights” to return the favour.[6]

Privatization costs the public

After cities in England and Australia separated bus and subway systems and privatized high-speed transit, fares went up and service was cut. Here in Canada, private bus company Greyhound didn’t hesitate to cut its unprofitable routes out West, even though they were a lifeline to rural communities.

Will the province sell off our public subway assets to raise revenue, like it did with Hydro One? The provincial transit agency is already privatizing aspects of transit, like the Presto system and the maintenance of new LRT lines. But the private sector hasn’t delivered transit projects on time or on budget.[7]

Higher fares

A single TTC fare lets us transfer between bus, subway, and streetcar. But the provincial transit agency is considering charging fare-by-speed and/or fare-by-distance.[8] If the province takes over, we could end up paying a premium to ride the subway. We still don’t know what will happen to 2-hour fares and free TTC for kids under 12 if the province takes over.

Less say for riders

Our elected City Councillors sit on the TTC Board and are accountable to us. The provincial transit agency board is appointed and the public doesn’t have a say at its meetings.

The real solution is proper funding

The TTC is the least funded major transit system in North America.[9] To improve service and make fares affordable, the province and the city need to provide enough funding.

References

1. https://globalnews.ca/news/4739543/presto-card-malfunctions-metropasses/
2. https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2018/11/30/ontario-to-tap-private-sector-for-new-go-stations-admits-strategy-may-delay-projects.html
3. https://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Commission_reports_and_information/Commission_meetings/2018/January_18/Reports/6_Managing_Crowding_on_Line_1_Yonge.pdf
4. https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2019/01/20/experts-call-scarborough-subway-funding-proposal-far-fetched.html
5. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/toronto/article-ontario-eyes-private-investment-in-scarborough-subway-extension/
6. https://www.680news.com/video/2019/01/10/air-rights-above-subway-stations-on-table-if-upload-sucessful-transportation-minister/
7. http://www.auditor.on.ca/en/content/annualreports/arreports/en14/305en14.pdf
8. http://www.metrolinx.com/en/docs/pdf/board_agenda/20170914/20170914_BoardMtg_GTHAFare_Report_EN.pdf
9. https://coderedto.com/mixed-signals/