Safety

Will candidates commit to a safe TTC for all?

While violence and offence rates on the TTC have declined, and fewer complaints are being made, public perception of safety has not caught up with these trends. We often hear from riders that they continue to view the TTC as an unsafe environment, and it's often mentioned as a real barrier to taking transit more often.

That said, TTCriders believe that improving safety must include non-enforcement as the default response. We hear again and again that the increased presence of police, fare inspectors, and special constables do not make many people feel safer, while raising concerns about the effectiveness of enforcement and who is disproportionately targeted or overrepresented in these interactions, particularly Black, Indigenous, unhoused, and other vulnerable riders.

In contrast, riders have identified community ambassadors, Toronto Community Crisis Service (TCCS), and greater visibility of TTC staff as actions that make them feel safer. For many riders, however, safety is also about having the infrastructure and conditions to protect themselves in the first place: better lighting in dark and isolated areas, more frequent service, safer places to wait and take shelter, and a TTC environment designed around care, accessibility, and dignity. The TTC needs to be safe for everyone, as everyone has a right to use it, and everyone deserves to be approached with compassion, prevention, and resources. Here's what we asked candidates:

16. Will you support continued expansion of the Toronto Community Crisis Service throughout the TTC network?

The Toronto Community Crisis Service (TCCS) provides a non-police response to people experiencing mental health crises, connecting them with trained crisis workers who can provide de-escalation, harm reduction, crisis intervention and connections to community supports. Following a pilot in downtown subway stations, this care-centred approach is set to expand to all subway stations in 2027, giving the TTC another option for responding to people in crisis without relying solely on police or enforcement.

Maqsood Ahmad	No response
Susan Chapelle	Yes
Michael Connor	No response
Dennis Corcoran	No response
Robb Dagenais	No response
Peter De Marco	No response
Sara Ehrhardt	Yes
George Fawcett	Yes
Mary Fragedakis	Yes
John Kladitis	No response
Michael Mitchell	Yes
Caryma S'ad	No response
Dianne Saxe	Yes
Devyn Stackhouse	Yes
Jason Stevens	No response
Christiane Tetreault	No response
Maria Voutsinas	Yes
Denise Walcott	Yes

17. Will you work towards installing platform edge doors across the subway system, starting with installation at busy stations like Bloor-Yonge Station this term?

Platform edge doors separate people and other debris from track level, keeping riders safe and service reliable. This means an 85% reduction in service interruptions, and countless lives saved. Cities around the world have installed platform edge doors in their existing subway systems, now it’s Toronto’s turn.

Maqsood Ahmad	No response
Susan Chapelle	No
Michael Connor	No response
Dennis Corcoran	No response
Robb Dagenais	No response
Peter De Marco	No response
Sara Ehrhardt	Yes
George Fawcett	Yes
Mary Fragedakis	Yes
John Kladitis	No response
Michael Mitchell	Yes
Caryma S'ad	No response
Dianne Saxe	Yes
Devyn Stackhouse	Yes
Jason Stevens	No response
Christiane Tetreault	No response
Maria Voutsinas	Yes
Denise Walcott	Yes

18. Will you commit to more upstream solutions, such as more shelters, affordable, deeply affordable and supportive housing so Torontonians never have to choose the TTC as a safe place to sleep?

Maqsood Ahmad	No response
Susan Chapelle	Yes
Michael Connor	No response
Dennis Corcoran	No response
Robb Dagenais	No response
Peter De Marco	No response
Sara Ehrhardt	Yes
George Fawcett	Yes
Mary Fragedakis	Yes
John Kladitis	No response
Michael Mitchell	Yes
Caryma S'ad	No response
Dianne Saxe	Yes
Devyn Stackhouse	Yes
Jason Stevens	No response
Christiane Tetreault	No response
Maria Voutsinas	Yes
Denise Walcott	Yes

Some candidates offered extra comments about their position on TTC safety:

Susan Chapelle

"I answered no because I will not promise that platform edge doors will be operational within one Council term when the infrastructure required to support them is not yet in place. At Bloor-Yonge, for example, platform edge doors depend on new Line 2 trains and Automatic Train Control.

I strongly support moving this work forward. My commitment is to advocate for the funding required for the enabling infrastructure, new trains, ATC, station preparation and platform edge door implementation, so Toronto is actually ready to install and operate them.

I would rather commit to funding and completing the work that gets us there than promise an operational date that Council cannot responsibly guarantee."

Mary Fragedakis

"People should feel safe using the TTC, and people experiencing homelessness, mental-health challenges or addiction deserve appropriate care and support. Those goals are not in conflict. I support expanding appropriate crisis-response services on the TTC and investing upstream in supportive and affordable housing, shelters and health services so transit does not become Toronto's default shelter or mental-health system. I also support working toward properly designed platform edge doors as the subway is modernized, based on engineering, operational feasibility and a costed implementation plan."

Dianne Saxe

"I support platform edge doors - they are highly desirable. I support modifications to make boarding safer but we need to find a way to fund them."

Devyn Stackhouse

"I would also be attentive to air quality hazards.. smoke, extreme odour, heavy fragrance"

Denise Walcott

"Everyone deserves to feel safe using the TTC. I support expanding the Toronto Community Crisis Service throughout the network and working toward 24-hour crisis-response availability. Trained crisis workers can respond appropriately to mental-health emergencies, while police and emergency personnel must remain available when there is violence or an immediate danger to the public. I also support more visible TTC staff, improved lighting, frequent service, platform-edge doors and better shelter and housing options so vulnerable people receive appropriate care rather than relying on transit vehicles and stations for shelter."