Say no to six fare hikes in six years

The TTC released its draft 2017 operating budget today and it's a mess. It shows very clearly that John Tory and City Council do not care about riders. We are in for a bad year if we don't stop these cuts.

How bad could it get for TTC riders?

To address the TTC's budget crisis, the TTC is proposing a series of drastic measures, including:

A minimum 10-cent-a-ride fare hike on all fares (except cash fare)
A minimum $60 a year increase to the monthly metropass program
Cuts to bus maintenance

More drastically, the TTC is also considering:

Possibly up to a 50-cent-a-ride fare hike
The elimination of metropass fare discounts for seniors and students
The elimination of free TTC for kids under 12
Allowing for more overcrowding on routes, reductions to peak and off-peak service, and an end to the 10-minutes or better service on certain bus routes.

These measures are in addition to the 15 routes that are seeing permanent service cuts starting this week. And this is in addition to the just released news (that we at TTCriders discovered and pitched to the Toronto Star) that the TTC is failing to meet overcrowding standards on nearly all street cars and nearly 30% of bus routes. That's right, the TTC is cutting service using the argument that ridership is falling, while at the same time the agency is hiding the fact that 30% of all routes are overcrowded and require more service.

Read the TTC budget yourself.

What can I do to take action?

Send a message to your elected official right now. They need to hear from you right now. The first TTC vote is Monday.

Come down to City Hall on Monday, Nov. 21 at 9.50am and depute. Wear your running gear. We want to send a message that we don't want a race to the bottom. You can register to depute by contacting Dawn at [email protected]. Please also tell us if you're coming at [email protected]. We are also hosting a deputation briefing at 3pm today so please contact Brenda at [email protected].

Why does the TTC have this budget crisis?

This crisis is due to a lack of government funding. Mayor Tory and City Council just voted to cut the TTC's budget by 2.6% and absorb all additional expenses. The Wynne Government is refusing to match the city's contribution to the TTC.

The TTC gets the least amount of government support per ride compared to all major transit systems, making it the most underfunded system in North America. In 2010, the TTC received a city subsidy of 93 cents per ride. Currently, the TTC gets a city subsidy of just 89 cents per ride.

What do riders need?

A fast, reliable TTC that we can all afford to ride. Is that really so much to ask for? No it's not.
Fair funding for the TTC from all levels of government. We want the TTC to get $2.50 per ride in government support, which is the North American average.
Improved service, not cuts
Bring in rider-friendly fares, like the low income pass and two hour transfers. We need lower fares, not fare hikes.
A low income pass, which means $50 metropass / $1 tokens for low income riders, and free TTC for social assistance recipients

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