The snowstorm of January 16-17, 2022 left transit users stranded for hours, and TTC stops remained inaccessible for days and weeks after the storm. Take action for an accessible winter transit system.
The snowstorm of January 16-17, 2022 left transit users stranded for hours, and TTC stops remained inaccessible for days and weeks after the storm. Take action for an accessible winter transit system.
TTCriders sent the following letter to City Councillors on the Infrastructure & Environment Committee and TTC Board. Scroll down for a template letter you can send to your City Councillor.
Dear Mayor John Tory and Councillors,
TTCriders is a membership-based transit advocacy organization. The snowstorm of January 16-17, 2022 created significant service disruptions and accessibility impacts for transit users in Toronto. Transit users were left stranded for hours during the storm, and TTC streetcar, bus, and Wheel-Trans stops remained inaccessible for days and weeks after the storm. This letter summarizes transit user experiences, highlights how other transit agencies address winter conditions, and shares suggestions from riders to mitigate future snow storms.
During the snowstorm event, riders were left stranded at TTC stops and stations, sometimes for hours, without service or adequate communication. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113 reported that calls from trapped operators were left unanswered, and that transit users and operators on 540 vehicles were left stranded on roads for 8 to 10 hours.
“There was no announcement about buses not going into the station at Finch, I waited for 30 minutes until buses came in because I didn’t know what was happening.” - Transit user
“Buses were not going directly into Kennedy Station & there were people waiting for buses and there was a lack of communication.” - Transit user
Transit users were unable to access the TTC for days and weeks after the January 16-17, 2022 storm due to inadequate snow clearance at TTC stops. This created dangerous conditions for transit users who walked and waited on the street or climbed over snowbanks, while other riders were unable to access transit whatsoever.
“Toronto's horrific SNOW CLEARANCE RESPONSE resulted in blocked sidewalks, intersections and bus stops. Workers who rely on transit in my neighborhood had to walk on the street." - Scarborough resident
Images courtesy of Justin Bernard via Twitter.
Images courtesy of Mykal McKenzie via email.
Images of “tire socks” installed on TransLink buses
Toronto clears snow from sidewalk and transit stops after 8cm of snow in November and April, and after 2cms of snow between December to March. Yet there seems to be a lack of clear service standards to ensure access between sidewalk and road so that transit users can board vehicles.
The City of Toronto’s website states that “bus stops and transit shelters will generally be plowed within 48 hours after a snowstorm.” The City of Toronto’s “Winter Maintenance Levels of Service 2015 – 2022” notes that “windrows at bus stops and crosswalks [are] opened after ploughing,” which means that after the initial round of ploughing within 48 hours, bus stops may be cleared of windrows (heaped up snow created by the initial ploughing).
There appear to be no clear service standards for all bus, streetcar, and Wheel-Trans stops to have street access within a clear timeframe. The TTC’s Service Standards (2017) do not make reference to snow plowing and bus or streetcar access.
The TTC does activate severe weather plans in advance of storms, including deploying additional buses, temporarily replacing the Scarborough RT with buses, “storing subway training in tunnels along main lines, treating streetcars and overhead wires with antifreeze (with a backup plan to replace the 512 St. Clair streetcar with buses) and readying private tow trucks along with the TTC’s snow clearing equipment, among other measures.”
City of Toronto’s “Sidewalk and Transit Snow Clearing Level of Service Table 2015 – 2022”
Write to your City Councillor! They need to hear from you about your transit concerns and to speed up the snow plan. Waiting until early 2023 is too late.
Send your email to [email protected]. You can also find your Councillor's email address here & CC [email protected]. Copy and paste the letter below and modify it to share your experiences of the snowstorm and TTC access issues.
"Dear Councillor ____,
The snowstorm of January 16-17, 2022 created significant service disruptions and accessibility impacts for transit users in Toronto. Transit users were left stranded for hours during the storm, and TTC streetcar, bus, and Wheel-Trans stops remained inaccessible for days and weeks after the storm.
I urge you to speed up reporting back on the Extreme Winter Response Plan and implementing changes. Waiting until early 2023 to report back and take action is too late, because it will already have snowed.
I also support measures to make the TTC fully accessible during and after major snowstorms, including:
1. Implementing clear standards and timelines for snow removal at bus, streetcar, and Wheel-Trans stops so there is an accessible and adequately wide path cleared to and from the street. Buses must be able to kneel to the curb at the plowed area so that people using mobility devices, strollers, or grocery carts can board buses.
2. Emergency and communications plans that include audio and visual announcements, recognizing that not all riders use Twitter or have smart phone access.
3. Changing any “Family of Services” trips to full “door-to-door” Wheel-Trans trips during extreme weather events and until TTC stops are fully accessible and cleared of snow and ice.
4. Adopting best practices from transit agencies in other cities with snowy conditions, such as using winter tires or "tire socks."
Sincerely,
Your name & postal code"
On March 29, 2022, the Infrastructure and Environment Committee received this report (PDF), which recommended reporting back on the Extreme Winter Response Plan in early 2023.
During the meeting, Councillors added recommendations for City Council to "request the General Manager, Transportation Services to implement initiatives and service improvements as soon as feasible and in advance of the next winter season where possible" and to have Transportation Services meet with Councillors in advance of next winter about how to improve snow services.
We’ve asked candidates whether they’ll invest in more TTC service, protect door-to-door Wheel-Trans service, expand TTC’s low-income discount, approve fare capping and more. View candidates’ detailed answers to our survey, information about their transit platforms, and more.
Do you still have TTC tokens or paper senior/student tickets or day passes? The TTC has announced that they will stop accepting TTC tokens and paper tickets after December 31, 2024. But the TTC will not be issuing exchanges. This is unfair to people who have saved up tokens and tickets, especially low-income seniors. Gift cards and permanent stamps never expire -- why are transit fares any different?
(Toronto, ON) – Transit advocacy organization TTCriders will hold a rally today at 5:00pm outside Bathurst Subway Station to call on federal Members of Parliament to invest in TTC repairs and new subway trains on Line 2 by accelerating implementation of the Canada Public Transit Fund. The rally is part of a national “Transit Action Week” being organized in 5 Canadian cities. (Cantonese, Mandarin, French spokespeople available.)