Toronto needs a snow plan to make TTC accessible after future storms

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.

Transit rider proposals for accessible transit snow plan  

  • Toronto’s service standards for snow removal should be updated to include clear standards and timelines for snow removal at bus, streetcar, and Wheel-Trans stops. TTC stops must be cleared 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. 
  • The TTC should create emergency and communications plans that recognize not all riders use Twitter or have smart phone access. Audio and visual announcements are needed to guarantee that riders receive urgent information in an accessible format. 
  • Wheel-Trans should change any “Family of Services” trips to full “door-to-door” trips to guarantee Wheel-Trans users’ safety during extreme weather events and until TTC stops are fully accessible and cleared of snow and ice. Wheel-Trans users who are taking a Family of Services trip may get dropped off at an “Access Hub” and could become stranded in extreme weather or be unable to board vehicles.   
  • The TTC should adopt best practices from other cities with snowy conditions. For example, a number of Canadian transit agencies install either winter tires or use “tire socks” for additional traction in snowy weather, while TransLink replaces articulated buses with regular buses during severe conditions because they are more agile. 
  • Consider creating Neighbourhood TTC Stop clearing crews, trained and certified by the City of Toronto, preferably targeting residents who live in the neighborhood.

Impact of snowstorm of January 16-17, 2022 on transit users 

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

Access to TTC stops in the weeks after snowstorm

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.

How do transit agencies in other Canadian cities handle snow?

Images of “tire socks” installed on TransLink buses

  • TransLink replaces their 60 ft articulated buses with 40 ft buses which are more agile in the snow. All buses use all season tires. Selected routes (i.e. Burnaby Mountain North Shore and some Vancouver routes) use tire socks to provide more traction. Push trucks are used to get buses up steep hills.
  • Calgary Transit uses all season tires on all their buses. They have snow detours in place for routes that are known to have problematic areas.
  • Edmonton Transit Service uses all season tires on most of their buses. They use winter tires on their articulated buses.
  • Winnipeg Transit uses all season tires. They install tire socks on buses to provide more traction.
  • Société de transport de Montréal (STM) buses are fitted with new tires on the front wheels and traction tires on the back wheels on November 15th every year. Maintenance will add deeper threads on the traction tires to provide enhanced traction on snow and ice.
  • Halifax Transit uses all season tires on all their buses. They have snow detours in place for routes with problematic areas.

What are the TTC’s and City of Toronto’s current service standards? 

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”

Template email

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"

What is being debated at City Council on April 6, 2022?

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. 

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