Speak up for better transit: City Budget 2020

Toronto City Council will soon be deciding how much funding to allocate to the TTC in the 2020 City Budget. This budget will impact our transit system for years to come. 

Toronto is running out of buses and streetcars. The TTC has a 5-Year Service Plan that won’t keep up with our growing city. And transit riders are facing fare increases, because the TTC does not receive enough funding from the City or other levels of government. 

When enough of us take action, we can convince City Council to fairly fund the TTC. Together, we’ve already achieved the 2-hour fare on Presto, new express bus service, Toronto’s low income transit discount, and more! 

GET INVOLVED

1. Sign up to speak at a City Budget Subcommittee meeting on January 20th or January 21st

2. Speak with your City Councillor

  • Send an email: Use our online tool that makes emailing your Councillor super easy: (link coming soon).
  • Call their office: You can find your Councillor’s phone number here, or call 311.If you have another minute, call Mayor John Tory’s office too: 416-397-4289.
  • Schedule a meeting: Contact us at [email protected] if you’d like to meet with your Councillor. We can support you by providing background information and invite other transit riders in your area to join you.

KEY DATES

January 20th & 21st - Budget Subcommittee meetings are your chance to speak directly to Councillors about the budget. Sign up here to speak!  

February 6th - TTCriders Action Day; Stay tuned for details. 

February 19th - Final City Council vote on the 2020 budget. 

WHAT WE WANT

The TTC needs more funding approved in the 2020 budget so that these essential steps more forward: 

- Order enough new streetcars and buses [1]

- Fully fund the Fair Pass discount for all people living on low incomes [2]

- Cancel the fare increase planned for 2020 and lower fares for all [3]

- Fully fund the TTC’s plan to make service more frequent, including more bus lanes [4]

- Pay for all maintenance needed to keep the TTC, including the subway system, in a state of good repair [5]

References and more info:

[1] The TTC’s 15-year Capital Investment Plan explains that maintaining the TTC’s current fleet size requires “purchasing between 120 and 160 buses every year to replace retiring vehicles, but there is currently limited bus funding in 2021 and 2022 and no funding thereafter.” So what happens if more funding isn’t approved? The TTC’s “contingency plan” is to “forego service improvements for growth,” or even cut service, if they do not have enough streetcars and buses. Meanwhile, the Bombardier facility that manufactures streetcars is at risk of closing if an order is not made soon, and selecting a different manufacturer could delay the delivery of streetcars until 2024 or 2025

[2] The Fair Pass program discounts single fares by 33% and monthly passes by 22% for eligible low income people. The Pass is now available for people receiving OW, ODSP, and childcare fee subsidies, and has successfully increased access to health providers, social programs, and food for current users. Now it must be fully funded and implemented for all eligible people who receive housing supports and who earn the Low Income Measure + 15%. Read more about the Fair Pass here

[3] Every fare increase drives more riders away from the TTC. Toronto has the highest fare-box recovery ratio of any major city in North America, because the TTC continues to be the least-subsidized major transit system. 

[4] In December 2019, the TTC approved a 5-year service plan that does not keep up with the transit needs of our city. It includes important recommendations, but even the TTC states that this is a "business as usual" plan and it's not even close to fully funded: 95% of the plan’s capital costs are NOT funded in the TTC's 2020-2029 Capital Plan.

TTCriders is calling for dedicated transit lanes on 20+ routes over the next 5 years, starting with the busiest surface routes. Prioritizing transit on our roads is key to improving transit reliability and speed across the city - and it is the fastest, most cost-effective way to do so. Read our full statement on the 5-Year Service Plan. 

[5] The TTC needs $33 billion over the next 15 years just to keep the system functional, but about two-thirds, or $23 billion, of the capital investment plan is unfunded. These capital expenses include keeping the system in a state of good repair, completing accessibility upgrades, and ensuring that we have enough transit vehicles.

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Take action

Tell your City Councillor: Freeze TTC Fares
Protect Door-to-Door Wheel-Trans Service!
Bus lanes now
Rally to Open the Crosstown
Tell Your MP: Sign the Transit Pledge
Add your name for Fare Capping!
Keep and Expand Free TTC Wi-Fi!

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