Transit and 2014: Hey 20-somethings … Let’s kill the Apathy! The TTC budget is upon us.

By Marco Covi, TTCriders member.

Young people I talk to constantly complain about long commutes on the TTC from UofT Scarborough Campus to downtown or from Finch Ave West to Scarborough. A few years ago one colleague of mine gave the TTC a sad acronym: Take The Car. Dozens more I’ve talked to say they just can’t afford to take the TTC when they need to and have to prioritize their trips.

The picture is crystal clear: young people in school or just entering the workforce are being squeezed for the little savings that they have and are essentially being punished for taking mass transit because fees are too high and service is too unreliable. Yet despite what I’ve heard and how vocal my generation can be we are constantly branded as the self-absorbed generation: the ones with the lowest voter turnout and the least amount of civic engagement.

With all of the buzz around allegations of corrupt city politicians spanning from Montreal to Toronto, is it any wonder why young people doubt our elected officials ability to maintain essential services like the TTC?  Can there ever be meaningful change? Will the TTC have to keep going to the provincial and the city government hat in hand for essentially budgetary scraps? I get it folks. I’ve felt apathetic too lately.

But let’s look at the bigger picture. 2014 is a pivotal year in the history of our mass transit system. It will be the first time elections could be decided over transit. The momentum has been brewing for the last three or four years as transit has begun to dominate our news stories and even our conversations at work and home. More and more local politicians are debating about the best ways to improve and expand our mass transit system. This is a topic that public officials can no longer ignore.

The TTC 2014 budget proposed to hike fares across the board including a potential 5 dollar increase in the metropass to make up for low City Government contributions that won’t cover the TTC’s operating costs. Less than a day later councillors have been flooded with angry emails and letters about the fare increase. This is proof to all you young people out there that the tides are turning and engagement is not futile.

As we approach next fall’s mayoral race let’s remember what will transpire in the coming week. November 2013 is the month of Toronto’s City budget meetings and will determine the fate of 2014’s TTC services. We twenty-somethings complain about the rising cost of the TTC and how bad the service so it’s time to for our generation to step up while the attention on transit is still high.

Here’s six things you should know about the TTC budget this year:

1. The TTC wants fares to go up.  The TTC is proposing a 5 cent fare hike on the token and a proportional increase to other fares.  On top of that increase, the TTC is also proposing either a .25 cent fare increase on the cash fare OR a $5.25 increase on the monthly metro pass.   Double whammy.

2. Riders already pay a disproportionate share of operating costs and government contributions have only amounted to a 78 cent subsidy per rider: one of the lowest government contributions in North America!

3. There is projected to be another record number of riders on the TTC this year: 540 million ! But the City government is punishing us for taking the better way by not funding the TTC’s operating budget adequately!

4. Service levels will remain about the same.  Buses and street cars will remain just as crowded as they are now because service levels will just barely keep up with record ridership growth.

5. The TTC is presenting a $9 billion 10 year capital budget, but $2.7 billion of this money has not yet been found.  As a result we won't get the new vehicles we need to really increase service.  Also, the TTC will fall behind on making the TTC more accessible, by, for instance, installing more elevators at stations and buying new Wheel-Trans vehicles.

GET ACTIVE

I am tired of people my age being branded as the apathetic generation. Here are a few options that we have to make sure that our voices are heard:

1. Sign up for deputations to speak about the TTC budget on Monday Nov 18. Say YES to better service and NO to fare hikes. Here’s the link: http://www.ttcriders.ca/register-to-attend-the-ttc-commission-meeting/

2. Demand that the City and let’s not forget the Province - who used to pay 50% of the TTC’s Operating costs and now pay 0%- pay their fair share. Sign our petition and share the link with friends. It takes 90 seconds: http://www.ttcriders.ca/sign-our-petition-to-fund-our-ttc/

3. Make sure to get out there and vote this year. The provincial elections are coming up this spring 2014 and municipal elections are this fall 2014. Tell your local government that dedicated funding of the TTC’s operating costs and better service are some of your top priorities.

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