Service & Reliability

Will candidates lower wait times, improve reliability, and speed up transit?

Improving surface transit is absolutely essential to growing ridership on the TTC. Surface modes account for more than half of all TTC passenger boarding, and given the tight integration between surface and rapid transit, the success of the entire system hinges on buses and streetcars. Furthermore, the bus network serves employment lands, neighbourhood improvement areas and other places rapid transit currently does not reach.

In spite of this, surface transit gets the short end of the stick when it comes to road priority. Buses and streetcars are routinely stuck in traffic at all times of the day; making existing riders late and not incentivizing current drivers to switch to transit. The expansion of RapidTO bus and streetcar lines is urgently needed across the city. The few sections of RapidTO that exist right now have dramatically improved surface transit performance. For example, reliability on the 116 Morningside bus improved 19% after red lanes were introduced on Eglinton East, Kingston Road and Morningside.

The streetcar system is the backbone of the downtown transportation network relied upon by hundreds of thousands of riders a day. However, transit priority measures have been slow to implement on the network, making our streetcar network among the slowest in the world.

In order to grow ridership and maximize speed, there needs to be a network-wide streetcar reform. This would include measures such as street parking removal, left turn bans, active signal priority, dedicated lanes, modernized switches, truly level and accessible boarding, improved shelters and seating, and expanding transit malls similar to the King Street zone. These measures are proven in many cities around the world, as well systems close to home like Kitchener-Waterloo’s ION, to be effective in making streetcars faster and more reliable.

8. Will you commit to complete 1 RapidTO route in your ward by the end of the next Council term?

Keenan Courtis	Yes
Terri Hawkes	No response
Mike Layton	Yes
Karina Lemke	No response
Alice Li	Yes
Huy Lieu	No response
Gian Pileri	Yes
Paul Viret	Yes
Diana Yoon	Yes

9. Will you commit to voting in favour of RapidTO routes in other wards to get bus and streetcar riders moving?

Keenan Courtis	Yes
Terri Hawkes	No response
Mike Layton	Yes
Karina Lemke	No response
Alice Li	Yes
Huy Lieu	No response
Gian Pileri	Yes
Paul Viret	Yes
Diana Yoon	Yes

10. Will you commit fixing subway Reduced Speed Zones (or slow zones) faster and funding state-of-good-repair maintenance so that slow zones are eliminated entirely?

Keenan Courtis	Yes
Terri Hawkes	No response
Mike Layton	Yes
Karina Lemke	No response
Alice Li	Yes
Huy Lieu	No response
Gian Pileri	Yes
Paul Viret	Yes
Diana Yoon	Yes

11. Do you endorse adopting a comprehensive, network-wide strategy to reform streetcar service into a world-class, fast, accessible, and reliable system?

(i.e. measures such as street parking removal, left turn bans, signal priority, dedicated lanes, modernized switches, truly level and accessible boarding, improved shelters and seating, and expanding transit malls similar to the King Street zone)

Keenan Courtis	Yes
Terri Hawkes	No response
Mike Layton	Yes
Karina Lemke	No response
Alice Li	Yes
Huy Lieu	No response
Gian Pileri	Yes
Paul Viret	Yes
Diana Yoon	Yes

12. Will you oppose cuts to TTC service levels and instead invest in more frequent service to grow ridership?

Keenan Courtis	Yes
Terri Hawkes	No response
Mike Layton	Yes
Karina Lemke	No response
Alice Li	Yes
Huy Lieu	No response
Gian Pileri	Yes
Paul Viret	Yes
Diana Yoon	Yes

Some candidates offered further comments about their commitment to service and reliability:

Keenan Courtis

"The city needs to develop a mentality of continuous improvement to transit. The more projects we implement, the better we will be at delivering on those projects. Council needs to accept that moving on imperfect plans is better than not delivering at all."

Alice Li

"As Councillor for Ward 11, when time and resources are limited, I would prioritize the needs of Ward 11 while recognizing Toronto’s broader transportation needs. As the city’s population grows, transportation planning will need to account for limited road space and the different ways people move around the city. Transit can move significantly more people within the same amount of road space than private vehicles, and we believe that transit is the future of Toronto.

When implementing new initiatives, the safety and needs of all road users should be considered. Decisions should be evidence-based, with new programs monitored and evaluated using clear measures of success. Progress and results should be reported publicly so that future decisions and improvements can be informed by concrete data and the experience of residents.

We recognize that some of the topics outlined above fall outside the direct jurisdiction of a Ward 11 Councillor or extend beyond transit policy."

Gian Pileri

"Riders should be able to rely on reasonable journey times and regular service throughout the day. I would work with the TTC, City staff and neighbouring councillors to deliver a RapidTO route serving Ward 11 by the end of the term, with a published implementation schedule. I support transit priority across Toronto, including dedicated lanes, traffic signals that prioritize transit, accessible stops and consistent enforcement of lane restrictions. Designs must provide safe access for pedestrians, cyclists, people with disabilities, deliveries and emergency services. I would prioritize preventive maintenance and timely repairs to eliminate avoidable subway slow zones while retaining restrictions needed for safety. Better coordination of construction, clear diversion information and active management of vehicle spacing should reduce disruption, bunching and long waits. I would oppose service cuts and support more frequent service, with public reporting on results."

Paul Viret

"Expanding on 11. The shelters are pathetic right now, particularly in the summer. Clear glass does nothing to help protect people from the scorching sun"