Affordability

As a social worker at a local food bank, tenant organizer and regular TTC user, I know how important affordable public transit is to so many people in our communities and across this city. The Fair Pass program and fare freeze are a great start, but we need to make transit more affordable for low-income riders who are already struggling with the high costs of rent and groceries.

Where I have stated NO, it is not that I am not willing to commit. It is simply that transit decisions cannot be reduced to simple yes‑or‑no commitments because some of these questions are contingent upon other crucial factors. They require a full understanding of funding, long‑term planning, and the city’s responsibility to protect service quality. Measures such as fare freezes, fare caps benefit riders, but they also reduce fare revenue (e.g fare cap could cost an estimated $35M/year). The TTC already faces rising costs related to maintenance, electrification, accessibility, and service expansion. Without stable support from the provincial and federal governments, these affordability measures can create pressure on the operating budget and affect the reliability of the system. Given this, I must approach transit proposals with care and evidence, and not commit to measures without knowing how they will be funded, affect service, or impact autonomy.