TTC chair calls for action to address recent service issues

TTC chair and Councillor Jamaal Myers and speaks at a press conference and says the TTC is committed to rebuilding public trust by tackling service delays.

Two city councillors, including TTC Chair Jamal Myers, are calling for the transit commission to take action aimed at “regaining the trust” of riders following a number of recent service delays and other issues.

Myers and Coun. Josh Matlow put forward the joint a motion during a Monday meeting of the TTC board.

The motion comes on the heels of several recent issues that have disrupted transit service, including an hours-long rush hour closure along a portion of Line 1 last week while crews worked to fix a broken rail.

In December, interim CEO Greg Percy also had to apologize after signal issues briefly resulted in the suspension of service along the entirety of Line 1.

On Monday, there were also signal issues along a stretch of Line 1 that caused delays of up to eight minutes between Union and Eglinton stations.

“This motion will tackle critical service delays and take concrete steps to improve subway reliability and ensure better communication with riders during service interruptions,” Myers said at a press conference Monday morning.

Both Myers and Matlow say they want to get to the bottom of all the service disruptions that have been frustrating many TTC riders.

Their motion, which was approved by the board, asks staff to conduct an external review of signalling system maintenance and “look at ways to make shuttle bus service start sooner after a disruption.”

It also calls for staff to examine ways to improve communication with riders during service interruptions.

“Torontonians are deeply frustrated with the unreliability of TTC service caused by these service disruptions. We risk losing riders if they cannot count on the transit system to get them to work, school, or appointments on time. We must address this issue seriously to regain the trust of transit users,” the motion states.

The new TTC budget for 2025 already includes money to fund a pilot project aimed at reducing “bunching” on the TTC’s worst performing routes including Bathurst, Dufferin, Victoria Park, and Morningside.

Bunching occurs when a bus or streetcar is late and reaches a stop at the same time as the next one scheduled.

The motion also calls for the TTC to look at the feasibility of providing more options for transit riders, including the “potential of priority surface lanes on parallel routes” that would provide alternatives in the event of service disruptions.

Staff are also being asked to study “the potential for improving the efficiency of shuttle bus operations” through more timely deployment.

“We need to be more creative with our service routes,” said Matlow.

“We need to find ways to help people get around when they need to, because often it’s too expensive or impossible to find a different way.”

Regular TTC customers also spoke at Monday morning’s press conference.

“With Wi-Fi in the stations, better communication including audio and visual announcements, and more reliable shuttle bus service, myself and other riders wouldn’t be trapped waiting on platforms without information and without other viable ways of getting to where we’re going,” said Stephanie Scodras, a regular TTC commuter.

“When there are delays - even ones that are inevitable - at the very least we need information from the TTC about how long they will go for, so [riders] can make a decision about whether or not to remain or try to find another way to get around,” added councillor Matlow, who also said the current loud speaker system on TTC vehicles lacks effectiveness due to being inaudible.

Myers said the TTC is committed to rebuilding customer trust.

“This motion reflects what we’ve heard loud and clear - reliability is paramount to regain our riders’ trust.”

Staff have been directed to report back to the TTC board on their findings by the second quarter of this year.