The TTC Board met on October 29 with an agenda that did not give the impression of being an all-day affair, but that is not how things turned out.

An extended debate in both public and confidential session arose from a management proposal to ban eBikes from the system from mid-November to mid-April as a safety measure. This arose from a fire onboard a subway train earlier in 2024 and a more general concern about eBike fires as these vehicles become more common.

There were many overlapping threads in the debate, but in the end the Board referred the matter back to staff for additional information, especially in regards to harmonization with existing City and Metrolinx policies, and the problem of enforcement. This will be on the December 3, 2024 meeting agenda.

To me, the most frustrating part of the discussion was the amount of time devoted to that issue compared to the almost non-existent debate on basic matters like service quality and management, as well as reconciliation of TTC plans with Council’s rather lofty aims to increase transit use as an essential environmental policy.

There was little new in the CEO’s monthly report. Ridership continues to build at a modest pace, and the profile of demands by day-of-week and time-of-day requires a rethink of service provision.

Other issues in this article:

• Hydraulic fluid leaks from subway work cars
• Reduced speed zones
• Ending legacy media
• The size of the TTC bus fleet
• Transport buses for warming centres
• Streetcar open door cameras
• The CEO’s mandate
• Gambling advertising

CEO’s Report

Note that the CEO’s Report has been split into two pieces with the detailed metrics in a separate document.

Hydraulic Fluid Leaks

Councillor Matlow asked about the status of the report on hydraulic fluid leaks in light of another such incident recently. Interim CEO Greg Percy replied that the preliminary investigation of that incident showed it was due to operator error.

Rich Wong, Chief Transportation and Vehicles Officer advised that the report would be available “shortly”, and when pressed said that this would be by year-end. In the preliminary draft, preventative maintenance for work car hydraulics has been increased, and night shift support has been added to check vehicles before they leave the yard. Previous failures were due to various factors including bad installation of O-rings, routing of hoses and chafing, and the lack of pro-active replacement of consumable parts.

Matlow asked if there were common factors, how long these problems have existed, why the former CEO took so long to bring this information to the Board, and why the new report is not already at the Board. Percy replied that the report will be released before the next Board meeting.

Bem Case, Executive Director of Sustainability and Innovation, pointed out that there are two reports. One is a root cause analysis which showed a common factor with the quality of workmanship sometimes worsened by incorrect corrective actions, but there was no suggestion of a deliberate act. The second is a Peer Review that was only just received and is now in final review by the TTC.

Ridership and Boardings

Councillor Saxe asked about the use of two different metrics cited for demand on the system: boardings and ridership. Josh Colle, Chief Strategy and Customer Experience Officer, explained that both terms are used referring to different aspects of travel. The transit industry mainly uses boardings which count every time a rider boards a vehicle separately, while ridership is historically linked to paid fare for complete trips. CFO Josie La Vita clarified this saying that boardings related to rider behaviour (i.e. which buses they ride) while rides are linked to revenue tracking.

Councillor Holyday observed that the subway is busier then ever. Ridership is up 10% over 2023, but the stats in the KPI appendix only go to August. Is the profile what was expected, and what does the TTC have to look at for service over longer term.

Josh Colle replied that the TTC is noticing the “shape” of demand is changing, and weekend ridership is going up more than weekdays with more crowded trains on Saturdays and Sunday. Previously, the focus was on peaks. TTC finds that some days are quieter with Tuesday-Thurday being higher than Monday and Friday. All days are trending upwards, and staff have been discussing how many trains will be needed by time of day.

Holyday replied that it feels like the shoulders of peaks have the greatest pressure, but the gap between trains is still long. What does the TTC have to do for service/funding, how does this relate to the budget? This is a customer experience issue.

Reduced Speed Zones

Chair Jamaal Myers asked for an update on the subway slow zones. Fort Monaco, Chief of Operations and Infrastructure, replied that there are now 22 zones. TTC hopes to reduce this below 20 by month end with the aim of getting to about 17 before the Taylor Swift concerts, and under 10 by year-end. Greg Percy noted that they will never get to zero because there will always be areas requiring maintenance, and a range of 7-10 would be common.

Myers asked about the status of the UITP (International Union of Public Transport, the acronym is French) review of TTC practices. Staff replied that this is underway with a documentation review, and that in-person visits will follow.

What was not mentioned in the discussion is the distinction between a short restricted speed zone and a longer zone due to deteriorated infrastructure over an extended distance, a problem that can develop thanks to chronic lack of maintenance.

At the September Board meeting, staff reported on existing zones with hoped-for completion dates. Here are the September 23 and October 31 maps for comparison. Almost all zones with an October 30 or earlier target date on the September map remain on the October map.

Ending “Legacy” Media

The TTC recently announced that “legacy” fare media – tickets, tokens, and day passes – would be eliminated at the end of 2024. This follows Board directions in 2022 and 2024, in part arising from debates about fare evasion.

When this idea first surfaced, a major concern was that agencies buying tokens or tickets to give to their clients would have no alternative. This was addressed with the introduction of Presto tickets.

Updated November 5, 2024:

However, these tickets had their own problems because they eventually expired thanks to a technical limitation within the Presto system, and they had to be traded in. This problem has since been resolved, and the TTC advises that the tickets now have a shelf life of five years. [End of update]

On the subject of tokens, there are about 6.7 million still in circulation with a book value of $23 million, and about $2 million worth of old tickets. TTC receives only about 4,000 token fares per week, and the inventory in public hands clearly will not be spent down quickly. If the TTC provides refunds, this is a cash outlay, but there is already an accrued liability on the books for revenue on unused tokens. In past years there were concerns about counterfeit tokens being turned in for refund, but this was not mentioned in the debate. For bulk sales customers, a refund mechanism is already in place.

Another concern about refunding old media is that they might not have been purchased at the current fare levels, although this only becomes a real accounting cost if the value of returned media exceeds the accrued liability by the end of a refund period. As things stand, the TTC is not accepting old media for refunds and urges riders to use up whatever they have by year end.

Lines 5 and 6 were designed and built with no capability for legacy media because it was assumed that these fares would not exist when the lines opened.

The entire discussion gave the impression of Board members who are out of touch with policies, some of which they have already endorsed. Online information about the change is already posted, and an advertising campaign will start in stations in a few weeks.

TTC will still accept cash fares by bus fareboxes and streetcar vending machines. In the subway, riders can buy Presto tickets at entrances.

How Many Buses Does the TTC Own?

Between the September and October CEO’s Report, 131 buses disappeared from the claimed fleet size.

The count of 2,114 buses has appeared in the CEO’s Report for a few years in spite of ongoing purchase and disposal of vehicles. The count of active vehicles in the October 2024 Scheduled Service Summary is 2,070. I asked TTC about the discrepancy, and they replied:

As you probably appreciate, the numbers fluctuate based on new arrivals and decommissioning.

We have a rotation of spares for both planned and unplanned maintenance that allows us to manage the approved fleet plan and meet service delivery requirements. [Email from TTC Media Relations, October 25, 2024]

This is not simply a matter for trainspotters’ nerdish interest in the makeup of the bus fleet, but of the headroom the TTC actually has for maintenance spares above scheduled service and for growth without the need to buy more buses. The oldest buses in the fleet have been replaced by new hybrids whose delivery is now complete, and another batch of old buses will be replaced by the eBuses that have just begun to arrive. This will reduce the average age of the fleet and eliminate the oldest, least reliable vehicles.

For many years, even before the pandemic service cuts, TTC maintained a spare ratio larger than industry standards for a bus fleet. This is not an unusual situation when subsidy policies favour capital replacement over ongoing maintenance and overhauls. However, that generous spare ratio policy runs aground as the cost of buses rises through complexity and technology change. Moreover, any plan to substantially increase transit service also requires more garage space. There is already a concern that future eBus purchases are not funded, and it is important that the Board be aware of the system’s limitations on service growth.

Seasonal Prohibition on Lithium-Ion Battery Powered E-Bikes and E-Scooters

The Board considered a report about the issue of lithium-ion powered devices in which management recommended that the Board:

Approve the prohibition of lithium-ion-powered micromobility devices, including e-bikes and e-scooters, onboard TTC vehicles and inside TTC stations and facilities from November 15 to April 15 each year.

Discussion of the report went on at great length including in private session, and in the end the Board referred the matter back to staff to consider several issues.

The TTC Board on October 29, 2024, referred this report to the TTC’s Racial Equity Office and directed staff to complete an equity impact review for consideration by the TTC Board at the board’s next meeting. Such review should assess potential impacts that a ban of lithium-ion-powered micromobility devices, including e-bikes and e-scooters, may have on equity deserving groups and gig workers with recommendations for impact mitigation developed in consultation with TTC Safety staff and Toronto Fire Services. [Carried by a vote of 5-4]

Major points covered during the debate included:

• The difference between the TTC’s proposed policy, the policy at Metrolinx and the City of Toronto’s distinction between powered and power-assisted devices.
• The existing TTC prohibition on bikes and other large objects on the subway that is almost never enforced.
• The difference between Metrolinx and TTC in station layouts and enforcement regimes.
• The varying degree to which battery manufacturers warn against exposure to cold weather and other factors such as water and salt that could compromise battery integrity.
• The economic impact on gig workers who depend on transit for carriage of their eBikes to work locations.
• The degree of danger and potential effects for passengers, staff and infrastructure of a battery fire on board a subway train.
• The difficulty of providing an inspection, validation and enforcement scheme for batteries, and competing demands on security staff for other incidents on the transit system.
• The differential in the effect of the proposed ban on various groups who may disproportionately depend on these bikes.

I will not recount the entire debate but interested readers can watch it on YouTube.

The debate was notable for bringing competing issues before the Board: the desire to limit risk and liability from eBike fires, and a concern that a ban would have equity implications for eBike users, and the overall City policy to encourage cycling as an alternative to car travel.

An important distinction here is that if eBikes are considered to be inherently dangerous to other riders, then the question has nothing to do with who is using the bike. Conversely, if the bikes are not as dangerous as claimed, then a ban could be viewed as targeted against a group.

This discussion was not helped by conflicting information about the extent to which all batteries, as opposed to those of select manufacturers, constitute a danger. Also, the potential effects focused on harms to riders, not to infrastructure if there were a train fire within a tunnel (e.g. damage to cabling, vehicles and structures).

The TTC Audit and Risk Management Committee spends a lot of time hand-wringing about liability issues, notably those related to fare evasion. The question of eBikes brings them up against a different target group, one that cannot be conveniently dismissed as scofflaws who avoid paying for service.

The Board has a personal liability issue to ensure the safety of its employees, and allowing eBikes might be considered as permitting a dangerous work environment. Some Board members played down the problem because there has been “only one” subway fire with an eBike, and fortunately this happened in a station where passengers and crew could escape. There has, of course, been “only one” Russell Hill crash, one SRT derailment, both of which were traced to poor maintenance and training. This is not a straightforward issue, and the debate will continue at the December Board meeting.

Transport Buses for Warming Centres

Over past years, the use of TTC subway stations as shelters by homeless people has grown as the City’s shelter capacity maxed out. Notable locations were stations that remained open all night, Union and Spadina.

In an attempt to deal with this, the TTC provided buses that were intended to take people to shelters, but with the lack of space, the buses themselves became shelters even though they are inappropriate in many ways. Over the winter season, only 296 people were transported to a City shelter while 5,816 were sheltered on buses.

For 2024, buses will not be used as warming shelters, and will only be provided when temperatures fall below -15°C to move people to available shelter space. That level corresponds to the second tier of City support for the homeless. At -5°C, warming centres open, and at -15°C additional capacity is provided because of the extreme cold.

The plan for 2024/25 is outlined below.

The TTC recommends the following response and outreach approach during the 2024/2025 winter season (November 15, 2024 to April 15, 2025) to continue to support individuals sheltering within the transit system:

TTC Stations staff will continue to encourage individuals in need to move to Spadina and Union stations upon station closing.

• Streets to Homes workers will continue to be available at these stations to connect individuals with social supports. These workers provide the following services:
  • Conduct referrals to the shelter system through Central Intake, which may include directing individual(s) to warming centres, as appropriate;
  • Conduct referrals to housing workers, for those who are not already working with other housing workers or agencies;
  • Conduct wellness checks;
  • Provide clothing and supplies;
  • Provide harm reduction supplies and harm reduction services; and
  • Provide seasonal resources (sleeping bags, socks, hats, hand warmers), snacks and gift cards, and PRESTO cards.
• Special Constables will be notified to assist, if required, and will encourage individuals to access available social supports and resources.
• Redirecting individuals to available warming centres and shelters allows them to access locations that meet the expectations outlined in the Toronto Shelter Standards.
• However, it is expected that individuals will also move to other available locations within the network, i.e. streetcars, until stations reopen.
• The TTC will continue to provide transport from Spadina and Union Stations to available warming centres and shelters when the temperature reaches –15 Celsius, upon notification by the City.
• Bus Operators will receive information and guidance regarding their role in providing this service through face-to-face communication. This is in addition to the de-escalation training they receive as frontline employees. The TTC will also be issuing communications to inform employees of the response and outreach approach this winter season.
• The City’s Community Safety Teams will provide support to the TTC by working with the TSSS Duty Office to find available space during Extreme Cold Weather days. They will also assist with co-ordinating the movement of individuals onto the buses and accompany Bus Operators in the vehicles during transport.
• The TTC will continue to provide shelter buses at the request of emergency services, i.e. building fire.

Interim CEO Greg Percy advised that staff are working on a “phase 3” to deal with conditions if all shelter space fills up.

An amendment proposed by Councillor Holyday to the staff recommendations was approved by the Board:

Direct the Commission to recover costs from the City of Toronto for special buses provided for people waiting or direct transport of people to shelters.

The intent is that the cost of homeless support be borne in the appropriate part of the City’s budget.

Streetcar Open Door Cameras

The idea of automated ticketing for motorists who drive past open streetcar doors goes back to 2017 as part of a package of transit-friendly measures. In 2021 and 2022, the Ontario government enabled the practice, but there has been little progress to implementation. Work has arrived at the design stage for a system during 2025 with the intent of a limited roll-out in 2026. No tickets would be issued until the new system proves its accuracy.

In parallel, the TTC and City are working on designs to make stops safer such as bump-outs from the curb. This will require a rethinking of how road space allocations and provisions for turns occur at streetcar stops, as well as integration with bike lanes where they exist.

Chair Myers proposed an amendment to the report which was endorsed by the Board.

Request the Province of Ontario to significantly increase the penalties (fines and demerit points) associated with section 166(1) of the Highway Traffic Act relating to the improper passing of streetcars while the streetcars are stationary for the purpose of picking up or dropping off passengers due to the seriousness of the offence.

CEO Mandate

The Board approved a confidential report about the mandate for the CEO’s role at TTC. No details were published. Notwithstanding this, ATU Local 113 President Marvin Alfred spoke to the Board about the workers’ perspective on a new CEO. The following text is a paraphrase of his remarks which can be heard in full on the meeting video.

Alfred noted that even before the pandemic, there had been a decline in service and maintenance with management hiding the effects. Restoration of transparency and accountability are required. It was not bad luck but management and the Board’s direction not to spend that contributed to the SRT derailment, not a single loose bolt.

Lack of accountability goes to the top, and big changes were implemented without debate. The TTC needs to be honest about the scale of the problem.

Service may be at pre-pandemic levels, but we don’t know the effects of schedule and standards changes.

Service is not managed enroute, and so is not managed. Alfred asked the Board to work with ATU, not against them. After the Russell Hill crash that was thanks to cuts, the system was rebuilt. The new CEO needs to be a champion for transit service.

In reply to a question from Councillor Holyday, Alfred remarked that service to riders is not in place to deal with customer needs. Headways are wider. Budget service hours are going to standby “route 600” buses, and the public is not getting what they expect. Service is haphazard and cancelled runs are cherry picked. Even when a “600” bus is dispatched it must come from a hub, and the missing buses produce gaps. The ATU wants to discuss how service people expect is not actually deployed.

The TTC has an online survey for public input on a future CEO. This is available until November 5, 2024. I will write on that topic in a separate article.

Gambling Advertising

Councillor Moise proposed the following motion to the Board:

1. Request the TTC’s contracted third party provider, Pattison Outdoor Advertising LP, to forward all advertising relating to the use of sports betting and gambling to the TTC for review in accordance with Article 6 of the Advertising on TTC Property Policy.
2. Request TTC staff to review any further sports betting and gambling advertisements, in accordance with the Advertising on TTC Property Policy, to determine whether the proposed advertisement complies with the requirements as set out in Article 8.0, in particular Article 8.1.4 of the Policy.
3. Direct TTC staff to study the feasibility of a ban on sports betting and gambling advertisements from all TTC assets and report to the Board by Q1 2025.

Councillor Matlow asked if there are any criteria for the types of advertising the TTC will accept, e.g. cigarette ads. As these decisions come up, there should be some process related to specific goals.

Michael Atlas, General Counsel for the TTC, noted that the proposal does not do anything but send the matter for review by staff. However, the Supreme Court has already ruled on this general area and its relationship to free speech. An analysis is required to establish what should be accepted, and the Courts have put a fairly high standard on this.

Councillor Holiday asked what kinds of things the Court has found reasonable to ban. Atlas replied that messages related to hate and terrorism, and more recently to abortion, but the ads must be reviewed in their entirety including links from them. The Court supports debate in the public realm e.g. transit. The TTC has no explicit ban on gambling ads now.

Councillor Matlow asked if this motion is redundant. Atlas replied that the only change from current practice is that all ads would come to the TTC for review and Pattison (the company which handles ad placement on the TTC) could not approve ads on their own.

Commissioner Osborne wondered if the Board is on a slippery slope, and saw no end in sight of target ads to be banned. The TTC would be “telling people what’s good for them”.

Commissioner Jagdeo noted that an alcohol producer pays for the New Year’s eve free rides.

Councillor Holyday opposed the proposal because of the lost revenue, and the substantial redundance relative to current review practice. He does not want this type of motion to continue coming to the Board.

Councillor Matlow stated that a decision to accept ads should not be taken as indicating Board support, but things like gambling are legal. There should be a review process but not on an ad hoc basis at the Board.

Chair Myers supported the motion in part because Councillor Moise is Chair of the Board of Health and has done addiction counselling.

The motion failed with only two in favour.