The TTC “Annual Service Plan” has been rebranded as the “Network Plan” in the interest of clarity, but based on the 2026 edition’s meagre content so far, this is an infinitesimal network. In particular, it really does not deal with the transit network as a whole, but only small tweaks at the edges. Big decisions such as long range, city-wide plans, budgets, service levels and the future of transit as part of Toronto are all made elsewhere.

Issues such as strategies for improving ridership and budget reviews which bear directly on the amount of service riders see are not in this plan. Nor is any discussion of basic service quality and management, nor of the fractured nature of TTC information for and communications with its riders.

Round One of the Network Plan consultation addresses only a handful of proposed route changes. More substantial work including an Express Bus Network review and discussion of construction-related service changes won’t appear until Round Two in August.

The Network Plan presentation lists several parallel studies under development parallel to but not included in the Annual Network Plan consultations. Only those keen transit watchers know about all or most of these, and it is a hard slog keeping up. The table below is from the Round One presentation deck.

• 2026 Annual Service Budget
  • Sets service levels for each board period in 2026
  • Includes number of vehicles, service hours and distance
• 2026-2028 Ridership Growth Strategy (RGS)
  • Cost-benefit analysis of service, fare, infrastructure and customer experience initiatives
  • Could achieve ridership growth over the next 3 years (if funded)
• RapidTO Transit Priority Lanes
  • Completed: Queens Quay East
  • Next: Dufferin St and Bathurst St corridors (pending July 2025 Council approval). Target: ready for 2026 FIFA World Cup
  • Feasibility and design studies are on-going for the Jane Street, Finch Avenue East, and Lawrence Avenue East roadways
• FIFA World Cup Transit Service Plan
  • Increased service on key downtown routes
  • Additional service on match days and during Fan Festival
• Reducing bunching and gapping
  • Efforts to reduce bunching and gapping on 10 of the most problematic routes with enhanced on-street presence as well as scheduling related changes

There are also:

• 5-Year Service and Customer Experience Action Plan
• Fare Policy Study and Outlook
• Corporate Plan
• 5-Year Accessibility Plan
• 5-Year Diversity & Human Rights Plan

This may suit the TTC’s fragmented internal structure, but it drives people outside of the TTC mad. One does not have to be a seasoned transit advocate, merely a daily rider, to rail at the frustration of “consultation” on a handful of minor route changes. Basic service issues across the system must wait for the budget (no public consultation there at all), the Ridership Growth Strategy (budget limits again) and a Board that, until recently, actually believed (or chose not to challenge) management claims about quality.

Two burning issues are service quality (with associated crowding and unpredictable waits), and the effect of construction projects on routes (not to mention abjectly poor and inaccurate communications to riders). We will have to wait until Round Two in August to address at least some of these problems.

Consultation

An online survey opens July 7-16. There are separate consultations with the Advisory Committee on Accessible Transit (ACAT) and the TTC’s Planning Advisory Group which after many years now has a formal name. (Full disclosure: I am a regular contributor to that group.)

Pop-Ups will be held from 4-6pm at the following dates and locations:

• July 9th: University of Toronto Scarborough Campus
• July 10th: St. George Station
• July 15th: Sherbourne & Rosedale Stations
• July 16th: Lawrence West Station & Sunnybrook Hospital

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