TTC union wants federal election to be a ‘transit election’
TTC workers release report with 68 recommendations designed to improve Toronto’s transit system.

thestar.com
Nov. 10, 2014
By Betsy Powell

The TTC union, the transit boss, and the city’s mayor-elect, are all, at least for now, on the same page when it comes to addressing the challenges needed to improve Toronto’s beleaguered transit system.

On Monday, the union representing 10,000 TTC employees released a report containing 68 recommendations aimed at ensuring “a better future for public transit in Toronto.”

They include the purchase of 250 new buses, in addition to those the TTC already plans to buy, expanding “all-door loading” on all busy TTC surface routes, a plan that is already underway, and extending rush-hour parking restrictions.

Mayor-elect John Tory praised the union for releasing a well-thought out document with many “constructive” suggestions, though “not all of which one could agree with from the standpoint of its financial viability.”

But Tory and TTC CEO Andy Byford agreed with union president Bob Kinnear, that transit is underfunded and headed for further decline unless senior levels of government increase funding levels.

Kinnear is calling on Torontonians to “mobilize” and deliver a message to the federal politicians as they head into next year’s election campaign.

“The 2015 election, as far as Toronto is concerned, is the transit election,” the union leader told a news conference at City Hall.

Kinnear said he and the union would even endorse the Harper Conservatives - something it wouldn’t normally be inclined to do - if they promise to deliver on Toronto’s transit needs.

“We would go that far,” he told reporters.

“Mr. (Stephen) Harper, Mr. (Thomas) Mulcair, Mr. (Justin) Trudeau, get out of your limos and get on the bus. If you support our growing transit needs in an immediate, meaningful and sustained way, we’ll support you.”

Kinnear called on Tory to meet with the federal leaders “to put the tough questions to them: if you form the next government what exactly are you going to do for Toronto transit?

Tory said that was always his plan.

“I’ll be advocating on behalf of the city of Toronto as people would expect me to do,” he said.

Tory said Toronto property taxpayers and fare-paying customers should not be relied solely upon to sustain the TTC. Byford, the TTC’s chief executive officer, agreed.

“I share Bob Kinnear’s vision that we can, if we all pull together, and this is where it’s good to have the union on board with us, we can progressively get the TTC back to being the jewel in the Crown of North American transit,” he told reporters at City Hall.

He rejected Kinnear’s characterization that the TTC is in “crisis,” but said the pressures amount to a “triple whammy:” aging infrastructure, chronic under-funding - the TTC has the lowest subsidy of any transit system in North America - and rising ridership.

One of the report’s 68 recommendations is to accelerate the studies on Tory’s electrified railway transit plan, called SmartTrack. “We’re neither for nor against SmartTrack,” Kinnear said.

“We feel we need more information about such a huge decision.”

Tory said the studies are already underway “to make sure the necessary background work is done on SmartTrack.”

The report says to maintain the status quo in the city’s transit system into 2018, the city must pump an additional $118 million more into the TTC’s annual operating budget if no fare increases occur.

Right now, the TTC moves half a billion riders each year and is expected to carry another 60 million riders in the next four years. It will cost about $66 million annually just to accommodate them at today’s inadequate service standards, he said.