The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is the
public transport
Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...
agency that operates
bus
A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
,
subway,
streetcar
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport a ...
, and
paratransit
Paratransit is the term used in North America, also known by other names such as community transport ( UK) for transportation services that supplement fixed-route mass transit by providing individualized rides without fixed routes or timetables. ...
services in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, Canada, some of which run into the
Peel Region and
York Region
The Regional Municipality of York, also called York Region, is a regional municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, between Lake Simcoe and Toronto. The region was established after the passing of then Bill 102, An Act to Establish The Regional M ...
. It is the oldest and largest of the urban transit service providers in the
Greater Toronto Area, with numerous connections to
systems serving its surrounding municipalities.
Established as the
Toronto Transportation Commission
Toronto Transportation Commission (TTC) was the public transit operator in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, beginning in 1921. It operated buses, streetcars and the island ferries. The system was renamed the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) in 1954.
H ...
in 1921, the TTC owns and operates
four rapid transit lines with
75 stations, over 150
bus routes
A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
, and 9
streetcar lines. In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of .
The TTC is the most heavily used
urban mass transit system in Canada and the third largest in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
, after the
New York City Transit Authority
The New York City Transit Authority (also known as NYCTA, the TA, or simply Transit, and branded as MTA New York City Transit) is a public-benefit corporation in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City. P ...
and
Mexico City Metro
The Mexico City Metro ( es, Metro de la Ciudad de México) is a rapid transit system that serves the metropolitan area of Mexico City, including some municipalities in Mexico State. Operated by the Sistema de Transporte Colectivo (STC), it is ...
.
History
Public transit in Toronto started in 1849 with a privately operated transit service. In later years, the city operated some routes, but in 1921 assumed control over all routes and formed the
Toronto Transportation Commission
Toronto Transportation Commission (TTC) was the public transit operator in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, beginning in 1921. It operated buses, streetcars and the island ferries. The system was renamed the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) in 1954.
H ...
to operate them. During this period, streetcars provided the bulk of the service. In 1954, the TTC adopted its present name, opened the first subway line, and greatly expanded its service area to cover the newly formed municipality of
Metropolitan Toronto
The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto was an upper-tier level of municipal government in Ontario, Canada, from 1953 to 1998. It was made up of the old city of Toronto and numerous townships, towns and villages that surrounded Toronto, whic ...
(which eventually
amalgamated into the present City of Toronto). The system has evolved to feature a wide network of surface routes with the subway lines as the backbone. On February 17, 2008, the TTC made many service improvements, reversing more than a decade of service reductions and only minor improvements.
In addition to buses, streetcars, and subways, the TTC also operated the
Toronto Island ferry service from 1927 to 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department (now
Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation). The TTC also operated a suburban and regional intercity bus operator,
Gray Coach
Gray Coach was a Canadian inter-city bus line based in Toronto, Ontario, from 1927 to 1992. It was founded and initially owned by the Toronto Transportation Commission, until sold to Stagecoach in 1990. In 1992 the business was sold to Greyhoun ...
Lines, from 1927 to 1990. Gray Coach used interurban coaches to link Toronto to points throughout southern Ontario. In addition, Gray Coach operated tour buses in association with
Gray Line Tours. The main terminal was the
Metropolitan Toronto Bus Terminal on Elizabeth Street north of Dundas Street, downtown. In 1954, Gray Coach expanded further when it acquired suburban routes from independent bus operators not merged with the TTC as it expanded to cover Metro Toronto. By the 1980s, Gray Coach faced fierce competition in the interurban service in the GTA. The TTC sold Gray Coach Lines in 1990 to
Stagecoach Holdings, which split the operation between
Greyhound Canada
Greyhound Canada Transportation ULC began as a local British Columbia bus line in the early 1920s, expanded across most of Canada, and became a subsidiary of the US Greyhound in 1940.
In 2018, Greyhound pulled out of Western Canada, preserving ...
and the government of Ontario three years later.
![The Red Rocket (1)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/The_Red_Rocket_%281%29.jpg)
The
Gloucester subway cars, the first version of TTC subway cars, known as "red rockets" because of their bright red exterior, have been retired. The current
T-series trains also have a red interior color scheme. The name lives on as the TTC uses the phrase to advertise the service, such as "Ride the Rocket" in advertising material, "Rocket" in the names of some express buses, and the new "
Toronto Rocket
The Toronto Rocket (TR) train is the fifth and latest series of rolling stock used in the Toronto subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned and operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), the trains were built by Bombardier Transpo ...
" subway cars, which began revenue operation on July 21, 2011. Another common slogan is "The Better Way".
Finances
The TTC recovered 69.6% of its operating costs from the fare box in 2017. From its creation in 1921 until 1971, the TTC was self-supporting both for capital and operations (it had to pay property taxes until 1967). Through the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
and
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, it accumulated reserves that allowed it to expand considerably after the war, both with subways and major steady growth of its bus services into the suburbs. It was not until 1971 that the
Metro Toronto government and the province started to provide operational subsidies, required primarily due to rising costs of delivering transit to low-density suburbs in Metro Toronto and large wage increases. Deficits and subsidies soared throughout the 1970s and 1980s, followed by service cuts and a period of ridership decline in the 1990s, partly attributable to recession.
In 1997, the
Progressive Conservative government under Premier
Mike Harris
Michael Deane Harris (born January 23, 1945) is a Canadian retired politician who served as the 22nd premier of Ontario from 1995 to 2002 and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (PC Party) from 1990 to 2002. During his time ...
implemented the "
Common Sense Revolution
The phrase Common Sense Revolution (CSR) has been used as a political slogan to describe conservative platforms with a main goal of reducing taxes while balancing the budget by reducing the size and role of government. It has been used in places ...
" which, among other things, cut in provincial financing support for the
Eglinton West subway line, and cut $718million in municipal transit support, placing the entire burden of financing the system on municipalities and leaving the TTC with a $95.8million/year funding shortfall. The TTC cut back service with a significant curtailment put into effect on February 18, 1996. Since then, the TTC has consistently been in financial difficulties. Service cuts were averted in 2007, though, when
Toronto City Council
Toronto City Council is the governing body of the municipal government of Toronto, Ontario. Meeting at Toronto City Hall, it comprises 25 city councillors and the mayor of Toronto. The current term began on November 15, 2022.
Structure
The cur ...
voted to introduce new taxes to help pay for city services, including the TTC. As a result, the TTC became the largest transit operator in
Anglo-America
Anglo-America most often refers to a region in the Americas in which English is the main language and British culture and the British Empire have had significant historical, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural impact."Anglo-America", vol. 1, Microp ...
not to receive provincial/state subsidies. The TTC has received federal funding for capital projects from as early as 2009. The TTC is also considered one of the costliest transit systems per fare price in North America. For the 2011 operating year, the TTC had a projected operating budget of $1.45billion. Revenue from fares covered approximately 70% of the budget, whereas the remaining 30% originated from the City. From 2009 through 2011, provincial and federal subsidies amounted to 0% of the budget. In contrast to this, the
Société de transport de Montréal
The Société de transport de Montréal (STM; en, Montreal Transit Corporation) is a public transport agency that operates transit bus and rapid transit services in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Established in 1861 as the "Montreal City Passenger Ra ...
receives approximately 10% of its operating budget from the Quebec provincial government, and
OC Transpo
OC Transpo, officially the Ottawa-Carleton Regional Transit Commission, is the public transit agency for the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It operates an integrated hub-and-spoke system including light metro, bus rapid transit, conventional ...
receives 9% of its funding from the province. The fairness of preferentially subsidizing transit in specific Canadian cities has been questioned by citizens.
On August 12, 2020, the Province of Ontario promised $404million for TTC operations to compensate for reduced ridership and revenue loss during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, with more funding to come later. The TTC projected a shortfall of $700million in 2020.
Operations
Buses
![Ttc-300B-pearson](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Ttc-300B-pearson.jpg)
Buses are a large part of TTC operations today. However, before about 1960, they played a minor role compared to streetcars. Buses began to operate in the city in 1921, and became necessary for areas without streetcar service. After an earlier experiment in the 1920s,
trolley buses were used on a number of routes starting in 1947, but all trolley bus routes were converted to bus operation between 1991 and 1993. The TTC always used the term "trolley coach" to refer to its trackless electric vehicles. Hundreds of old buses have been replaced with the low-floor Orion VII, and the TTC has acquired many
hybrid electric bus
A hybrid electric bus is a bus that combines a conventional internal combustion engine propulsion system with an electric propulsion system. These type of buses normally use a Diesel-electric powertrain and are also known as hybrid Diesel-elect ...
es. The TTC's hybrid buses were first put on the road in 2006; these were followed by the newer 500
Orion VII Next Generation Hybrids in 2008. A new order brought the total number of hybrids to over 500, second only to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. Older TTC Orion VIIs from 2001 to 2006 feature the standard "breadbox" style, whereas newer buses, from 2007 onwards, feature Orion's new, more stylish body. With a total of 2,031 buses, the TTC is the third-largest transit bus operator in North America, behind the
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the New York City metropolitan area of the U.S. state of New York. The MTA is the largest public transit authority in th ...
in New York City (more than 5,600) and the
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA), commonly branded as Metro, LA Metro, and L.A. Metro, is the state agency that plans, operates, and coordinates funding for most of the transportation system in Los Angele ...
(2,911).
The TTC also runs
Wheel-Trans
Wheel-Trans is a paratransit system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, provided by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It provides specialized door-to-door accessible transit services for persons with physical disabilities using its fleet of accessibl ...
, a
paratransit
Paratransit is the term used in North America, also known by other names such as community transport ( UK) for transportation services that supplement fixed-route mass transit by providing individualized rides without fixed routes or timetables. ...
service for the physically disabled with special low-floor buses designed to accommodate wheelchairs and to make boarding easier for ambulatory customers with limited mobility.
The TTC ordered 153 articulated buses with all newly ordered buses in service by January 2015. At long, the Nova LFS Artics hold about 112 passengers, compared with 65 on a standard bus.
Subway
![Museum TTC 20806772132](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Museum_TTC_20806772132.jpg)
The Toronto subway system consists of the
Line 1 Yonge–University
Line 1 Yonge–University is a rapid transit line on the Toronto subway. It serves Toronto and the neighbouring city of Vaughan in Ontario, Canada. It is operated by the Toronto Transit Commission, has 38 stations and is in length, making it th ...
, a U-shaped mostly north–south line that was opened in 1954 and was last extended in 2017;
Line 2 Bloor–Danforth
Line 2 Bloor–Danforth is a subway line in the Toronto subway system, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It has 31 stations and is in length. It opened on February 26, 1966, and extensions at both ends were completed in 1968 a ...
, an east–west line that was opened in 1966 and was last extended in 1980;
Line 3 Scarborough
Line 3 Scarborough (originally known as the Scarborough RT or SRT) is a light rapid transit line that is part of the Toronto subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The line runs entirely within the suburban district of Scarborough, encompas ...
, a partly elevated
light metro
A medium-capacity system (MCS), also known as light rapid transit or light metro, is a rail transport system with a capacity greater than light rail, but less than typical heavy-rail rapid transit. MCS’s trains are usually 1-4 cars, or 1 ligh ...
line that was opened in 1985 and continues from Line 2 Bloor–Danforth's eastern terminus; and
Line 4 Sheppard
Line 4 Sheppard is the newest and shortest subway line of the Toronto subway system, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It opened on November 22, 2002, and has five stations along of track, which is built without any open sectio ...
, which was opened in 2002.
The three subway lines are served by 678 cars grouped in trains of four cars on Line 4 Sheppard subway, and six cars on Line 1 Yonge–University and Line 2 Bloor–Danforth. The three subway lines share
non-revenue track Non-revenue track (or trackage), or a non-revenue route, is a section of track or transport route that is not used to carry revenue-earning freight or goods nor for scheduled passenger services. The term is used to refer mainly to sections of track ...
connections and use the same technology. The train versions in use consist of the
Toronto Rocket
The Toronto Rocket (TR) train is the fifth and latest series of rolling stock used in the Toronto subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned and operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), the trains were built by Bombardier Transpo ...
s on Lines 1 and 4 and the
T1s on Line 2. Line 3 Scarborough has a fleet of 28
S-series S series or Series-S or ''variation'', may refer to:
Transportation
* Bedford S series, trucks
* Chevrolet S-series, pickup trucks
* GMC S-Series, school bus
* International S series, trucks
* International S series (bus chassis)
* S series (T ...
cars grouped into trains of four cars each and is not compatible with other subway lines, given that the S-series cars use . It shares no track connections or equipment. Due to the increasing difficulty of performing critical maintenance work on the S-series trains, the existing Line 3 Scarborough service is expected to be decommissioned and demolished permanently in 2023. It will be replaced by TTC bus service until the Line 2 Scarborough subway extension to Sheppard and McCowan opens for revenue service in 2030 at the earliest.
All subway lines provide service seven days a week from approximately 5:45 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. (the following day) (last train runs at approximately 1:45 in each direction) except for Sundays, in which the opening is delayed until approximately 8:00 a.m. During the overnight periods, the subway and its stations are closed to perform maintenance at track level and in the stations themselves. Overnight service is provided by buses and streetcars operating above ground. These overnight routes are issued numbers in the 300 series and are referred to as
Blue Night routes, indicated by a typical TTC bus stop sign with a blue band added.
Projects under construction
Line 5 Eglinton
Line 5 Eglinton (also known as the Eglinton Crosstown or the Crosstown) is a light rail line that is under construction in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Metrolinx and operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), the line will be part ...
, which uses light rail vehicles, is under construction and is expected to open later in 2023.
It will run underground in the central part of the line from west of Keele Street to Laird Drive, with most of the remainder of the route travelling at grade, though
Science Centre station
Science Centre is an underground light rail transit (LRT) station and mobility hub under construction on Line 5 Eglinton, a new line that is part of the Toronto subway system. It will be located in the Flemingdon Park neighbourhood at the inte ...
will be underground. The full route will span across the city, from in York to Kennedy station in Scarborough.
Line 6 Finch West
Line 6 Finch West, also known as the Finch West LRT, is a light rail line under construction in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to be operated by the Toronto Transit Commission. The , 18-stop line is to extend from Finch West station on Line 1 Yonge ...
is an , 18-stop light rail line under construction, extending west in a dedicated right-of-way lane from Finch West station on Line 1 Yonge–University to the
Humber College's North Campus in Etobicoke. The line is forecast to provide approximately 14.6million rides a year, or 40,000 a day, by 2031. It is scheduled for completion in 2023, with an estimated cost of $1.2billion.
The
Ontario Line
The Ontario Line is an under-construction rapid transit line in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its northern terminus will be at Eglinton Avenue and Don Mills Road, at Science Centre station, where it will connect with Line 5 Eglinton. Its southern ...
, which is a
rapid transit
Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...
line and successor to the
Relief Line, is expected to be completed by 2030. The Ontario government estimates the line's cost at $10.9billion for the stretch from
Ontario Place
Ontario Place is an entertainment venue, event venue, and park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The venue is located on three artificial landscaped islands just off-shore in Lake Ontario, south of Exhibition Place, and southwest of Downtown Toronto. ...
to
Don Mills Road
Don, don or DON and variants may refer to:
Places
*County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON
* Don (river), a river in European Russia
*Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name
*Don, Benin, a town in Benin
*Don, Dang, a vil ...
and
Eglinton Avenue
Eglinton Avenue is a major east–west arterial thoroughfare in Toronto and Mississauga in the Canadian province of Ontario. The street begins at Highway 407 (but does not interchange with the tollway) at the western limits of Mississauga, as a ...
East at
Science Centre station
Science Centre is an underground light rail transit (LRT) station and mobility hub under construction on Line 5 Eglinton, a new line that is part of the Toronto subway system. It will be located in the Flemingdon Park neighbourhood at the inte ...
(part of the under-construction Line 5). It is the largest single expansion in Toronto subway history.
The
Line 2 Bloor–Danforth
Line 2 Bloor–Danforth is a subway line in the Toronto subway system, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It has 31 stations and is in length. It opened on February 26, 1966, and extensions at both ends were completed in 1968 a ...
extension is a subway extension which will continue Line 2 east towards
McCowan Road McCowan can refer to the following:
* McCowan Baronets, British baronetcy
*Millar McCowan, Scottish confectionery company
*McCowan (surname)
*McCowan Road, a major thoroughfare in Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
** A local name for York Regi ...
and north towards
Scarborough City Centre
Scarborough City Centre is a commercial district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was the central business district for the former city of Scarborough, which amalgamated with Toronto in 1998. Scarborough City Centre remains one of the central bu ...
and to a new terminal at the intersection of McCowan Road and
Sheppard Avenue
Sheppard Avenue is an east–west principal arterial road in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The street has two distinct branches near its eastern end, with the original route being a collector road leading to Pickering via a turnoff, and the main ro ...
. The $5.5-billion extension will replace the aging
Line 3 Scarborough
Line 3 Scarborough (originally known as the Scarborough RT or SRT) is a light rapid transit line that is part of the Toronto subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The line runs entirely within the suburban district of Scarborough, encompas ...
and is expected to be complete in 2030 at the earliest.
The Eglinton Crosstown West extension will extend the under construction
Line 5 Eglinton
Line 5 Eglinton (also known as the Eglinton Crosstown or the Crosstown) is a light rail line that is under construction in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Metrolinx and operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), the line will be part ...
west to
Renforth station
Renforth, referred to during planning as Renforth Gateway, is a bus station on the border of the cities of Mississauga and Toronto, in Ontario, Canada. Located at Eglinton Avenue and Renforth Drive (although the station entrance is on Commerce B ...
and
Pearson International Airport
Lester B. Pearson International Airport , commonly known as Toronto Pearson International Airport, is an international airport located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is the main airport serving Toronto, its Greater Toronto Area, metropolit ...
by 2030 or 2031. The line will travel through all six of Toronto's districts that were
amalgamated in 1998 and bring the subway to
Mississauga
Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popul ...
.
Future plans
There is currently one priority TTC expansion plan:
* The Yonge North subway extension is an extension of Line 1 Yonge–University proposed by the government of Ontario, nearly identical to the existing planned Yonge Subway Extension proposed by the City of Toronto, Metrolinx, and York Region. It would extend Line 1 into
Richmond Hill in
York Region
The Regional Municipality of York, also called York Region, is a regional municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, between Lake Simcoe and Toronto. The region was established after the passing of then Bill 102, An Act to Establish The Regional M ...
. The line would travel north from
Finch station
Finch is the northern terminus subway station of the eastern section of Line 1 Yonge–University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located under Yonge Street, north of Finch Avenue.
Finch is the busiest TTC bus terminal and the sixth-busiest ...
to
Richmond Hill Centre Terminal
Richmond Hill Centre Terminal is a York Region Transit, Viva, and GO Transit bus terminal in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Despite its name, the terminal is not located in downtown Richmond Hill, but is situated 4 km (2.5 miles) to the south at t ...
at
Highway 7 and
Yonge Street
Yonge Street (; pronounced "young") is a major arterial route in the Canadian province of Ontario connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes.
Once the southernmost leg of provincial Hi ...
. The estimated cost for the project is $5.4billion, and it is projected to open after the
Ontario Line
The Ontario Line is an under-construction rapid transit line in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its northern terminus will be at Eglinton Avenue and Don Mills Road, at Science Centre station, where it will connect with Line 5 Eglinton. Its southern ...
has been completed.
There are plans, still under development, for an eastward extension of Line 5 to the University of Toronto Scarborough campus. There is also potential for an eastward subway extension of
Line 4 Sheppard
Line 4 Sheppard is the newest and shortest subway line of the Toronto subway system, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It opened on November 22, 2002, and has five stations along of track, which is built without any open sectio ...
, to replace the former
Sheppard East LRT
The Sheppard East LRT was a proposed light rail line in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was first announced as part of the Transit City proposal in 2007. The Sheppard East LRT as proposed was to be long, travel along Sheppard Avenue from Don Mill ...
project, that would connect with the Line 2 Bloor–Danforth extension at McCowan Road and Sheppard Avenue.
Streetcars
![512 ROW at Avenue](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/512_ROW_at_Avenue.jpg)
Toronto's streetcar system is one of the few in North America still operating along street-running tracks. It has been operating since the mid-19th century.
Horsecar
A horsecar, horse-drawn tram, horse-drawn streetcar (U.S.), or horse-drawn railway (historical), is an animal-powered (usually horse) tram or streetcar.
Summary
The horse-drawn tram (horsecar) was an early form of public rail transport, wh ...
service started in 1861, and 600 V DC overhead electric service began in 1892. New TTC routes since the 1940s have generally been operated by other modes of transportation, and the less busy streetcar routes have also been converted. Streetcar routes are now focused on the downtown area, although two run farther from the core: one being on
St. Clair Avenue, from
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...
on average, served by the 512 St. Clair streetcar route, and another on
Lake Shore Boulevard
Lake Shore Boulevard (often incorrectly compounded as Lakeshore Boulevard) is a major arterial road running along more than half of the Lake Ontario waterfront in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Prior to 1998, two segments of Lake Shore ...
(the western portion of 501 Queen), which runs through the
Etobicoke
Etobicoke (, ) is an administrative district of, and one of six municipalities amalgamated into, the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the city's west-end, Etobicoke was first settled by Europeans in the 1790s, and the municipalit ...
district nearly to the city limits with
Mississauga
Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popul ...
.
Up until 1995, the TTC operated a fleet of 765
PCC-type streetcars, 540 of which it purchased new. The rest were purchased as other cities sold their PCC streetcar fleets.
From 1987 until September 2019, the TTC operated two-car
Articulated Light Rail Vehicle
The Canadian Light Rail Vehicle (CLRV) and Articulated Light Rail Vehicle (ALRV) were types of streetcars used by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) from the late 1970s until the late 2010s. They were built following the TTC's decision to r ...
(ALRV) streetcars, a longer version of the
Canadian Light Rail Vehicle
The Canadian Light Rail Vehicle (CLRV) and Articulated Light Rail Vehicle (ALRV) were types of streetcars used by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) from the late 1970s until the late 2010s. They were built following the TTC's decision to r ...
(CLRV) streetcars.
Following the retirement of the TTC's CLRV streetcars on December 29, 2019, the entire TTC streetcar fleet consists of the low-floor
Flexity Outlook
The Bombardier Flexity Outlook is a series of low-floored, articulated light-rail trams manufactured by Bombardier Transportation. Part of the larger Bombardier Flexity product line (many of which are not low-floor), Flexity Outlook vehicles are ...
vehicles from
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation was a Canadian-German rolling stock and rail transport manufacturer, headquartered in Berlin, Germany.
It was one of the world's largest companies in the rail vehicle and equipment manufacturing and servicing industry ...
, the first of which entered service on the
510 Spadina route on August 31, 2014.
Services
Fares
![Toronto Transit Commission Token-2007](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Toronto_Transit_Commission_Token-2007.jpg)
Since March 1, 2015, children 12 and under have been able to ride the TTC for free year-round. The TTC's fare payment system consists of cash fares,
Presto card
The Presto card (stylized as PRESTO) is a contactless smart card automated fare collection system used on participating public transit systems in the province of Ontario, Canada, specifically in Greater Toronto, Hamilton, and Ottawa. Presto car ...
s and Presto tickets. Although legacy fare media products, such as concession tickets (for youths ages 13 to 19 and seniors 65 or older), tokens, and physical day passes (including weekend family and group day passes) are no longer available for the general public to purchase from the TTC, they are still accepted as valid fare payments. As of January 1, 2019, TTC monthly passes and the 12-month pass are only available on Presto, following the phase-out of the TTC's own monthly Metropass and the Metropass discount plan (MDP). Since January 3, 2016, the adult cash fare has been $3.25 for a single trip.
Since March 1, 2020, the cost of adult single fares using a Presto card has been $3.20. The Fair Pass program allows those eligible for the
Ontario Disability Support Program
The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) is a means-tested government-funded
last resort income support paid for qualifying residents in the province of Ontario, Canada, who are above the age of 18 and have a disability. ODSP and Ontario ...
(ODSP) or
Ontario Works to receive a discount when using a Presto card.
![Newttcfaregates](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Newttcfaregates.jpg)
The Presto card is an electronic unified
contactless smart card
A contactless smart card is a contactless credential whose dimensions are credit-card size. Its embedded integrated circuits can store (and sometimes process) data and communicate with a terminal via NFC. Commonplace uses include transit tickets ...
–based fare payment system, owned and managed by
Metrolinx
Metrolinx is a Crown agency of the Government of Ontario that manages and integrates road and public transport in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), which comprises much of Ontario's Golden Horseshoe region. Headquartered at Union Sta ...
, for use across the TTC transit network, along with several other transit service providers throughout the
Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area
The Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) is a contiguous urban region that is composed of some of the largest cities and metropolitan areas by population in the Canadian province of Ontario. The GTHA consists of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) ...
(GTHA) including the Metrolinx-owned
GO Transit
GO Transit is a regional public transit system serving the Greater Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario, Canada. With its hub at Union Station in Toronto, GO Transit's green-and-white trains and buses serve a population of more than seven millio ...
,
UP Express
The Union Pearson Express (UP Express or UPX) is an airport rail link connecting Union Station in Downtown Toronto to Toronto Pearson International Airport. The UP Express began operation on 6 June 2015, in time for the 2015 Pan American Games. ...
services and on
OC Transpo
OC Transpo, officially the Ottawa-Carleton Regional Transit Commission, is the public transit agency for the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It operates an integrated hub-and-spoke system including light metro, bus rapid transit, conventional ...
in
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
. The TTC also provides limited-use paper Presto tickets, mainly for occasional riders, which come in 1-ride, 2-ride and day pass varieties. Users tap their Presto card or ticket on a Presto reader as they enter a TTC station or vehicle. Either their fare is automatically paid through stored value, verifies if the Presto user has a valid TTC transit pass on it, or validates the TTC's two-hour Presto transfer. Their card or ticket then acts as
proof-of-payment
Proof-of-payment (POP) or proof-of-fare (POF) is an honor-based fare collection system used on many public transportation systems. Instead of checking each passenger as they enter a fare control zone, passengers are required to carry a ticket, p ...
(POP) to present to TTC staff such as fare inspectors, who carry hand-held devices to verify Presto fare payments, upon request. , Presto readers are available at the entrances of all subway stations and on all buses and streetcars.
The Presto card can be used to pay the full "double-fare" required on all cross-boundary TTC bus routes that run between the City of Toronto and the city of Mississauga (operating on behalf of
MiWay
MiWay (pronounced "my way"; stylized miWAY), also known as Mississauga Transit and originally as Mississauga Transit Systems, is the municipal public transport agency serving Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, and is responsible to the city's Tra ...
, west of Pearson Airport) and between the City of Toronto and York Region (operating on behalf of
York Region Transit
York Region Transit (YRT) is the public transit operator in York Region, Ontario, Canada. Its headquarters are in Richmond Hill, at 50 High Tech Road.
YRT operates 65 full-time, rush hour and limited routes, 35 school services, and six Viva bus ...
, north of Steeles Avenue).
Unlike the Presto card, Presto tickets can only be used on TTC services (subway and surface vehicles within the City of Toronto). They are not reloadable and cannot be used on any other transit service providers that use Presto.
Schedules and route information
On December 15, 2008, the TTC launched a new Next Vehicle Arrival System (NVAS) to indicate the time of arrival of the next vehicle along a given route. All TTC streetcars have been upgraded with
Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite sy ...
(GPS) receivers and now operate with NVIS.
Real-time route information can be accessed from the Next Vehicle Arrival System (NVAS) from the City of
Toronto Open Data initiative via
SMS
Short Message/Messaging Service, commonly abbreviated as SMS, is a text messaging service component of most telephone, Internet and mobile device systems. It uses standardized communication protocols that let mobile devices exchange short text ...
by texting the stop number displayed on the bus/streetcar stop pole, or with an app that uses NVAS data.
Route information can also be accessed by phone. Individual route schedules are available online.
Additional TTC information is circulated by "What's On" and "Rocket Rider / TTC Customer News" pamphlets on some vehicles. Information can be accessed in person at the
TTC head office (
Davisville station
Davisville is a subway station on Line 1 Yonge–University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 1900 Yonge Street, where it intersects with Chaplin Crescent and Davisville Avenue. The station opened in 1954 as part of the original Toron ...
at 1900 Yonge Street), as well as at a TTC Info Centre, which opened in 2018, at
Union station
A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...
.
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
users can communicate with TTCHelps for inquiries.
![TTCStreetcarShelter](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/TTCStreetcarShelter.jpg)
Most subway stations are equipped with OneStop media screens that display the time until the next train, and other information. The next vehicle feature is available on LCD screens in all stations. Since mid-2011, all buses and streetcars have had the tracking feature enabled, accessible free online and by SMS for commuters.
On February 3, 2010, the TTC launched an online trip planner, which allows commuters to plan their routes and transfers on the TTC's website. However, since its launch, the trip planner has remained in beta mode with many bugs remaining to be fixed. In October 2010, the TTC integrated its trip planner with
Google Maps
Google Maps is a web mapping platform and consumer application offered by Google. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panoramic views of streets ( Street View), real-time traffic conditions, and rou ...
.
Transit information in Toronto has been available in
Apple Maps
Apple Maps is a web mapping service developed by Apple Inc. The default map system of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS, it provides directions and estimated times of arrival for driving, walking, cycling, and public transportation navigation. ...
since the release of
iOS 9
iOS 9 is the ninth major release of the iOS mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc., being the successor to iOS 8. It was announced at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8, 2015, and was released on September 16, 20 ...
in September 2015, when
Apple Inc.
Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totaling in 2021) and, as of June 2022, is the world's biggest company ...
first launched support for public transit data.
Connecting transit
Connecting GTA transit agencies
![Union Station, Toronto (30427373561)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Union_Station%2C_Toronto_%2830427373561%29.jpg)
The TTC connects with other transit systems of the
Greater Toronto Area.
GO Transit
GO Transit is a regional public transit system serving the Greater Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario, Canada. With its hub at Union Station in Toronto, GO Transit's green-and-white trains and buses serve a population of more than seven millio ...
,
Union Pearson Express
The Union Pearson Express (UP Express or UPX) is an airport rail link connecting Union Station in Downtown Toronto to Toronto Pearson International Airport. The UP Express began operation on 6 June 2015, in time for the 2015 Pan American Games. ...
,
MiWay
MiWay (pronounced "my way"; stylized miWAY), also known as Mississauga Transit and originally as Mississauga Transit Systems, is the municipal public transport agency serving Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, and is responsible to the city's Tra ...
,
York Region Transit
York Region Transit (YRT) is the public transit operator in York Region, Ontario, Canada. Its headquarters are in Richmond Hill, at 50 High Tech Road.
YRT operates 65 full-time, rush hour and limited routes, 35 school services, and six Viva bus ...
(YRT), (including
Viva
Viva may refer to:
Companies and organisations
* Viva (network operator), a Dominican mobile network operator
* Viva Air, a Spanish airline taken over by flag carrier Iberia
* Viva Air Dominicana
* VIVA Bahrain, a telecommunication company
* ...
),
Brampton Transit
Brampton Transit (BT) is a public transport bus operator for the City of Brampton in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in Ontario, Canada. Brampton Transit began operations in 1974. In , the system had ...
(including
Züm
Züm (pronounced Zoom, IPA: /zuːm/) is a bus rapid transit system for the suburban city of Brampton, Ontario, Canada, northwest of Toronto owned and operated by Brampton Transit. There are connections to the City of Mississauga, York Region, a ...
), and
Durham Region Transit
Durham Region Transit (DRT) is the regional public transit operator in Durham Region, Ontario, Canada, east of Toronto. Its headquarters are at 605 Rossland Rd East in Whitby, Ontario, and there are regional centres in Ajax, Whitby, and Oshawa. I ...
(DRT) are connected to the TTC via some of Toronto's subway stations, GO Transit's commuter rail stations, and other hubs like
Toronto Pearson International Airport
Lester B. Pearson International Airport , commonly known as Toronto Pearson International Airport, is an international airport located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is the main airport serving Toronto, its metropolitan area, and the surro ...
. In addition to Union Station, there are 6 other stations where the TTC subway network and GO Transit commuter rail lines intersect.
Some bus routes of the surrounding local transit agencies run on Toronto streets along with TTC buses, mainly to reach TTC subway stations. Examples of this include YRT buses travelling on Yonge Street en route to
Finch Bus Terminal
Finch GO Bus Terminal is a bus terminal in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It serves to connect the transit services of York Region to the north and the transit services of Toronto. It is located at 5697 Yonge Street on the northeast corner of Bishop A ...
, MiWay buses travelling on various streets in Etobicoke en route to
Kipling Bus Terminal
Kipling is the western terminus station of Line 2 Bloor–Danforth of the Toronto subway system. The station is served by buses and subway trains operated by the Toronto Transit Commission and is adjacent to the Kipling GO Station on the Milton l ...
and DRT buses travelling on various streets in Scarborough en route to
McCowan station
McCowan is a terminal station on Line 3 Scarborough of the Toronto subway. It is located at 1275 McCowan Road, just north of Ellesmere Road at Bushby Drive/Town Centre Court.
Both of the surface routes that pass the McCowan station also stop ...
. However, by law, other local transit agencies are prohibited from carrying passengers wholly within the City of Toronto. Therefore, YRT, DRT and MiWay buses can only drop off passengers inbound and pick up passengers outbound while within the boundaries of Toronto. As these systems have separate fares from the TTC, these suburban buses that use fare-paid areas of TTC bus terminals at subway stations drop off passengers on-street outside the stations. Boarding is done inside the terminals, and riders pay the additional fare upon entering these buses.
Connecting inter-city transit agencies
Via Rail
Via Rail Canada Inc. (), operating as Via Rail or Via, is a Canadian Crown corporation that is mandated to operate intercity passenger rail service in Canada. It receives an annual subsidy from Transport Canada to offset the cost of operating ...
and
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
connect with the TTC at
Union Station
A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...
, while
Ontario Northland
The Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC), or simply Ontario Northland, is a Crown agency of the Government of Ontario responsible for providing transportation services for passengers and goods in northern Ontario. It reports to ...
,
Megabus Megabus may refer to:
*Megabus (Europe), a low-cost coach service with services in Europe owned by ComfortDelGro.
*Megabus (North America)
Megabus, branded as megabus.com, is an intercity bus service of Coach USA/ Coach Canada operating in the ...
,
TOK Coachlines
TOK Coachlines (formerly Can-ar Coach Service) is a scheduled and chartered coach operator in the Greater Toronto Area, It is a division of Tokmakjian Inc., a privately held Canadian corporation operating as TOK Group based in Vaughan, Ontario. A ...
and US-bound
Greyhound
The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Since the rise in large-scale adoption of retired racing Greyhounds, the breed has seen a resurge ...
intercity coaches connect with the TTC at the
Union Station
A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...
,
Scarborough Centre, , and
Yorkdale bus terminals.
Cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity
The communication system used by surface vehicles is called the Communications and Information System.
It was piloted in the 1970s, implemented in 1991, and is now deployed on all TTC surface vehicles.
Wi-Fi service is provided at all TTC subway stations through the TCONNECT Wi-Fi network provided by BAI Communications. The service is supported by advertising and is free for users. , the Wi-Fi network was installed at all existing stations and will be available in all future stations.
From early December 2015 to late January 2016, commuters had to sign on to Twitter, through a sponsorship deal with the social media network, in order to use the subway stations' Wi-Fi network. This arrangement was resumed on an optional basis from July 2016 to late November/early December 2016.
On June 17, 2015, the TTC announced that Wind Mobile (later rebranded
Freedom Mobile
Freedom Mobile Inc. is a Canadian wireless telecommunications provider owned by Shaw Communications. It has 6% market share of Canada, mostly in urban areas of Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. Freedom Mobile is the fourth-largest wirele ...
) customers could access cellular connectivity at some TTC subway stations. BAI Communications has built a shared Wi-Fi and cellular infrastructure for the TTC that allows any wireless carrier to sign on and provide underground cellular service to their customers. As of December 2017, BAI's cellular DAS is operational at all 75 TTC stations.
Freedom Mobile users also have Wi-Fi and cellular coverage in the tunnels on Line 1 between
Vaughan Metropolitan Centre
Vaughan Metropolitan Centre is a central business district in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. Measuring , the district is located at the intersection of Highway 7 and Jane Street, northeast of the Ontario Highway 400, Highway 400 and Ontario Highway 40 ...
and
Sheppard West station
Sheppard West (formerly Downsview) is a subway station on Line 1 Yonge–University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The station, which is located at the southeast corner of Sheppard Avenue West–Allen Road intersection, opened in 1996 in what was ...
s and between
Bloor–Yonge and
St. George station
St. George is a station on Line 1 Yonge–University and Line 2 Bloor–Danforth of the Toronto subway. It is located north of Bloor Street West between St. George Street and Bedford Road. It is the second-busiest station in the system after Bl ...
s.
Accessibility
![TTCSubwaySeats3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/TTCSubwaySeats3.jpg)
The
Wheel-Trans
Wheel-Trans is a paratransit system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, provided by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It provides specialized door-to-door accessible transit services for persons with physical disabilities using its fleet of accessibl ...
door-to-door service has been available since the mid-1970s. Since the 1990s, the TTC has focused on providing accessible services on conventional bus routes, the RT and subway. 53 of the 75 stations on Lines 1, 2, and 3 are wheel-chair accessible are equipped with elevators, and all stations on Line 4 are fully accessible. In December 2011, all bus routes became accessible with the retirement of the commission's last inaccessible buses. On August 31, 2014, the commission launched its new fleet of low-floor
Bombardier's Flexity Outlook
The Bombardier Flexity Outlook is a series of low-floored, articulated light-rail trams manufactured by Bombardier Transportation. Part of the larger Bombardier Flexity product line (many of which are not low-floor), Flexity Outlook vehicles are ...
streetcars. With the decommissioning of the last of the Commission's non-accessible high-floor CLRV vehicles on December 29, 2019, all TTC streetcar routes are now served by low-floor Flexity vehicles.
As per
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) guidelines, all surface vehicles and subway trains have been equipped with the on-board Automatic Next Stop Announcement System since February 2008. It operates over speakers indicating the next stop. A digital orange LED
destination sign
A destination sign (North American English) or destination indicator/destination blind (British English) is a sign mounted on the front, side or rear of a public transport vehicle, such as a bus, tram/streetcar or light rail vehicle, that dis ...
on streetcars and buses as well as the
Toronto Rocket
The Toronto Rocket (TR) train is the fifth and latest series of rolling stock used in the Toronto subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned and operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), the trains were built by Bombardier Transpo ...
subway trains display the name of the upcoming streets/stations as the vehicle progresses on its route.
All TTC revenue service vehicles are equipped with external speakers that play automated announcements of the route and destination of vehicle travel.
Infrastructure
Stations, stops and terminals
![Union TTC streetcar station](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Union_TTC_streetcar_station.jpg)
Most TTC surface routes terminate at loops, side streets, or subway stations. The TTC is one of the few mass transit systems in Canada where many surface routes can be accessed inside a paid-fare zone common to other routes or subway lines. This feature allows boarding via the back doors at terminals, reduces the usage of paper transfers, and the need of operators to check for proof-of-payment. However, if people are caught entering fare-paid terminals illegally from the street, they could be fined $500 for fare evasion. With the exception of , , , and , all subway stations' off-street terminals are within the fare-paid area.
![TTC Bus Stop](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/TTC_Bus_Stop.jpg)
The shelters in the system are installed and maintained under contracts with
Astral Media
Astral Media Inc. was a Canadian media conglomerate. It was Canada's largest radio broadcaster, with 84 radio stations in eight provinces. Astral was also a major player in premium and specialty television in Canada, with 23 specialty channels ...
(later became a part of by
Bell Media
Bell Media Inc. ( French: ) is a Canadian company formed by the amalgamation of several companies.
Establishment (2011–13)
On December 9, 2011, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan announced the sale of its majority stake in Maple Leaf Sports ...
) (with
CBS Outdoor since 2006 and previously
Viacom Viacom, an abbreviation of Video and Audio Communications, may refer to:
* Viacom (1952–2006), a former American media conglomerate
* Viacom (2005–2019), a former company spun off from the original Viacom
* Viacom18, a joint venture between Par ...
Media) and
Toronto Transportation Services. Approximately 4,100 shelters are managed by Toronto Transportation. Some shelters are solar powered and include next vehicle arrival displays.
There are four versions of shelters found in the city:
* Kramer Design Associates Ltd/Cantilevered arch roof – newest version being installed
** Cantilever arch roof canopy – used on the
512 St. Clair
The 512 St. Clair is an east–west streetcar route in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It operates on St. Clair Avenue between St. Clair station on the Line 1 Yonge–University subway and Gunns Road ...
streetcar line
* Contemporary or Barrel vault dome roof – some by Daytech and installed by Viacom/CBS are found mostly in suburbs like Scarborough
** Barrel vault dome canopy – select stations with streetcar platforms
* Traditional flat top – older version in the former city of Toronto and variants in Etobicoke
** High Capacity Traditional – used on
510 Spadina streetcar line
* Classic shelters – oldest version without advertisements and found mostly in the suburbs outside of Toronto's pre-1998 limits
There are ten sets (men and women) of public washrooms located on the TTC system, all at subway stations that are major transfer points, at the ends of subway lines, or former ends of subway lines. All (with the exception of and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre stations, which only connect with regional buses) are located within the fare paid area and thus available only to TTC passengers.
Headquarters and facilities
![Davisville TTC McBrien Building d81](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Davisville_TTC_McBrien_Building_d81.JPG)
TTC buses and streetcars are operated out of a number of garages and carhouses located around the city and are serviced at several other facilities. The surface routes are divided into several divisions. Individual divisions have a manager, an on-duty mobile supervisor, a CIS communications centre, and a garage facility tasked with managing the division's vehicle fleet and routes.
TTC Head Office is in the
William McBrien Building
William McBrien Building (formally known as the W. C. McBrien Building) is the administrative headquarters of the Toronto Transit Commission. Designed by Charles B. Dolphin (1888-1969) and opened on February 7, 1958, the seven-storey building is l ...
, located at 1900 Yonge Street at Davisville Avenue, which opened in 1957. The Davisville station bus bay occupies part of the building's ground floor. The previous TTC Headquarters was at Yonge and Front Streets in the
Toronto Board of Trade Building
The Board of Trade Building was one of the first skyscrapers in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Completed in 1892 on the corner of Front Street East and Yonge Street, the seven storey tower was home to the Toronto Board of Trade and the Toronto Transit ...
, which was later demolished.
There are plans to relocate the head office to a yet-to-be-built site at 4050 Yonge Street near York Mills Road. The site is a commuter parking lot with a TTC entrance to
York Mills station
York Mills is a subway station on Line 1 Yonge–University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 4015 Yonge Street at the intersection of Wilson Avenue and York Mills Road in the neighbourhood of Hoggs Hollow.
History
The station op ...
. Build Toronto is charged with helping the commission relocate, but it is facing political opposition from many mayoral candidates.
Commuter parking lots
The Toronto Parking Authority on behalf of the TTC operates 30 commuter parking lots, all at subway stations, with a total of 13,981 parking spaces. Effective April 1, 2009, it eliminated free parking for Metropass holders. All passengers using parking facilities during peak hours must now pay for the service.
The rates vary by location from $2.00 to $7.00 between 5:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on weekdays, with lots offering discounted or free parking at other times. All TTC-owned lots are open (uncovered) parking lots; however, certain lots are located in covered garages, such as the Yorkdale lot, which is located in
the namesake shopping centre's underground parking garage.
Safety
Safety programs
Safety features provided by the TTC include:
![Glencairn TTC DWA](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Glencairn_TTC_DWA.JPG)
* Request Stop: all passengers travelling alone on surface routes (9 pm – 5 am, excluding streetcar routes) can ask the driver to stop at points between bus stops. The program started in 1991, due in part to the activities of serial rapist and killer
Paul Bernardo
Paul Kenneth Bernardo (born August 27, 1964), also known as The Scarborough Rapist and The Schoolgirl Killer, is a Canadian serial killer and serial rapist. He is known for initially committing a series of rapes in Scarborough, Ontario, a subu ...
. On October 13, 2011, after many requests from the public and, finally, a letter by
LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term is a ...
Q+ rights group Queer Ontario, the TTC announced that it would make the Request Stop Program available to all passengers in need; from 1991 to 2011, the program was only available to women.
* Designated Waiting Areas (DWA) on rapid transit platforms: these are well-lit, have intercoms, are monitored by security cameras, and are near the location where the guard car stops.
*
Toronto paramedics: stationed at key locations within the subway system during the morning and evening rush to assist with medical emergencies and provide a faster emergency response. This also reduces delays on the rapid transit system.
* Emergency Power Cut stations: indicated by a blue beacon and located on both ends of all rapid transit platforms with a PAX telephone that can be used contact the Transit Control Centre's emergency line (3555).
* Yellow Emergency Alarm (formerly "Passenger Assistance Alarm"): yellow strips on all subway cars since 1977 and on the
Flexity Outlook
The Bombardier Flexity Outlook is a series of low-floored, articulated light-rail trams manufactured by Bombardier Transportation. Part of the larger Bombardier Flexity product line (many of which are not low-floor), Flexity Outlook vehicles are ...
streetcars since their introduction in 2014.
* Emergency stopping mechanisms (Passenger/Guard Emergency Valve or PGEV): on the
T1 trains and
Line 3 Scarborough
Line 3 Scarborough (originally known as the Scarborough RT or SRT) is a light rapid transit line that is part of the Toronto subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The line runs entirely within the suburban district of Scarborough, encompas ...
trains (except for the
Toronto Rocket
The Toronto Rocket (TR) train is the fifth and latest series of rolling stock used in the Toronto subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned and operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), the trains were built by Bombardier Transpo ...
subway trains, which use a two-way intercom for passenger communication with the train crew as with the Flexity streetcars)
* Approximately 12,000 cameras monitoring activities at subway stations and on buses, streetcars and
Toronto Rocket
The Toronto Rocket (TR) train is the fifth and latest series of rolling stock used in the Toronto subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned and operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), the trains were built by Bombardier Transpo ...
subway trains.
* Underground Alert messages: displayed on the subway platform video screens to notify passengers about criminals.
* TTC Transit Enforcement Unit: consisting of fare inspectors and special constables
Crisis Link
In June 2011, the TTC announced a new suicide prevention program called "Crisis Link" aimed at people who are in a station and in immediate danger of performing self-harm. Special
speed dial
Speed dial is a function available on many telephone systems allowing the user to place a call by pressing a reduced number of keys. This function is particularly useful for phone users who dial certain numbers on a regular basis.
In most case ...
buttons have been installed on payphones in station Designated Waiting Areas that "link" the caller to a 24-hour crisis counselling service provided by Distress Centres of Toronto. Signage has also been placed in high-risk areas of the station platform directing those at risk to use the service. The program includes 141 speed dial buttons on the system's payphones and 200 posters placed on station platforms.
ThisIsWhere initiative and SafeTTC mobile app
In September 2017, the TTC created an
iOS
iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
/
iPadOS
iPadOS is a mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc. for its iPad line of tablet computers. It is a rebranded variant of iOS, the operating system used by Apple's iPhones, renamed to reflect the diverging features of the two product l ...
and
Android app called ThisIsWhere that allows users to report harassment and other personal safety incidents to the TTC. The name was later changed to "SafeTTC" and launched on September 6, 2017.
Transit Enforcement Unit
![TTC Fare Inspectors](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/TTC_Fare_Inspectors.jpg)
From 1997 to 2011, the TTC employed
Special Constables that were responsible for safety and security and had similar policing powers to
Toronto Police Service
The Toronto Police Service (TPS) is a municipal police force in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and the primary agency responsible for providing law enforcement and policing services in Toronto. Established in 1834, it was the first local police ser ...
officers. During the phase out of the Special Constables, the Toronto Police reinstated its Transit Patrol Unit, which had been cancelled in the mid-1990s. The Special Constables were replaced by
bylaw enforcement officer
A bylaw enforcement officer (also called municipal law enforcement or municipal enforcement) is an employee of a municipality, county or regional district, charged with the enforcement of local ordinance—bylaws, laws, codes, or regulations enac ...
s known as Transit Enforcement Officers, as part of the TTC's Transit Enforcement Unit.
The negotiation between TTC and the Toronto Police Services Board took place in 2013 resulting in restored Special Constable Status and Peace Officer Authority.
There is a difference between special constables and fare inspectors. Fare inspectors have no authority to detain a person, and so it is possible to simply walk away with no repercussions. In contrast, special constables have the same authority as police officers.
Bylaws enforced
The TTC's By-law No. 1 is a
by-law
A by-law (bye-law, by(e)law, by(e) law), or as it is most commonly known in the United States bylaws, is a set of rules or law established by an organization or community so as to regulate itself, as allowed or provided for by some higher authorit ...
governing the actions of passengers and employees while on Commission property. It can be enforced by a "proper authority" which is defined in the by-law as: "an employee or agent of the TTC wearing a TTC uniform; an employee or agent of the TTC carrying an identification card issued by the TTC; or a municipal police officer."
The by-law covers rules regarding fare payment and conduct while in the system. Effective October 12, 2009, a revised version of the by-law has been issued. Revisions include the restriction of placing feet or "any object that may soil" on seats, the prohibition against using offensive language (including via the user-generated displays at
Pioneer Village station
Pioneer Village is a subway station on the Line 1 Yonge–University of the Toronto subway. It is located under the intersection of Northwest Gate and Steeles Avenue, at the city boundaries of Toronto and Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. A Toronto Trans ...
, which are part of the public art installation ''LightSpell'', although the displays have not yet been activated),
and the provision that one must give up their seat to a person with a disability or pregnancy in priority seating areas.
Communications
The TTC uses three primary voice and data communication systems. The first is the system used by Operations, Security and Maintenance. This system operates on five
UHF conventional frequencies. Channels 1, 3, 4 and 5 are used for day-to-day operations, while Channel 2 is reserved for the
Wheel-Trans
Wheel-Trans is a paratransit system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, provided by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It provides specialized door-to-door accessible transit services for persons with physical disabilities using its fleet of accessibl ...
service.
The second system, the Communications and Information System (CIS), is used by buses and streetcars, and employs transmission facilities throughout the city. Conceived in the late 1970s and fully implemented in 1991, it consists of a computer unit on board each bus and streetcar, called the Transit Radio Unified Microprocessor (TRUMP). This is attached to a
transponder
In telecommunications, a transponder is a device that, upon receiving a signal, emits a different signal in response. The term is a blend word, blend of ''transmitter'' and ''responder''.
In air navigation or radio frequency identification, a T ...
receiver, which allows CIS operators to
track the location of the vehicle using a computational system known as
dead reckoning
In navigation, dead reckoning is the process of calculating current position of some moving object by using a previously determined position, or fix, and then incorporating estimates of speed, heading direction, and course over elapsed time. ...
. The TRUMP unit also allows vehicle and CIS operators to send and receive
text messages
Text messaging, or texting, is the act of composing and sending electronic messages, typically consisting of alphabetic and numeric characters, between two or more users of mobile devices, desktops/ laptops, or another type of compatible comput ...
for such things as
short turn
In public transport, a short turn, short working or turn-back is an earlier terminus on a bus or rail line that is used on some scheduled trips that do not operate along the full length of the route.
Short turns are practical in scheduling when t ...
s and
route adjustments. There is also the option of voice-based communication between the vehicle and CIS operators. With the introduction of
NextBus
NextBus is a public transit vehicle tracking system which uses global positioning satellite information to predict when the next vehicle will arrive at any given transit stop, which attempts to reduce wait times and reliance on schedules.
NextBus ...
technology to provide real-time arrival information, the CIS has been updated to use a combination of
GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a Radionavigation-satellite service, satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of t ...
data and the previous dead reckoning (
signpost
Traffic signs or road signs are signs erected at the side of or above roads to give instructions or provide information to road users. The earliest signs were simple wooden or stone milestones. Later, signs with directional arms were introduce ...
-based) system. In the event that internally managed TTC communications are unavailable, the TRUMP unit operates on
Bell Mobility
Bell Mobility Inc. is a Canadian mobile network operator, wireless network operator and the division of Bell Canada which offers wireless services across Canada. It operates networks using LTE (telecommunication), LTE and Evolved HSPA, HSPA+ on i ...
's
CDMA
Code-division multiple access (CDMA) is a channel access method used by various radio communication technologies. CDMA is an example of multiple access, where several transmitters can send information simultaneously over a single communication ...
network to communicate with divisional operations and transit control.
In 2012, the TTC began research into transitioning from the outdated and antiquated CIS to a newer
computer-aided dispatch
Computer-aided dispatch (CAD), also called computer-assisted dispatch, is a method of dispatching taxicabs, couriers, field service technicians, mass transit vehicles or emergency services assisted by computer. It can either be used to send messag ...
(CAD) system. Utilizing this technology would help improve headways, provide more reliable communications and allow divisional supervisors to locate vehicles in real time (the current GPS system only sends location updates every 20 seconds). Implementation of the system, later named the Vehicle Information System & Integrated Operations Network (VISION), began in 2016, with the contract for associated equipment awarded to Clever Devices ULC. After extensive testing, deployment of VISION on vehicles in revenue service began in the summer of 2018, with plans to fully equip the entire bus and streetcar fleet by 2019.
The third system, known as the "wayside system", consists of UHF
MPT-1327
MPT 1327 is an industry standard for trunked radio communications networks.
First published in January 1988 by the British Radiocommunications Agency, and is primarily used in the United Kingdom, Europe, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and ...
Trunking
In telecommunications, trunking is a technology for providing network access to multiple clients simultaneously by sharing a set of circuits, carriers, channels, or frequencies, instead of providing individual circuits or channels for each clie ...
radio sets used by the three heavy-rail subway lines. They replaced older devices which communicated by the third rail, and are divided into separate systems representing their respective subway lines. This trunking system allows Transit Control to communicate directly with a single train, a zone encompassing several trains, or the entire line. (Line 3 Scarborough uses a single channel UHF system, much the same as the system used by operations staff.)
All of these systems can be monitored by a
scanner capable of the UHF Low band (406–430 MHz). Numeric codes—often referring to people or positions (299 Bloor – Subway Line mechanic at Bloor)—are also announced through the radio and the overhead paging system. The TTC also has several "Plans" ("Plan A" through "Plan G") that are used in emergencies but are not announced on the PA system and only referred to on the radio.
OneStop media system
![Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Station (39176632581)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Vaughan_Metropolitan_Centre_Station_%2839176632581%29.jpg)
The TTC, in partnership with Pattison OneStop (formerly OneStop Media Group), have installed large LCD television screens in most subway stations throughout the system except on
Line 3 Scarborough
Line 3 Scarborough (originally known as the Scarborough RT or SRT) is a light rapid transit line that is part of the Toronto subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The line runs entirely within the suburban district of Scarborough, encompas ...
and at the
Toronto–York Spadina Subway Extension ( to ) stations. The new media system replaced the old "Subway Online" system, which were decommissioned.
The signs feature advertising, news headlines and weather information. From its inception in 2005 until December 31, 2017, the news feed and advertising for television programs were supplied under a contract with
Bell Media
Bell Media Inc. ( French: ) is a Canadian company formed by the amalgamation of several companies.
Establishment (2011–13)
On December 9, 2011, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan announced the sale of its majority stake in Maple Leaf Sports ...
's 24-hour local cable television news service,
CP24
CP24 is a Canadian English-language specialty news channel owned by Bell Media, a subsidiary of BCE Inc. and operated alongside the Bell-owned CTV Television Network's owned-and-operated television stations CFTO-DT (CTV Toronto) and CKVR-DT ( ...
. Since January 1, 2018, the service has been provided by
Global Television Network
The Global Television Network (more commonly called Global, or occasionally Global TV) is a Canadian English-language terrestrial television network. It is currently Canada's second most-watched private terrestrial television network after ...
's Toronto television station
CIII-DT
CIII-DT (channel 41) is a television station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, serving as the flagship station of the Global Television Network. Owned and operated by network parent Corus Entertainment, CIII-DT maintains studios at 81 Barber Gree ...
41, which is owned by
Corus Entertainment
Corus Entertainment Inc. is a Canadian mass media company. Formed in 1999 as a spin-off from Shaw Communications, it has prominent holdings in the radio, publishing, and television industries. It is headquartered at Corus Quay in Toronto, Onta ...
. The signs also provide TTC-specific information regarding service changes and delays, information pertaining to using the system, and
Toronto Police Service
The Toronto Police Service (TPS) is a municipal police force in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and the primary agency responsible for providing law enforcement and policing services in Toronto. Established in 1834, it was the first local police ser ...
alerts about suspects. The system can also be used when an
Amber alert
An Amber Alert (alternatively styled AMBER alert) or a child abduction emergency alert ( SAME code: CAE) is a message distributed by a child abduction alert system to ask the public for help in finding abducted children. The system originated i ...
is issued, which also may include announcements via the PA system.
In September 2008,
Dundas station was the first to feature a "Next Train" announcement integrated into the signage. The system has been expanded to many other stations since its initial rollout. Since mid-July 2009, the majority of stations have been equipped with this service and since January 2018 – coinciding with a content provider switch from CP24 to
Global News
Global News is the news and current affairs division of the Canadian Global Television Network. The network is owned by Corus Entertainment, which oversees all of the network's national news programming as well as local news on its 21 owned-and ...
– the next train arrival time notices were also updated to provide the line number and the destination of the next train. The TYSSE stations have screens that display the arrival times for the next two or three trains. Unlike the older screens, these screens neither display news nor weather headlines provided by Global News.
Governance
As an agency of the City of Toronto, the City has full authority over the TTC's mandate and structure. The TTC is responsible to
Toronto City Council
Toronto City Council is the governing body of the municipal government of Toronto, Ontario. Meeting at Toronto City Hall, it comprises 25 city councillors and the mayor of Toronto. The current term began on November 15, 2022.
Structure
The cur ...
through its board, composed of members of council and citizens, led by the chair.
Constituting legislation
The ''Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto Act'' established the modern day "Toronto Transit Commission" from the "Toronto Transportation Commission" in 1954. When the ''City of Toronto Act'' was last updated in 2006, the TTC was continued under the updated act.
Toronto Municipal Code, chapter 279 stipulates additional fiscal and policy requirements for the TTC, as well as sets out the requirements for the TTC board. The TTC itself regulates the use of its system via TTC By-law No. 1, the most current revision being the 2009 revision.
Board and chair
The TTC board consists of ten members: six Toronto City Council members and four citizens. The citizen members are nominated through an independent public process by the Civic Appointments committee. The
mayor of Toronto
The mayor of Toronto is the head of Toronto City Council and chief executive officer of the municipal government. The mayor is elected alongside city council every four years on the fourth Monday of October; there are no term limits. While in ...
appoints the chair of the TTC, currently
Jon Burnside
Jon Burnside is a Canadian politician and former police officer who was elected to represent Ward 16 Don Valley East on Toronto City Council following the 2022 municipal election. Burnside is the chair of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). H ...
. The chair must be a member of Toronto City Council. The board elects a vice-chair from among its members.
Management and personnel
The TTC has more than 12,000 employees. Most are operators, but the Commission also employs supervisors, custodians and a wide range of skilled trades people who work on vehicles and critical subway and surface infrastructure.
The day-to-day operations of the TTC are managed by the chief executive officer (formerly the chief general manager or CGM), currently
Rick Leary, who succeeded
Andy Byford
Andy Byford (born 1965) is a British transport executive who has held several management-level positions in transport authorities around the world, such as the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authori ...
in January 2018.
Executive personnel
* Rick Leary, chief executive officer
* Jim Ross, chief operating officer
Station managers
In 2013, the TTC assigned group station managers on most subway lines:
* Lines 1 Yonge–University and 4 Sheppard
** Finch to St. Clair in Line 1, and Line 4
** St. Andrew to Summerhill
** Yorkdale to Osgoode
** Vaughan Metropolitan Centre to Wilson
* Lines 2 Bloor–Danforth and 3 Scarborough
** Broadview to Kennedy in Line 2, and Line 3
** Castle Frank to Spadina
** Bathurst to Kipling
Labour disputes
Unionized workers of the TTC workers have performed strike actions numerous times since 1952. At the request of Mayor
Rob Ford
Robert Bruce Ford (May 28, 1969 – March 22, 2016) was a Canadian politician and businessman who served as the 64th mayor of Toronto from 2010 to 2014. Before and after his term as mayor, Ford was a city councillor representing Ward 2 Etobi ...
and Toronto City Council, on March 30, 2011, the Province of Ontario passed legislation classifying the TTC an
essential service, which removed the employees' right to strike.
2018 benefits fraud investigation
In 2018, as a result of their involvement in a health insurance scam involving Healthy Fit, an
orthotics
Orthotics ( el, Ορθός, translit=ortho, lit=to straighten, to align) is a medical specialty that focuses on the design and application of orthoses, or braces. An is "an externally applied device used to influence the structural and functio ...
shop, 223 employees were dismissed or forced to retire early, while ten faced criminal charges.
Subsidiaries
Beside the main transit operations, the TTC has subsidiaries:
* TTC Insurance Company Ltd. — deals with insurance risks from operations; established 1994
* Toronto Transit Infrastructure Ltd. — provides advisory services on infrastructure projects
* Toronto Coach Terminal Inc. — handled the operations of the
Toronto Coach Terminal
The Toronto Coach Terminal is a decommissioned bus station for intercity bus services in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building was the central intercity bus station in Toronto until mid-2021, when it was replaced by the Union Station Bus Termin ...
, which was closed in 2021
See also
*
List of metro systems
This list of metro systems includes electrified rapid transit train systems worldwide. In some parts of the world, metro systems are referred to as subways, U-Bahn or undergrounds. , 205 cities in 61 countries have a metro system.
The London ...
*
Metrolinx
Metrolinx is a Crown agency of the Government of Ontario that manages and integrates road and public transport in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), which comprises much of Ontario's Golden Horseshoe region. Headquartered at Union Sta ...
, provincial regional transit agency
References
Further reading
* Ferreira, Barbara A. (2015
''Riding the Rocket'', adventure book for young TTC riders
*
*
External links
*
TTC ShopTransit TorontoClara Thomas Archives and Special Collections — Archival photographs from the Toronto Telegram Fonds, York UniversityDocumentary on Toronto Transit Commission Subway Employees
{{Authority control
Metropolitan Toronto
Government agencies established in 1954
Street railways in Ontario
4 ft 10⅞ in gauge railways