![Bloor-Yonge service disruption March 2015](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Bloor-Yonge_service_disruption_March_2015.jpg)
This article lists major incidents of the
Toronto Transit Commission
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is the public transport agency that operates bus, subway, streetcar, and paratransit services in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, some of which run into the Peel Region and York Region. It is the oldest and largest ...
(TTC) since 1954, such as accidents and other notable unplanned events.
Accidents and other incidents
1900s
* On March 27, 1963, a six-car
Gloucester-series subway train was completely destroyed by fire. This occurred on a spare track near
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 ...
, after the few remaining passengers were evacuated.
* On November 7, 1975, 16-year-old schoolgirl Mariam Debra Peters was murdered in
St. Patrick station. This led to sections of the respective platforms of St. Patrick and
Queen's Park stations being sealed off from the public, along with the installation of "prison" bars at the south end of
Museum station to allow for ventilation and storage. This part of Museum station is being replaced with a second exit since 2022.
* On December 12, 1975, a TTC bus travelling east on
St. Clair Avenue collided with a westbound
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 ...
train at the level crossing between Danforth Road and Midland Avenue just north of the
Scarborough GO Train Station. Nine people were killed and 20 others injured. This was the worst accident in terms of loss of life in the history of both the TTC and GO Transit systems. The level crossing was replaced by an overpass a few years later. This also led to the Ontario-wide law that all public transit buses and school buses must come to a stop at level rail crossings prior to proceeding.
* On October 15, 1976, arson destroyed a train and caused significant damage to
Christie station
Christie is a subway station on Line 2 Bloor–Danforth of the Toronto subway in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the east side of Christie Street just north of Bloor Street West, and opened in 1966 as part of the original segment of the ...
. Evidence remains today with the odd-coloured trim tiles on the top of the station walls on the centre of the platforms. A section of the line was closed for two days.
* On June 1, 1982, electrician Reynold Achong was killed by a train while working on the tracks at
Summerhill station
Summerhill is a subway station on the Yonge–University line in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on Shaftesbury Avenue just east of Yonge Street, with the entrance being at the north end of the train platforms. The station opened in 1954 ...
.
* On August 11, 1995, the
Russell Hill subway accident
The 1995 Russell Hill subway accident was a deadly train crash that occurred in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on Line 1 Yonge–University of the Toronto subway on August 11, 1995. Three people were killed and 30 were taken to hospital with injuries ...
resulted in the deaths of three passengers and injuries to 30 others. There were an additional 100 passengers who filed injury-related claims from the accident.
* In late 1995, TTC employee Jimmy Trajceski was killed during a robbery at
Victoria Park station. Adrian Kinkead was arrested four months later for the crime and was found to be responsible for two other murders. He was convicted of all three crimes and sentenced to life in prison.
* On September 27, 1997, 23-year-old Charlene Minkowski was killed when she was pushed in front of a southbound train at
Dundas station. Herbert Cheong, a diagnosed
schizophrenic
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social withdra ...
, was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 15 years.
* In January 1999, an
exceptionally large snowstorm paralyzed parts of
central Ontario
Central Ontario is a secondary region of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario that lies between Georgian Bay and the eastern end of Lake Ontario.
The population of the region was 1,123,307 in 2016; however, this number does not in ...
and
the American Midwest. Over a two-week period, of snow fell, with falling in a single day. As a result, the city and the transit system ground to a halt.
In the following days, major interruptions and delays were incurred and TTC policies to handle snow were changed.
2000s
2000–2009
* On December 8, 2000, a garbage train caught fire while en route through
Old Mill station
Old Mill is a subway station on Line 2 Bloor–Danforth of the Toronto subway in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 2672 Bloor Street West at Old Mill Terrace and Humber Boulevard in the Kingsway residential neighbourhood. Nearby destinat ...
. The train was completely destroyed and the station remained closed for two days. Since the incident, the TTC has stopped the practice of using garbage trains and maintains a fleet of surface garbage trucks to collect refuse.
* On August 14, 2003, at around 4:15 p.m. EDT, the
Northeast Blackout affected parts of Eastern Canada and the northeastern United States. The city of Toronto, like many other cities involved, effectively ground to a halt. Subway service was suspended and 18 trains were stuck in tunnels between stations, unable to move with no power. However, all other trains were able to coast without power to the nearest station to be evacuated. Streetcars remained stationary where they were, and buses fought to get through gridlocked traffic, hampered by the lack of
traffic signals
Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – known also as robots in South Africa are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order to control flows of traffic.
Traffic lights ...
. The subway did not reopen until August 18. This was the longest complete interruption in subway service in the history of the TTC. The incident led to an extensive review of TTC emergency procedures.
* On February 6, 2006, Mary Kim was born on a subway train at
Wellesley station. TTC officials later promised Mary Kim lifetime access to the TTC's service.
* On April 23, 2007, a TTC
asbestos
Asbestos () is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into the atmosphere b ...
removal crew employee, Tony Almeida, was killed and several others were injured at the end of a night shift when the work car they were operating snagged on some cabling and dislodged a work platform. The TTC was fined $250,000 ($ in dollars) for violating the Occupational Health and Safety Act. It was later found that Almeida was under the influence of
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...
.
2010–2019
* On May 13, 2011, two TTC buses collided head-on at a ramp on the lower bus level at
Wilson station.
* On August 30, 2011, a woman was killed when a TTC bus rear-ended a flatbed truck carrying a crane at around 2:30 p.m. on Lawrence Avenue between Victoria Park Avenue and Don Mills Road. At least 13 other people were injured in the crash. The bus driver was charged with criminal negligence causing death and possession of cannabis, as the drug was found in his belongings at the time of the accident.
* On July 22, 2012, two people were injured when a bus crashed into a building on Queen Street West at Peter Street. The bus hit a car and then a taxicab before slamming into the building.
* On August 10, 2012, a man was chased through the
Lawrence East station
Lawrence East is a rapid transit station on Line 3 Scarborough of the Toronto subway in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The station is located underneath the elevated portion of Lawrence Avenue East, in the Midland Avenue and Kennedy Road corridor. I ...
and gunned down against a fence. He survived with critical injuries and was identified as one of the emerging leaders of the Galloway Boys street gang.
*On September 14, 2012, before the start of service TTC employee, Peter Pavlovski was killed and another TTC employee was seriously injured after being struck by a subway maintenance train north of
Yorkdale station
Yorkdale is a subway station on Line 1 Yonge–University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the median of the William R. Allen Road just south of Highway 401. Opened in 1978, it is named after the nearby Yorkdale Shopping Centre to ...
. Subway service was affected for the morning rush hour during the investigation because the incident left many trains stranded in the
Wilson Subway Yard
Wilson Yard (also known as the Wilson Complex) is the largest of the Toronto Transit Commission's subway yards and bus garages. The subway yard services subway trains on Line 1 Yonge–University. The facility is located on Transit Road north of ...
.
* On July 27, 2013, 18-year-old
Sammy Yatim was shot dead by police aboard the
505 Dundas
The 505 Dundas is a Toronto streetcar route run by the Toronto Transit Commission in Ontario, Canada. The route is roughly U-shaped running mainly along Dundas Street between Dundas West and Broadview stations several blocks south of the Line ...
streetcar. The police officer who shot Yatim dead was later charged with second-degree murder and attempted murder and was found guilty of the latter.
* On August 13, 2013, a cube truck crashed head-on into an idle TTC bus near Middlefield Road and Steeles Avenue East at 11:30a.m. The accident killed one person and injured 12 people.
* On December 13, 2013, the
Toronto Police
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 ...
were called at
Queen station
Queen is a subway station on Line 1 Yonge–University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located under Yonge Street north from Queen Street to Shuter Street. Wi-Fi service is available at this station.
History
Queen Station opened in 1954 a ...
after gunshots were fired. The station was closed and subway service was suspended in the affected area during the investigation between December 13 and 14, 2013.
* Between December 21 and 22, 2013, a violent
ice storm
An ice storm, also known as a glaze event or a silver storm is a type of winter storm characterized by freezing rain. The U.S. National Weather Service defines an ice storm as a storm which results in the accumulation of at least of ice on ex ...
affected the City of Toronto (which also affected much of Eastern Canada, the Central
Great Plains
The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...
and the Northeastern United States). On December 22, the TTC suspended all
streetcar services for most of the day after a number of streetcars were stranded due to the thick ice on the overhead wires. The storm also affected much of the TTC's subway network. Between December 22 and 23, all of
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 ...
was shut down by fallen tree limbs caused by the freezing rain and by other power-related issues.
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 ...
was closed between December 22 and 24 due to power-related issues, a number of service disruptions were also reported on TTC's other major subway lines, including
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 ...
and
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 ...
, where some stations were closed due to power outages for several hours.
* On January 29, 2015, a brawl occurred at the concourse level of Union station just after a
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
game. Two intoxicated men were resisting arrest, and fighting with Transit Special Constables. During the arrest, two
TTC Transit Enforcement Unit officers punched one man in the face several times and another man in the ribs during the arrest. Toronto Police arrived and charged the two men. A cell phone video was later posted on
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
, causing public scrutiny and backlash against the TTC. An independent review of the incident later deemed the arrest and subsequent use of force to be lawful. Two years later, the victims filed a $4million lawsuit against the TTC and the two enforcement officers.
* On June 8, 2015, between 6:30a.m. and 8:00a.m., the entire
subway network was shut down due to "major communication issues" between TTC subway trains and the TTC's transit control centre. Hundreds of thousands of commuters were stranded during the shutdown since no shuttle buses were provided to replace subway service. TTC officials believed the incident was caused by a defective switch that drained the battery for the backup power supply.
* On June 18, 2018, a man believed to be in his mid-50s to early 60s was pushed onto the eastbound Line 2 Bloor–Danforth tracks at Bloor–Yonge station and died when struck by an incoming subway train. A first-degree murder charge was laid against the man accused of the attack.
2020–2029
* On June 12, 2020, there was a near-collision between two subway trains on
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 ...
. Prior to the incident, train 123 was standing on the
pocket track
A pocket track, tail track, or reversing siding (UK: centre siding , turnback siding) is a rail track layout which allows trains to park off the main line. This type of track layout differs from a passing loop in that the pocket track is usually ...
on the south side of
Osgoode station
Osgoode is a subway station on Line 1 Yonge–University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The station, which opened in 1963, is located under University Avenue where it is crossed by Queen Street West and is named for the nearby Osgoode Hall, which ...
while train 114 was holding northbound at
St. Andrew station with a medical emergency on board. Both trains started to head north towards the switch connecting the pocket track to the northbound main track at Osgoode station. The guard at the rear of train 123 spotted train 114 moving and alerted the operator who stopped train 123 within of train 114. Train 123 with two crew aboard was running at , while train 114 with 5 passengers and 2 crew was running at . The mainline was under
automatic train control
Automatic train control (ATC) is a general class of train protection systems for railways that involves a speed control mechanism in response to external inputs. For example, a system could effect an emergency brake application if the driver do ...
(ATC) but Transit Control had instructed the crew of train 123 to use manual control on the pocket track. Train 123 was facing a red light on the pocket track, but it was not parked far enough in for its operator to properly see it. The TTC gave unpaid suspensions to the operators of train 123. The TTC union blamed a flaw in ATC that prevented its use on the pocket track. After the incident, the TTC disallowed manual mode on the pocket track.
* On October 29, 2021, the TTC became the target of a
ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware from cryptovirology that threatens to publish the victim's personal data or permanently block access to it unless a ransom is paid off. While some simple ransomware may lock the system without damaging any files, ...
attack, which shut down Vision, the TTC's communications systems. After the attack, the TTC used its backup radio system to communicate with vehicle operators. Also affected were the TTC website (which had debuted its redesign to the public a few days prior), TTC internal email, Wheel-Trans online bookings and displays of next bus information. TTC staff detected unusual network activity on the evening of October 28, 2021, but the full effect of the attack peaked on the afternoon of October 29, 2021.
By November 11, 2021, the TTC disclosed that the hackers may have had the ability to access personal employee information, such as
social insurance numbers. As a result, the TTC offered three years of free
credit monitoring
Credit report monitoring or company tracking is the monitoring of one's credit history in order to detect any suspicious activity or changes. Companies offer such service on a subscription basis, typically granting regular access to one's credit ...
and
identity theft
Identity theft occurs when someone uses another person's personal identifying information, like their name, identifying number, or credit card number, without their permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. The term ''identity theft'' was co ...
protection to its current and former employees. By this time, the TTC had restored its most important computer systems; however, its email system still remained offline.
* In December 2021, a vandal damaged elevators at 11 subway stations. It normally takes weeks to acquire the custom-made replacement parts to put an elevator back into service. However, the TTC's Elevating Devices team worked with Ontario’s Technical Standards and Safety Authority to effect temporary repairs within 24 hours. Special constables apprehended a suspect, who was charged with 10 counts of mischief.
* On January 17, 2022,
a heavy snowfall of crippled public transit in Toronto,
including the TTC's subway, streetcar and bus systems. The TTC reported that 540 of its 1,300 vehicles in service were disabled on the street, including buses, which normally do not use snow tires.
At-grade or above-grade sections of the subway system were not operational due to mechanical issues caused by heavy snow, with some sections closed until the end of service that day.
COVID-19 pandemic
Ridership decline and impact
By late March 2020, TTC ridership had dropped by 70 to 72 percent due to measures to combat 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 ...
. Ridership had dropped 80 percent on the subway, 76 percent on streetcars, 62 percent on buses and 75 percent on Wheel-Trans. The TTC estimated its weekly fare revenue dropped from $25million to $7million. By late March, the TTC was operating 80 percent of its normal service with reduced ridership and lower staffing levels.
Because of the reduced ridership, the TTC cut a number of services starting March 23. All downtown express bus routes (141–145) and all but three of the 900-series express bus routes were suspended. Streetcar route
508 Lake Shore
The 508 Lake Shore is an east–west streetcar route in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). The route serves the downtown financial district from the western limit of the city, and operates as a weekday ru ...
was suspended and route
503 Kingston Rd
The 503 Kingston Rd is an east–west Toronto streetcar system, Toronto streetcar route in Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission. The 503 Kingston Rd travels on a route to the downtown financial district from the Bingham Loo ...
was shortened to run only along
its namesake street.
By late April 2020, TTC ridership had fallen to 85 percent of pre-pandemic levels, and the TTC was losing $90million per month. On April 23, 2020, the TTC announced it would temporarily lay off 1000 operators (after the 30 days' notice required by their union contract) plus 200 non-unionized staff. The TTC still intended to operate between 70 and 80 percent of its pre-pandemic service.
In early May 2020, the TTC announced a further 15 percent reduction in service starting May 10. Rush-hour services on Line 1 Yonge–University and Line 2 Bloor–Danforth would be reduced to match midday and early evening frequency.
Service would be cut on 120 bus and streetcar routes.
All seasonal bus route extensions (such as to
Toronto Zoo
The Toronto Zoo is a zoo located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Encompassing , the Toronto Zoo is the largest zoo in Canada. It is divided into seven zoogeographic regions: Indo-Malaya, Africa, Americas, Tundra Trek, Australasia, Eurasia, and the ...
,
Cherry Beach
Cherry Beach (originally Clarke Beach Park) is a lakeside beach park located at the foot of Cherry Street just south of Unwin Avenue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is on Toronto's outer harbour just east of the Eastern Gap. It was once connected ...
,
Bluffer's Park,
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. ...
,
Harbourfront Harbourfront may refer to:
* Harbourfront (Toronto), a neighbourhood in Toronto
** 509 Harbourfront, Toronto streetcar route
**Harbourfront Centre, cultural organization on the waterfront of Toronto
* HarbourFront (Singapore), waterfront site in Si ...
and
Woodbine Beach Woodbine Beach is the largest of the four beaches in the Beaches in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located along Lake Shore Boulevard at the foot of Woodbine Avenue, it is next to Ashbridge's Bay and Kew-Balmy Beach. Woodbine beach is the westernmost bea ...
) would be deferred.
The remainder of the 503 Kingston Rd route was replaced full-time by the 22A Coxwell bus.
These service reductions were expected to last at least until the end of August 2020.
On May 24, 2020, due to reduced ridership and fare revenue, the TTC temporarily laid off 450 employees as a cost-saving measure.
In December 2020, the TTC decided to take advantage of low ridership due to the pandemic and temporarily closed a portion of Line 1 Yonge–University for nine full days in order to do maintenance. The TTC closed Line 1 between and stations between December 4 (11 pm) and 13, replacing train service with shuttle buses. Maintenance included installing
automatic train control
Automatic train control (ATC) is a general class of train protection systems for railways that involves a speed control mechanism in response to external inputs. For example, a system could effect an emergency brake application if the driver do ...
, removing
asbestos
Asbestos () is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into the atmosphere b ...
, repairing tunnel linings, track remediation and station cleaning. The closure will avoid over two years of early nightly closures and provide cost savings.
By February 2021, TTC operators had noticed that
homeless people
Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are:
* living on the streets, also kn ...
were taking refuge on TTC vehicles because other options were not available during the pandemic. Libraries and indoor seating at coffee shops were unavailable, and homeless shelters were 99.9 percent full. Since April 2020, two teamseach consisting of a TTC constable and an outreach workerhave attempted to help the homeless sheltering on TTC vehicles but with limited success due to the size of the TTC network. The TTC union urged the city to find alternative accommodation for the homeless.
In 2021, as in December 2020, the TTC again decided to take advantage of low ridership to shut down other portions of Line 1 Yonge–University for multiple 10-day periods for maintenance. For three 10-day periods starting March 15, April 12 and May 17, the TTC closed Line 1 between and stations for tunnel lining repairs, asbestos removal, station cleaning, electrical work and track upgrades.
In another 10-day period starting April 26, the TTC closed Line 1 between and stations for switch installation and track work.
Protective changes
![TTC_Seat_Restricted_Sign](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/TTC_Seat_Restricted_Sign.svg)
To maintain
physical distancing
In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious disea ...
from bus operators, boarding and fare payment procedures were changed on buses by late March. All passengers who did not require the wheelchair ramp had to board by the rear door of the bus. By April 8, 2020, the TTC was installing thick vinyl barriers on buses to separate the front of the bus from the passenger seating area; the barriers were collapsible to allow access for ramp users from the front door. The TTC stopped accepting cash, tokens and older tickets to pay fares on buses and bus operators stopped handing out paper transfers. However, the TTC allowed riders without a
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 ...
or Presto ticket to board buses, but asked that they pay the fare later if transferring to a streetcar or the subway. The TTC suspended fare inspections. The TTC permitted operators to wear masks on the job.
Despite the drop in ridership, there was still crowding on several bus routes, preventing physical distancing of the recommended among riders. Crowding occurred when workers from manufacturing areas were boarding at a shift change. To address crowding, the TTC deployed extra buses on affected routes by April 1, 2020, and recommended that riders try to travel after 8a.m. Crowding was not observed to be a problem on subways and streetcars.
Washroom breaks became a problem for some bus and streetcar operators. While most surface routes connect with a subway station equipped with washrooms, some routes may take up to two hours to return to a subway station. Thus operators, who had informal agreements with private businesses to use their washrooms, found those facilities closed during the pandemic. Lack of washroom facilities became a health and safety issue as operators could be hurried and distracted. To remedy the problem, the TTC placed
portable washrooms for employee use along some routes.
In January 2020, the TTC began performing extra cleaning and disinfection of vehicles and stations with a focus on touch and grab points. By mid-April 2020, the TTC was installing
hand sanitizer
Hand sanitizer (also known as hand antiseptic, hand disinfectant, hand rub, or handrub) is a liquid, gel or foam generally used to kill many viruses/bacteria/microorganisms on the hands. In most settings, hand washing with soap and water is ge ...
dispensers at subway stations, aiming to complete installation at main entrances by April and secondary entrances by May. Dispensers are located just inside the
paid area
In rail transport, the paid area is a dedicated "inner" zone in a railway station or metro station, accessible via turnstiles or other barriers, to get into which, visitors or passengers require a valid ticket, checked smartcard or a pass. A sys ...
, and staff monitor them for customer usability. In late April, the TTC blocked off seats on buses, streetcars and subway trains to promote physical distancing among passengers; the TTC used caution tape initially to block seats until more formal seat coverings and signage became available. Starting May 4, bus operators were allowed to designate their bus as "drop off only" and display those words on the LED sign on the front of the bus. "Drop off only" meant that no additional passengers would be allowed to board. This change was to maintain physical distancing and prevent overloading the bus.
The TTC closed its Customer Service Centre above
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 ...
on March 17, 2020, and its Lost Articles Office in
Bay station
Bay is a subway station on Line 2 Bloor–Danforth in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in heart of the Yorkville district just north of Bloor Street West on the west side of Bay Street.
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) operates its ...
and Photo ID Facility in
Bathurst station effective March 19. In late March, the TTC allowed Presto card holders on the 12-month pass plan to cancel the plan without penalty. The cancellation was effective from April onwards, and lasted until card holders set up a new auto-renew subscription.
The TTC has assigned
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 ...
vehicles for the transfer of
Toronto Community Housing
Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) is the public housing agency in Toronto, Ontario. A municipally owned corporation, municipal corporation of the Municipal government of Toronto, City of Toronto, TCHC provides approximately 60,000 unit ...
residents with
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
symptoms to healthcare facilities. The TTC operators for such trips are equipped with personal protective equipment, and the vehicles are given an intense cleaning after use.
All Wheel-Trans vehicles are restricted to carrying only one passenger at a time during the pandemic.
In late April 2020, the TTC, working with
Toronto Paramedic Services
The City of Toronto Paramedic Services (TPS; formerly known as Toronto Emergency Medical Services), is the statutory emergency medical services provider in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The service is operated as a division of the City of Toronto, und ...
, converted five decommissioned TTC buses into ambulances to transport COVID-19 patients. Each bus can carry 3 stretcher patients, 8–10 ambulatory patients, 3 paramedics to attend to patients, and a TTC driver. These buses may be used to transfer patients between health facilities, to handle large incidents, and to provide shelter for facility evacuations.
They have also been used to shuttle homeless people from shelters and campsites to medical and cooling facilities.
Initially, the TTC supplied masks only to Wheel-Trans operators and maintenance workers dealing with hazardous substances. By mid-April 2020, the TTC changed its policy after pressure from its union,
Amalgamated Transit Union
The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) is a labor organization in the United States and Canada that represents employees in the public transit industry. Established in 1892 as the Amalgamated Association of Street Railway Employees of America, the un ...
Local 113. Subsequently, each bus operator received two masks along with gloves, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes. The TTC later provided the same equipment to streetcar operators.
On May 19, 2020, the TTC strongly recommended that all passengers wear a mask and keep away from employees and other passengers.
Effective July 2, 2020, passengers were required, with few exceptions, to wear masks when riding on the TTC. Despite a potential fine of $195, the TTC stated that it would not be enforcing this requirement. Instead, the TTC decided to use 100 "COVID-19 ambassadors" to encourage passengers to wear a mask. The goal was to have 90 percent of passengers wearing masks,
and by July 10, 2020, the TTC observed that 89 percent of all riders were wearing masks despite the lack of enforcement. Prior to the mask policy, only half of riders were wearing masks.
By August, 95 percent of riders were wearing masks according to the TTC CEO's Report for that month.
By September, compliance was at 97 percent.
By August 2020, the TTC had purchased 600 foot-activated hand sanitizer dispensers from Canadian Mill Nettclean Supply Inc. and distributed them throughout the system.
Effective September 17, 2020, and lasting until at least December 31 of the same year, the TTC ordered that all TTC employees that could come into contact with other individuals wear masks. Previously, masks were optional for TTC employees. Exceptions include subway and streetcar operators who work alone in closed cabs. The TTC had observed in August 2020 that employees were gathering in groups on TTC property without masks and physical distancing.
By mid-November 2020, the TTC was having 11 vending machines installed at 10 subway stations where customers could purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks, gloves, sanitizer and wipes. This was addition to TTC staff handing out free single-use masks at some subway stations.
Reinstatement of services
On May 19, 2020, the Lost Articles Office reopened, with only one person at a time being allowed in its vestibule. The office had been closed since March 20, 2020, because of the city lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Similarly, the TTC reopened its Customer Service Centre on May 25, 2020, allowing only two customers at a time in the office.
On June 22, the TTC restored full service on route 503 Kingston Rd that had been partly suspended on March 24 due to reduced ridership.
By late June 2020, although subway and streetcar ridership remained at 18 percent of pre-pandemic levels, bus ridership had reached 37 percent as compared to 14 percent in late April. By this time physical distancing was becoming difficult with 18 percent of bus trips exceeding the maximum of 15 passengers per bus.
In June 2020, the TTC resumed fare inspections but only to advise and encourage passengers to pay their fares. On July 2, 2020, all-door boarding was implemented on buses. Passengers could pay cash, tokens and senior and youth tickets and obtain a transfer at the front door of a bus; this reversed a change made in early April.
On August 12, 2020, the Province of Ontario promised $404million for TTC operations to compensate for reduced ridership and revenue loss during the pandemic, with more funding to come later. The TTC projected a shortfall of $700million in 2020. At the time, ridership was at 35 percent of pre-pandemic levels; it was increasing more on buses than on other modes. When ridership increases to 50 percent, the TTC will start restoring more services, which have been operating at 85 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
As a condition of funding, the provincial government is requiring transit agencies, including the TTC, to consider using privately operated
microtransit
Microtransit is a form of bus demand responsive transport vehicle for hire. This transit service offers a highly flexible routing and/or highly flexible scheduling of minibus vehicles shared with other passengers. Microtransit providers build ro ...
such as
Uber
Uber Technologies, Inc. (Uber), based in San Francisco, provides mobility as a service, ride-hailing (allowing users to book a car and driver to transport them in a way similar to a taxi), food delivery (Uber Eats and Postmates), package ...
's ride-sharing services to replace low-volume bus routes.
Innisfil
Innisfil is a town in Ontario, Canada, located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe in Simcoe County, immediately south of Barrie and north of Toronto. It has historically been a rural area, but due to being geographically sandwiched in between ...
in
Simcoe County
Simcoe County is located in the central portion of Southern Ontario, Canada. The county is just north of the Greater Toronto Area, stretching from the shores of Lake Simcoe in the east to Georgian Bay in the west. Simcoe County forms part of the ...
north of Toronto conducted a pilot of such an approach, which was popular with participants but was criticized for costing more than a public transit bus service and contributing to congestion.
On August 27, 2020, the TTC announced a recall of 150 of the 450 TTC employees who were laid off in late May. This was to handle school reopenings in September. By late August, ridership had increased from its lowest point of 15–20 percent to 35–40 per cent of pre-pandemic ridership.
On September 17, the TTC announced the recall of an additional 132 laid-off union employees to return to work starting October 4. The TTC will recall the remaining 168 laid-off employees when ridership reaches 50 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
On October 15, 2020, the TTC announced the recall of the last 180 laid-off front-line workers, including 97 operators. The recall would allow the TTC to restore full service to the system. At that time, ridership had risen to 36 percent of pre-pandemic levels; by mode, bus ridership was at about 50 percent of pre-pandemic levels versus 32 and 36 percent for subway and streetcar usage respectively. The TTC was responding to complaints of overcrowding (given the requirements for physical distancing) on buses even though the bus system was already at 95 percent capacity. The recall would also allow the TTC to staff shuttle buses during a scheduled ten-day shutdown of
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 ...
in December 2020 between Finch and Sheppard–Yonge stations for asbestos removal. The TTC planned to recruit new drivers to replace those retiring.
As part of a project dubbed RapidTO, the TTC opened
priority bus lanes on Eglinton Avenue East on October 11, 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic provided the impetus for the RapidTO project. The lanes were created to improve TTC service in lower-income neighbourhoods, which house employees performing essential services during the pandemic. By allowing buses to move faster, there would be less crowding and better
physical distancing
In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious disea ...
.
Two express bus routes (905 Eglinton East Express and 986 Scarborough Express) that were suspended in mid-March 2020 were restored to operate along the new bus lanes.
Effective November 23, 2020, eight additional 900-series express bus routes were restored elsewhere in the city for Monday-to-Friday service.
For the week ending October 1, 2021, the TTC was operating 98 percent of its service, carrying 43 percent of its pre-pandemic ridership. By November 2021, the TTC began to enforce a vaccine mandate affecting its employees. Any employee not reporting their vaccine status by November 20, 2021, would be placed on unpaid leave. Any employee not vaccinated by December 31, 2021, would be terminated. As of November 16, 2021, 90 percent of TTC employees had disclosed their vaccine status, of which 85 percent were fully vaccinated.
The TTC expected this would result in a labour shortage. Thus, for the service period beginning November 21, 2021, the TTC planned to temporarily reduce service on
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 ...
and on 57 bus routes and one streetcar line (
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 ...
). The TTC estimated a 10 percent reduction in service starting November 21, 2021.
By early December 2021, 800 TTC employees had been suspended without pay for failing to comply with the vaccine mandate.
On December 31, 2021, the TTC dismissed 354 employees (over two percent of its workforce) for non-compliance with the vaccine mandate. About 200 other employees were still on unpaid leave pending the receipt of a second vaccine dose by January 31, 2022. The TTC embarked on a recruitment campaign to replace the dismissed employees.
On February 13, 2022, the TTC partially restored service to pre-pandemic levels on 17 bus routes.
In August 2022, TTC ridership was 55–60 percent of pre-pandemic volumes. Due to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, the TTC expected a 10–15 percent increase in passenger volume as workers return to offices and students return to school. Thus, the TTC scheduled increased service starting on September 4, 2022, affecting 29 bus and 2 streetcar routes, and subway lines 1 and 2.
At that date, all but six of the routes suspended in March 2020 were back in service. The five Downtown Express routes 141–145 remained suspended pending a review of their effectiveness for the 2023 Annual Service Plan. The
508 Lake Shore
The 508 Lake Shore is an east–west streetcar route in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). The route serves the downtown financial district from the western limit of the city, and operates as a weekday ru ...
streetcar route remained suspended pending completion of a track replacement along its route.
By October 7, 2022, ridership on the bus system was 75% of pre-pandemic levels, with 54% for the streetcar system, 62% for the subway system and 62% for
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 ...
.
In November 2022, the TTC offered to rehire many of the 367 unvaccinated workers it dismissed in late 2021. The TTC lifted its mandatory vaccination policy effective the end of that month. Rehired workers would not get back pay but their seniority would be preserved.
COVID-19 incidents
On March 19, 2020, the TTC temporarily closed the Duncan garage at the
Hillcrest Complex
Hillcrest Complex is the Toronto Transit Commission's largest facility and is responsible for most of the maintenance work on the system's surface vehicles, including heavy overhauls, repairs and repainting. It is located adjacent to the intersec ...
after a mechanic tested as positive for COVID-19. The TTC sent 170 co-workers home to self-isolate for two weeks and had the garage disinfected. The mechanic testing positive had worked one shift on March 11 before being sent home after feeling ill. Since the garage was used for major overhauls and rebuilds, its temporary closure had no impact on daily bus operations.
On April 23, 2020, the TTC sent 70 staff at the Queensway garage home to self-isolate for two weeks after five co-workers tested positive for COVID-19. The TTC had the garage disinfected. The garage was not closed; some managerial staff were assigned maintenance work, and the TTC intended to reassign some maintenance work to other garages.
By June 2020, there had not been any confirmed cases of COVID-19 being spread by passengers riding on public transit. This observation contradicted predictions at the beginning of the crisis that
public transit would be a major venue for the spread of virus. 65 out of 15,000 TTC employees contracted COVID-19, but it is unknown whether they contracted it on or off the job.
Toronto Public Health
Toronto Public Health (TPH) is the public health unit in Toronto, Ontario. It is responsible for delivering public health programs and services, enforcing public health regulations and advising Toronto City Council on health issues. The current ...
(TPH) did not trace any of the 13,500 COVID-19 cases to public transit. TPH spokesperson Dr. Vinita Dubey warned that this did not mean the virus was being transmitted on public transit as the long 14-day incubation period makes it difficult to determine where and when infection occurred.
Suicides
The TTC has long maintained a policy of not releasing suicide information and statistics to the public or the media for fear of the possibility of "
copycat suicide
A copycat suicide is defined as an emulation of another suicide that the person attempting suicide knows about either from local knowledge or due to accounts or depictions of the original suicide on television and in other media. The publicized ...
s". In 2008, the ''
Toronto Sun
The ''Toronto Sun'' is an English-language tabloid format, tabloid newspaper published daily in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The newspaper is one of several ''Sun'' tabloids published by Postmedia Network. The newspaper's offices is located at Pos ...
'' launched a year-long appeal before Ontario's
Information and Privacy Commissioner to have the TTC release information on the number of suicides and attempts between 1998 and 2007. The Information and Privacy Commissioner ordered the statistics be made available, and they were released to the public on November 26, 2009.
From 1998 to 2007, 150 people died by suicide by coming into contact with a TTC subway train. Since 1954, when the Yonge subway line first opened, there have been more than 1,200 incidents on the TTC (including both fatalities and attempts).
After being forced to make the information public, the TTC ensured that it also released information demonstrating the efforts being taken to
intervene and
prevent
Prevention may refer to:
Health and medicine
* Preventive healthcare, measures to prevent diseases or injuries rather than curing them or treating their symptoms
General safety
* Crime prevention, the attempt to reduce deter crime and crimin ...
such incidents in the future. The TTC's "Gatekeeper Program" is an internal course available for front line staff to learn and identify the warning signs of someone who may be suicidal, and help them or try to prevent them from doing so on the transit system. The TTC also has partnerships with
St. Michael's Hospital and other institutions to assist with both prevention programs and counselling programs for staff who have witnessed such incidents. The TTC maintains that it will continue its policy of not reporting suicides and suicide-related statistics,
however in February 2010, statistics from 2008 and 2009 were released in a public report to the Commission regarding suicide and suicide prevention.
On November 10, 2014, separate suicide attempts were made, halting service on two lines. Following this,
platform screen doors
Platform screen doors (PSDs), also known as platform edge doors (PEDs), are used at some train, rapid transit and people mover stations to separate the platform from train tracks, as well as on some bus rapid transit, tram and light rail syste ...
were discussed, but the TTC does not yet have a plan for funding the $800 million required to upgrade all 75 subway stations, which also includes the December 2017 extension of the University segment of Line 1 to
Vaughan Metropolitan Centre station
Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (also known as Vaughan, Vaughan Metro Centre or VMC) is a rapid transit station in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. Opened on December 17, 2017, it is the north terminus of the western section of the Toronto subway's Line 1 Y ...
.
Statistics
The below statistics are the subway suicide incidents and attempts from 1998 through 2016:
Note: Data obtained from Toronto Transit Commission report that does not distinguish between attempted and completed suicides.
Track delays
In 2018, the TTC reported that trains were delayed for 1572 total minutes and that there were over 110 unauthorized track-level incidents.
Motorists entering streetcar tunnels
![Queens_Quay_TTC_ramp](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Queens_Quay_TTC_ramp.JPG)
There have been over twenty incidents of motorists illegally entering the streetcar portal west of
Queens Quay station
Queens Quay is an underground streetcar station of the Toronto streetcar system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the only underground streetcar station that is not part of or connected to a Toronto subway station (, , and subway stations have ...
between 2014 and 2017. The figure increased to 25 from 2014 to March 2018. Because of these incidents, the TTC installed
boom barrier
A boom barrier, also known as a boom gate, is a bar, or pole pivoted to allow the boom to block vehicular or pedestrian access through a controlled point. Typically the tip of a boom gate rises in a vertical arc to a near vertical position. Boo ...
s to deter motorists from entering the portal in October 2018; the barriers cost $61,000 to install.
References
External links
* , TTC video of a near-collision on June 12, 2020
{{Portal bar, Ontario, Transportation
Incidents
''Incidents'' is a 1987 collection of four essays by Roland Barthes. It was published posthumously by François Wahl, Barthes' literary executor.
Summary
In the first essay, ''La Lumiere du Sud-Ouest'', first published in ''L'Humanité'' in 1977 ...