This Wednesday the TTC Commission voted on some good news and some very bad news.

PRETTY GOOD

The pretty good news is the TTC voted to restore most of the service cut on many routes during the Ford era, and also introduce some new service, such as more overnight bus service.

Did your route get a service increase?

Read transit expert, Steve Munro’s summary of the service changes.

These service improvements, which will begin in September 2015, are great, but let’s also remember that $43M of the $95M in service improvements are being paid for by an unfair fare hike. Also, government subsidy per ride levels are still the lowest in North America, and lower than they were in 2010.

VERY BAD

And now the bad news! The bad news is that Mayor Tory is telling the TTC to cut its operating budget by 2% in 2016 which equals about $10-$12M for the TTC and $2M for Wheel Trans. The TTC Commission voted on this motion on Wednesday. It is crazy that the TTC is being asked to increase overcrowding and cut its operating budget when we know the city must be doing everything it can to improve service quality and encourage people to ride public transit. While the Province is ultimately responsible for cutting even more funding from the City’s budget, Mayor Tory needs to find a better way instead of clawing back the funding increase he’s busy taking credit for.

TAKE ACTION

Contact your Councillor at 311 to say we need big service improvements in 2016, not service cuts. Email addresses are here.

Register with gso@ttc.ca to speak for five minutes about the 2016 TTC Budget Process at the TTC Commission meeting this Wednesday. See the TTC Commission agenda here.

Email Suhail Barot <sfbarot@gmail.com> if you are coming to City Hall!