Toronto Transit Commission
The
Toronto Transit Commission, or
TTC, is a
public transport authority that operates
buses,
streetcars, and
rapid transit lines in
Toronto,
Ontario,
Canada. In 2005, the TTC carried 431,220,000 passengers, 2,368,000 passengers daily (1,397,000 revenue passengers). There are 149 surface routes with 148 routes making 243 connections (AM rush hour). There are 10,650 employees employed by the TTC in 2005 (
TTC Operating Statistics, 2005).
The TTC operates the second most heavily-used urban mass transit system in
North America (after
New York City's
New York City Transit Authority).
As of 2004, there are four rapid transit lines (three are referred to as "subways", while a fourth is mostly elevated; see
Toronto Subway and RT), with a total of 69 stations, as well as 149 connecting "surface" routes (buses and streetcars). The average daily ridership exceeds 2.3 million passengers: 1,197,500 through bus, 246,100 by streetcar, 45,000 by intermediate rail, and 855,300 by subway (
American Public Transit Association, 2005). The TTC also provides door-to-door services for persons with physical disabilities known as
WheelTrans. An approximate 2,900 trips are made through this service daily. Colloquially, the streetcars were known as "red rockets"; hence the use of "Ride the Rocket" in advertising material for the TTC (which uses the phrase to advertise the entire system), and the use of the word "Rocket" in the names of some express buses. The entire system is also promoted as "The Better Way".
Privately operated transit services in Toronto began in 1849. In later years, a few routes were operated by the city, but it was 1921 when the city took over all routes and formed the
Toronto Transportation Commission to operate them. During this period service was mainly provided by streetcars. In 1954, the TTC adopted its present name, opened its first subway line, and greatly expanded its service area to cover the newly formed municipality of
Metropolitan Toronto (which eventually became the
enlarged city of Toronto). The system has evolved to feature a wide network of bus routes with the subway lines as the backbone.
Past names
*
Williams Omnibus Bus Line - 1849-1861
*
Metropolitan Street Railway of Toronto 1877-1897
*
Toronto Street Railways - 1861-1891
*
Toronto Railway Company - 1891-1921
*
Toronto Suburban Railway - 1894-1921
*
Toronto and York Radial Railway - 1904-1921
*
Toronto Civic Railways - 1913-1921
*
Toronto Transportation Commission - 1921-1954
*
North Yonge Railways - radial railway operated by the TTC from 1927-1930
TTC personnel
*
William C. McBrien TTC Chairman 1933-1954
*
G. Gordon Hurlburt TTC Chairman 1975-?
*
Lois Griffin (Toronto politician), TTC Chair 1989-1991
*
Michael Colle, TTC Chair 1991-1994
*
Allan Lamport, TTC Chair
*
P.W. Ellis TTC Chair (died 1929)
*
W.E.P. Duncan, Chief Engineer and alter Operations Manager
*
H.C. Patten , General Manager 1950-?
*
Howard Moscoe, TTC Chair 1998-present
*
Jeff Lyons, TTC Vice Chair
*
Paul Christie, TTC Chair 1994-1998
*
D.W. Harvey*
Rick Ducharme, TTC Chief General Manager 1999-2006
*
David L. Gunn, TTC Chief General Manager 1995-1999
The TTC currently operates an extensive network of
subways,
streetcars, and
buses in Toronto:
Subway/RT system (1954-present)
The Toronto subway/RT system consists of the
Yonge-University-Spadina Line, a U-shaped line started in 1954 and last extended in 1996; the
Bloor-Danforth Line, an east-west line started in 1966 and last extended in 1980; the
Scarborough RT, a partly elevated
light rail line built in
1985 which continues from the Bloor-Danforth Line's eastern terminus; and the
Sheppard Line, opened in 2002. The three subway lines use the same technology, while the Scarborough RT has many differences.
In the mid-1990s, work began on an
Eglinton West subway line, but the project was cancelled before significant progress was made. Construction of this line is no longer a priority for the TTC.
A current focus for the TTC's rapid-transit expansion is a short extension bringing the western branch of the Yonge-University-Spadina Line north to
York University,
Steeles Avenue and
Vaughan Corporate Centre in
York Region. The Government of Ontario announced on March 23, 2006, that it will provide $670 million for this extension, about one-third of the expected cost. Another is the eastward extension of the Sheppard Line into
Scarborough. Recently, there has also been debate over the fate of the
Scarborough RT. A solution is a near top priority as the line is currently overcrowded, and will soon require much investment to keep it running past 2015.
Streetcars (1861-present)
 |
A TTC streetcar on Dundas Street. |
Toronto's streetcar system is one of the few in North America still operating along classic lines and has been operating since the mid-19th century (
horsecar service starting in 1861 and electric since 1891). Streetcar service dates back to the
Toronto Street Railways horse-drawn cars and continues today with the current electric cars. New TTC routes since the 1940s have generally been operated by other modes, and the less-busy streetcar routes have also been converted. Streetcar routes are now focused on the downtown area, with none running farther north than
St. Clair Avenue, about 5
km from
Lake Ontario. The
Bombardier Flexity LRV is being considered as a replacement for the
ALRV and
CLRV once the re-built cars reach the end of their useful lives.
Buses (1921-present) and trolley coaches (1922-1925, 1947-1993)
 |
TTC NovaBus RTS 7207 at Finch Station. |
Buses are a large part of TTC operations today, but before about 1960, they played a minor role compared to streetcars. After an earlier experiment,
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.
Gray Coach (1927-1989)
Gray Coach Lines was a suburban and regional inter-city bus operator founded in 1927 by the TTC. Gray Coach used inter-urban 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, 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 inter-urban service in the GTA, and the TTC was forced to sell it.
Wheelchair-accessible services (1975-present)
 |
A WheelTrans Overland-Ford 9277 on a regularly scheduled stop at Dufferin Mall in Toronto, Ontario. |
The TTC also runs
WheelTrans, a para-transit service for the physically disabled with special buses designed to accommodate wheelchairs. Since the 1990s, the TTC has focused in providing accessible services on buses, RT and subway operations.
Ferry service (1927-1962)
The ferry service to the
Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by
Toronto Parks and Recreation.
Most TTC operations are based either at the William McBrien building at 1900 Yonge Street (over Davisville subway station), or at the Hillcrest complex at Bathurst and Davenport Streets.
Connections
The TTC makes connections with other transit agencies at terminals in
Toronto:
*
York Region Transit, including
viva York*
Mississauga Transit*
Brampton Transit*
Durham Region Transit*
GO Transit*
VIA Rail, including
Amtrak*
Greyhound CanadaTerminals
Most TTC surface routes terminate at loops, side streets or subway station complexes. The TTC system is one of the few mass transit systems in the world where many surface routes can be accessed inside a paid-fare zone common to other routes or subway lines. This feature reduces the usage of paper transfers and the need of operators to check for proof-of-payment.
There are some routes ending at terminal buildings other than subway stations:
* Humber Loop
* Neville Park Loop
*
Long Branch (GO Station)*
Rouge Hill (GO Station), formerly Port Union (GO Station)
Fares
The TTC fare system accepts cash, tickets, tokens, and transit passes. Single tickets are priced as of April 1, 2006 as: Adults, $2.75; students/seniors, $1.85; children, 70ยข. (CAD). Adults can buy 10 tickets or tokens for $21 (CAD).
The provincial Minister of Transportation has announced plans to introduce the
GTA Farecard, a unified
smartcard-based payment system for the entire
Greater Toronto Area similar to the
Octopus Card used in
Hong Kong.
Fares increase at least once a year, causing a change in ticket and card design, people who receive the
TTC's MetroPass Discount Plan subscription are not affected by fare increases or decreases for a period of 12 months after initial purchase.
Schedules and information
Before the use of the TTC website ([
1]), TTC patrons were able to obtain route information from various sources:
* Paper schedules and system maps from drivers and collector booths
* Fax number to obtain schedules and maps
* TimeLine: Most stops had a phone number to obtain the schedule for the select route. This system was removed due to
Year 2000 constraints. Route information is now accessed by InfoPost and TTC Info number 416-393-INFO (this replaced the old numbers 481-4252 and 481-4544 in the 1980s). Some stops now display a time schedule for the particular route.
* What's On and Rocket Rider/TTC Customer News pamphlets located on most vehicles
Transit Information Centres:
* TTC Head Office - Davisville Station
* TTC Info Centre Bloor-Yonge Station - closed
* Metro Toronto Convention Centre - closed
Additional TTC information are circulated by:
*
The Rocket Rider - TTC Customer News*
What's ONShelters
The shelters used by the systems are split between
CBS Outdoor (formerly
Viacom Media) (with ads) and
Toronto Transportation. A total of 4,100 shelters are managed by Toronto Transportation and most from the former transportation departments of the municipalities that made up
Metropolitan Toronto.
Advertising
Advertising is commonplace and prominent in all TTC vehicles and locations. In fact, some subway stops are periodically entirely "repainted" on the inside using large plastic decals, to the wishes of a paying corporate advertiser; this is also done with individual buses and all cars in a particular subway train. In 2005, the TTC began installing video screens in subway stations to display advertising, news, weather, and safety information. This project is run by Toronto based ONESTOP Media Group. The agency contracted to post ads on the TTC is
CBS Outdoor. However, the amount of money the TTC receives for allowing advertising on its property is very small. For the year ending 2003, the TTC received 2.3% of its revenue from advertising, or almost $17 million.
Communications
The TTC also employs a tracking and communications system called
CIS (Communications and Information System). A transmitter is added to the roof of the vehicle and a receiver on the right hand side of the driver. A pilot of CIS was introduced in the late 1970s and fully deployed in 1991. CIS broadcaster transmitters are located on the
CN Tower.
The system is still somewhat buggy, and drivers have often been heard complaining by passengers when the system accidentally assigns incorrect routes to buses and thus can cause minor delays if the driver does not realise what has happened.
For an official list of TTC PA Codes, see [
2].
Safety systems
Safety features provided by the TTC include:
* Request Stop Program on surface routes (9 p.m.-5 a.m.) (not including streetcars); female passengers travelling alone can request the driver to stop at points between bus stops (no such service is currently offered for male passengers). The program was started in 1991, due largely in part to the activities of serial killer
Paul Bernardo (aka The Scarborough Rapist).
* Designated Waiting Areas (DWA) on subway and RT platforms; these are well lit, have intercoms, and are at the location where the guard car stops
* Yellow Passenger Assistance Alarm strips on subway and RT cars since the early 1980s
* Approximately 800 cameras monitoring activities on the subway system
* TTC Special Constables
Auctions
Each year the TTC auctions off items left on vehicles and not claimed. They are sold in lots, rather than individually. In 2005, the TTC launched an online auction via e-Bay Canada and Rite Auction Services.
Support fleet
Most of the Toronto Transit Commission's staff are members of the
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113. Total membership (2005) is approximately 8,000 members.
Unionized transit workers in Toronto began with:
* Amalgamated Association of Street Railway Employees of America in 1892
* Division 30 of the Amalgamated Association of Street and Railway Employees of America in 1893
* Division 113 Chartered - Amalgamated Association of Street Railway Employees of America in 1899
* Amalgamated Association of Street and Railway Employees of America in 1903
* Amalgamated Transit Union in 1964
* Local 113 of the Amalgamated Association of Street, Electric Railway and Motor Coach Employees of America in 1952
Other than drivers and supervisors, the TTC also employs support staff to keep the system running:
* cleaners to keep stations, bus shelters and other TTC property clean
* garbage staff to pick up trash on vehicles and in stations
* clearing TTC roadways during winter months
* engineers and support staff inspecting subway systems
* mechanics that maintain all the commission vehicles
* blacksmiths to make special parts of the TTC
On May 29, 2006, the TTC was shut down for one day as a result of a labour dispute. Unionized workers began picketing TTC sites on the morning of May 29 in response to a dispute over shift changes for unionized TTC employees due to the unionized workers feeling that management had broken the Collective Agreement between the management and the union. The TTC shut down transit services. The TTC called it an illegal strike, but the union said it was a lockout. The Ontario Labour Relations Board declared it an illegal strike and ordered employees back to work. The union agreed to have its employees return to work and services began to resume at 3 p.m. on May 29, 2006. It was later made public that only the support staff had walked out; TTC management had requested that the drivers and collectors not cross the picket lines to avoid disputes.
Uniforms
All TTC staff wear uniforms consisting of a light blue shirt with TTC crest (long and short sleeves) and grey slacks. Other garments include maroon jackets with grey accents, dark navy sweater vests, and golf-style shirts, worn according to weather. Hats are generally worn by senior staff, namely supervisors, these hats are familiar to those worn by police officers or salvation army members. Staff tend to wear
toques during the winter months. Some vehicle operators wear a blue baseball cap with white lettering "TTC". Some of the maintenance staff wear dark blue or green coveralls with TTC crest along with an orange fluorescent jacket with a large yellow X on the back.
Prior to the current design, the uniform consisted of a light brown shirt and medium brown slacks/blazers. Some drivers now wear a navy blue polo shirt with white trim on the collar.
Honour Guard
The TTC Honour Guard represents the TTC at city ceremonies and police funerals. Members wear caps, white shirts, blue blazers with Honour Guard crests and grey pants. The unit was formed in 1994 from TTC Operations supervisory ranks following the funeral for Toronto Police Constable Todd Baylis. The unit had 19 members as of 2001.
Special Constables
A contingent of 76 Special Constables patrol TTC properties. They have the same powers as the
Toronto Police Service to enforce:
*
Criminal Code*
Controlled Drugs and Substances Act of Ontario*
Trespass to Property Act of Ontario*
Liquor Licence Act of Ontario* Section 17 of the
Mental Health Act of OntarioIn addition, they can issue fines to persons in violation of TTC By-Law 1.
Special Constable services are organized as follows:
* Patrol Division - patrol and fare enforcement
* Plain Clothes Criminal Investigation Unit - intelligence, crime fighting
* Community Response Unit - local and community response
Patrol Division constables wear distinct uniforms (which significantly differ from the standard TTC uniform) from the other units. Uniformed special constables wear black jackets and blue shirts with TTC Special Constables crest on both shoulders. They are unarmed and carry radios and pads to issue tickets to violators.
The constables patrol within Toronto and areas beyond Toronto served by the TTC.
The TTC Special Constables patrol in white unmarked and marked crusiers (blue stripes with crest)
Ford Crown Victorias and
Chevrolet Impalas, similar to the ones used by the Toronto Police Service.
*
The TTC Story by Mike Filey
*
Not A One Horse Town by Mike Filey
*
Reflections & Recollections Transfer Points January 2005
*
Independents Take Over - TTC Goes Metro Wide Transfer Points August-September 2004
*
Toronto Transit Commission Goes Metro Wide Transfer Point December 2004
*
TTC Archives*
TTC Special Constables - Official link *
Legacy Sportswear *
ATU 113 History *
Honour Guard shows TTC's true colours Coupler February 2001*
TTC Honour Guard*
Subway and RT Route Map - TTC - September 1998 *
TTC Ride Guide April 1982 *
TTC Ride Guide June 1982 *
TTC Ride Guide May 1984 *
TTC Ride Guide January 1987 *
TTC Ride Guide January 1988 *
TTC Ride Guide January 1990 *
Toronto Transit Ride Guide June 1998 *
Numerical list of routes, with route direction and operating division - TTC February 1999*
TTC Special Constables - Your Community and Safety Partners 2006
*
Signals on the TTC*
Transit fares*
Russell Hill subway accident*
2006 TTC wildcat strike*
David L. Gunn*
Official TTC site*
Transit Toronto News, history and discussion*
Transit Toronto Bus information by Peter McLaughlin*
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113 Home Page or go to
Amalgamated Transit Union*
Toronto Transit Commission Fleet Roster*
ONESTOP Toronto*
TTC Special Constables*
Unknown Toronto A journal of little known facts about Toronto, including transit-related information
*
Steve Munro Discussion of transit in Toronto by transit advocate Steve Munro
