Mayoral candidate John Tory is slamming the timing of a report calling for public transit service improvements, saying a vote on it will be rushed without a thorough discussion of how to fund the report’s recommendations.
At a press conference outside Union Station Monday morning, Tory said it is curious that the report, which comes with an annual multi-million dollar price tag, was released just two days before it will be presented at a meeting of the Toronto Transit Commission’s board.
“How can you possibly make thoughtful decisions on behalf of fare paying customers and the taxpayers of Toronto when you have a half-billion-dollar program you’re asked to ask questions about and vote on in five or six or seven days,†Tory said. “So, I don`t know what the timing of this was all about but I just know it’s not the right way to make decisions.â€
The TTC report, titled Opportunities to Improve Transit Service in Toronto, makes a number of staff recommendations aimed at speeding up and increasing service. The TTC board will meet Tuesday to discuss the proposed changes, which include implementing all-door boarding on all streetcar routes, expanding the overnight bus and streetcar network, and changing the transfer system to allow riders to travel in any direction within a two-hour time period.
The report forecasts a capital cost of $288 million spread out over five years, and an annual operating cost increasing in increments from $19 million in 2015 to $69 million in 2018.
If adopted by the board, the report’s recommendations will still need approval from city council.
Tory pointed out that the report is proposed to go to the last council meeting, just 10 weeks before the municipal election. He said the process gives very little time for government departments, agencies and politicians to have a thorough discussion on where the funding for the proposed changes will come from.
“It is not responsible to have a report that suggests this level of expenditure of a half a billion dollars without spelling out how it would be paid for, and I think it’s less than responsible for people frankly to vote on it without asking that question and demanding an answer,†Tory said.
Tory said he himself supports many of the report’s recommendations, but argued that they cannot be implemented without raising property taxes, charging a levy or increasing fares. He added that the TTC board has an obligation to explore whether funding for the recommendations can come from its own internal budget, and to outline other sources of revenue.
TTC spokesperson Brad Ross responded to Tory’s comments by saying that staff recognize there are funding constraints when they make their recommendations, and that discussions on funding will follow during budget deliberations which will take place toward the end of this year.
“It’s well within staff’s purview to make recommendations for transit improvement to its board recognizing that there are funding constraints,†Ross told CP24.com.
Appearing on CP24’s Live at Noon with Stephen LeDrew, TTC CEO Andy Byford said the city will need to make difficult choices about which of the recommendations can be funded, but these are ideas that the board and council should start thinking about.
“Tomorrow, we’re asking for an agreement in principle from the TTC board that these are the sorts of things we wish council to consider,†Byford said. “Obviously, council will need to find the money to do that. We recognize that that’s not going to be easy, but what we’re saying is these are ideas based upon our professional advice and from what customers tell us.â€
Rival mayoral candidate Olivia Chow said she welcomes the TTC report as a road map that paves the way for “moving people faster now.†She has advocated the expansion of bus service in the city before, but like the report, has not made suggestions on how to fund the expansion.
“It’s up to the TTC, the experts to decide,†Chow said. “It will probably mean hiring a few more bus drivers, creating some jobs. It may mean some maintenance workers to upgrade some of those buses, but that’s the investment we need to make in order to move people faster.â€
Mayoral incumbent Rob Ford said he also welcomes the recommendations in the TTC report, but that he does not believe the honour system allowing metropass holders to board on the back of streetcars will work effectively.
“We have to either hire somebody to check if these people are actually paying or there must be some other operating expenses to double-check if people pay,†Ford said. “Now you have a driver who does that all in one. Who’s going to check at the back of the doors? We’re going to lose a lot of money.â€
Earlier this month, Byford told reporters that he hopes to hire about 100 new fare inspectors at a cost of $8 million annually – a cost he believes will be offset by the deterrent effect that gets people to pay their fares. Fare evasion costs the TTC $20 million each year.
Ford said he will respond to the report in greater detail Wednesday morning from his campaign headquarters.
