TJ O'Pootertoot
Senior Member
Many people might not know this, but YRT does not drive any of their buses, all routes are contracted out to either Miller, TOK or Veolia.
I feel like everyone got a real education on that during the strike
Adding to this, YRT has substantially less control of the planning of TTC routes that extend into York Region, it must be OK'd by the TTC before being implemented because they can often affect scheduling and frequencies south of Steeles if the route is too long, or if there are issues.
I think the whole fare integration is a non-starter unless the Province steps in. Even the subways going north of Steeles will require users to pay a double fare unless something gets agreed upon before opening day. The TTC is very strict about retaining it's own revenue and does not like to share with YRT (for good reason TBH). If there was fare integration you'd see YRT and TTC lose money considering there's a potential loss of $3-4 per customer that transfers if you completely get rid of that double fare. I think out of all the issues that YRT faces, the fare integration issue is the one that they have the least control over and are less equipped to change.
Clearly it's a fundamental, congenital problem for YRT that most of its population is strung along the Toronto border. I agree the province will have to change this, and I expect they will. The Golden Transit Panel listed it as one of their priorities. I don't know if it helps or hinders TTC but someone (Metrolinx?!) should take a lot at transit in all the GTA's border regions and figure something out. I don't know that anywhere else has a problem as acute as this (Mississauga's population isn't strung along the Etobicoke border, for instance) and it makes things harder for riders and for YRT. I think as long as York Region has a single transit system butting up against the TTC in the south, and a dispersed rural population in the north, there are some big challenges for them to meet.