A Voice for Transit is not endorsing, supporting, opposing or promoting any candidate in the 2023 Toronto mayoral by-election.
By: A Voice for Transit
June 24, 2023
Transit ridership has decreased 31% during the pandemic, but trains, streetcars, and especially, busses are relied on by many Torontonians daily. A highly-publicized rise of safety and violent incidents earlier this year has centred attention on improving the everyday experience on the TTC. Fortunately, there has been a drop since then. Torontonians care about the TTC and want to make it better. An unexpected mayoral by-election in Toronto led us to run a transit rider survey. Mental health supports and transit safety were major themes.
Our Methodology
The survey was open between May 24 – June 11, 2023. We had a small sample with six respondents from across the GTA. We acknowledge that this is a very small sample. We circulated it to our membership list over social media and our newsletter, which has over 500 people. We had responses from Toronto as well as its inner and outer suburbs.
Safety and violence are top of mind, but so are operational and homelessness issues
Safety and violence issues on the TTC was the top concern. However, there was a three-way tie for second spot between bus service in the suburbs, operational issues on the TTC (e.g. Delays, overcrowding), and finding supports for the homeless/houseless on the subway. Delays and overcrowding have been concerns preceding COVID-19 and spurred the creation of our group. There is increased interest in suburban bus service given that that mode has had the strongest recovery during the pandemic. As of March 31, 2023, bus ridership had recovered 82%. Lastly, the presence of homeless/houseless individuals has become more visible on the subway.
Four of our six respondents stated that their top concern was safety and violence on the TTC. This provides public support for continuing to address this issue. We are not advocating for an increased police presence as indicated in our 2023 budget letter.
The conversation about mental health is not directly correlated to transit in Toronto. However, it is relevant due to the large number of individuals with mental illness on subway stations and trains. Respondents supported providing supports for homeless/houseless individuals on the subway. It may appear as a nuisance to some, but ultimately it is a social cry for help when we see homeless people who have nowhere to stay warm and sleep except for an empty train or a quiet station at night. Increased housing, income and social supports, e.g. mental health services, could be fixes according to Dr. Sandy Simpson. A Voice for Transit has advocated for using empty retail spaces on subway stations to provide services to unhoused individuals.
There is survey concern around bus service in the suburbs. Bus ridership has recovered the best on the TTC during COVID-19 and we support protecting the 10-minute network. The TTC should see our survey result as support to prioritize bus service as part of its strategic planning.
Specific concerns about transit safety and violence
We asked the public about their safety and violence concerns on transit. The top response was “Violent encounters and/or attacks on the train, stations and bus”. There was one response for “Fear of falling into tracks or being pushed in front of a vehicle”.
This issue became a major priority earlier this year after a string of highly-publicized incidents. The result indicates that riders continue to want to see this issue addressed on transit. The Toronto Star has an excellent article outlining short and long-term solutions from experts on how to address transit safety and violence. Thus, the new mayor must continue to prioritize reducing incidents of transit safety and violence, especially when transit ridership has not fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
Fears around subway platforms ranked highly. Platform safety doors are a potential solution that we have advocated for, but they are costly. However, the survey result suggests voter support for them. We applaud that the TTC Bloor-Yonge Station Capacity Improvements project will see platform edge doors installed.
What are riders’ biggest frustrations?
Forty percent of survey participants stated that their main concern regarding delays is overcrowded vehicles, followed by track-level incidents, security incidents at stations, and unknown occurrences of delays. The overcrowding concern may be heightened due to a period of capacity restrictions and physical distancing in the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, overcrowding concerns pre-dated the pandemic with Bloor-Yonge and St. George stations being specific chokepoints. The redesign of Bloor-Yonge station to accommodate crowds is great news and it is a measure we have been calling for since 2019.
Nevertheless, overcrowded vehicles can contribute to rider anxieties, particularly during rush hour. Track-level incidents and security incidents were also chosen as frustrations. However, these may also suggest that Torontonians are feeling the strains of increasing financial, employment and personal stresses.
Torontonians rely on transit and care deeply about it. The mayoral by-election’s unique timing provides an opportunity to focus attention on key issues like safety and violence, supports for mental health and homelessness, and bus service in the suburbs. Responses indicate support for investing in solutions. Whoever wins on June 26th needs to apply short-term fixes and long-term solutions that benefit all Torontonians.
Photo Credit: Bobolink / Robert Taylor
A Voice for Transit 