Toronto buses, streetcars were late nearly 40 per cent of the time last month: report

A Toronto Transit Commission sign is shown at a downtown Toronto subway stop Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy (Graeme Roy/The Canadian Press)

Toronto’s buses and streetcars were late nearly 40 per cent of the time last month as the transit agency continued to deal with reduced ridership and financial challenges, a new report states.

The Toronto Transit Commission released a report from CEO Mandeep Lali on Tuesday stating its streetcars arrived as scheduled just 61 per cent of the time in September, representing a three per cent decrease from the same time last year.

The TTC states that a bus, streetcar or subway is considered on time if the vehicle departs at, or up to five minutes after, the scheduled departure time. The TTC’s target is 90 per cent on-time performance.

The report stated that on-time performance for buses also fell below expectations at 74 per cent in September, while buses had an on-time performance rate of 82 per cent in the same period last year.

The TTC subway system reached its target with an on-time performance rate of 91 per cent.

The TTC wrote in their report that the average speed and reliability decreased in September for buses and streetcars due to worsening traffic congestion and operational slowdowns.

The report highlighted ridership fell below the TTC’s budget expectations. The report states that the TTC had 41 million revenue rides between Aug. 24 and Sept. 27, which is 5.1 per cent lower than what the agency budged for. The year-to-date passenger revenue is also 3.8 per cent below budget, resulting in a $30.1 million shortfall.

The report said low ridership is due to several factors, including fewer international postsecondary students, inclement weather, and a softer-than-expected economic environment.

“We are responding with a ridership growth strategy that will outline clear priorities and recommendations to support recovery and growth. We are also monitoring fall ridership trends closely, as in-office work increases,” Lali wrote in the report.

“The TTC must deliver reliable, accessible, and efficient service. We are not where we need to be, but we are taking decisive steps to get there.”

The report showed that customer satisfaction with the TTC was down in September at 68 per cent compared, far below the agency’s 84 per cent target. Before the pandemic, customer satisfaction was at 83 per cent.

The TTC report stated that several factors will help improve the challenges it’s currently facing, including increased demand as more people return to in-person work and increased fare compliance strategies.