Toronto has a big problem. A transit problem. Our transportation problems are obvious to anyone who has tried to drive in bumper to bumper traffic along the DVP or tried to get into a packed solid TTC subway car during rush hour.

1. Toronto’s Transit Future
Angela La Gamba • Toastmasters • April 2014

2. The Details
• Presentation Format:
o 8 min total: 5 min presentation and 3 min Q&A
• Audience:
o You are concerned citizens of Toronto
• Objectives:
o Provide you with a short history of Toronto’s
transit
o Review existing transit problems
o Inform you of potential solutions to help relieve
the issue
• Your Goal:
o Jot down notes for the Q&A session at the end

3. The History
• Then:
• Opened in 1954 with 12 stations
• Toronto subway and rapid
transit (RT) was Canada's first
completed subway system
• Public transit was one of the
essential services identified by
Metro Toronto's founders in 1953

4. The History
• Now:
• #1 in stations in Canada
• 4 lines, 69 stations, 68.3
km of track
• 2nd
busiest RT rail network
with avg. 940,300
passenger trips each
weekday (Q2 2013) behind
Montreal’s Metro
• Oh yes, and Mayor Ford 

5. The Problem
• Full-to-capacity subway trains, buses
& streetcars
• Long commute times
• Bottlenecked highways / streets due
to reliance on car
• Frustrated commuters leading to
potential ‘brain drain’ from the region
• TTC gets more funding from the fare
box (67%) than any other North
American transit system (2011 data)
• TTC is the most expensive single-fare
integrated transit system in North
America (since 1990)

6. The Possible Solutions: Toronto’s Transit Projects
Exciting multi-layered projects for the next few decades include:
 Light Rail Transit (LRT)
 Subway Extensions
 Union-Pearson Airport Relief Line

7. Light Rail Transit (LRT)
• Largest rapid transit expansion in
Toronto’s history; 3 lines
• $8.4 billion estimated cost
• 2020 completion date
• Runs above ground & connects
Toronto with comfortable,
convenient, reliable & fast service
• Nov. 2012: Metrolinx, City of
Toronto, TTC signed master
agreement for LRT
implementation
• Metrolinx will own LRT lines;
TTC will operate them

8. Subway Extensions
Yonge Subway Extension
•Runs north from Finch Station to Richmond
Hill Centre/Highway 7 in York Region
•$2.4 billion estimated cost
•Province of Ontario owns capital costs
•TTC designs, builds and operates stations
•6.8 km of new track
•6 proposed new stations

9. Subway Extensions
Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension
• First TTC rapid transit line to cross the City of
Toronto boundary
• $2.6 billion estimated cost
• 8.6 km of new track
• 6 proposed new stations
• Subway service is expected to begin in fall 2016

10. Union-Pearson Airport Relief Line
• April 2014 Update: City of
Toronto & TTC in public
consultation process
• Metrolinx vision:
• High-quality express rail service
• Runs from Union Station
(downtown Toronto) to Pearson
Airport (Terminal 1)
• Improve how people move
around the region with network
options
• $456 million estimated
budget

11. Q&A
Session

12. In Summary
• Strong history of being a leader in
transit for Toronto.
• Toronto needs to regain its glory with
public consultations, infrastructure
planning, & government approvals and
funding.
• Inform yourself of transit projects:
LRT, subway extensions, relief lines &
more.
• Be an engaged citizen! Talk to your
councilor. Attend public meetings. Ask
questions.

13. Thank you!