Last night, (Wednesday, February 15), City of Toronto Council approved the City’s 2023 operating and capital budgets, including the budgets for the Toronto Transit Commission.

Unfortunately, that confirms that the TTC can raise fares, starting Monday, April 3. This bad news means that those who use cash or PRESTO to pay for single adult and youth fares will have to shell out ten cents more per ride. (The TTC board of directors had already approved the fare increase during its meeting of Thursday, January 19.)

According to the TTC, “Revenue from this fare increase, in addition to the City’s proposed subsidy to the TTC of $958.7 million, will go toward ensuring the system is reliable, safe and accessible for all Torontonians…”

Another key element of the 2023 budget is that the TTC will be providing less service than previously. Here’s what local transit commentator Steve Munro wrote about this change:

“From the budget details, we now know that service cuts are coming during some periods on the streetcar, and particularly on the rapid transit network. The overall weekly hours of service will drop in Spring 2023 from the current 95% of pre-pandemic level to 91%.”

In another post, he further explains:

“[The TTC proposes] to both reduce the service hours budget and increase the crowding standards so that less frequent service can be scheduled to handle current and future demand. Peak period standards will fully revert to pre-pandemic levels, while off peak standards will be changed to increase crowding. In the case of surface modes, the off peak standard is well above a seated load, a target for crowding that was first set twenty years ago… on the basis that it would make transit more attractive.”

Some good news, though: the budget freezes fares for seniors, Fair Pass program users and those with PRESTO monthly and annual passes. A bit more good news: The City and TTC have expanded the eligibility for the Fair Pass program so that another 50,000 low-income riders could potentially qualify for the lower fares.

For its part, the City reminds taxpayers that the fare increase of 3.1 percent is “below-inflation”, but that it “[ensures that] transit expansion can continue and service levels remain above ridership.”

In a news release, the TTC described other highlights of the $2.38 billion combined operating budgets for conventional and Wheel-Trans services, which include:

• more than $4 million for safety, security and cleanliness. This includes hiring 10 more Streets to Homes outreach workers, adding 25 new Transit Special Constables, hiring to fill 25 vacant positions and enhancing daily streetcar-cleaning;
• nearly $3 million to improve service along routes serving passengers in Neighbourhood Improvement Areas and expanding the Fair Pass Program; and
• almost $43 million to support service changes resulting from the opening of Line 5 Eglinton (the Eglinton - Crosstown light rail transit line) and Line 6 Finch West (the Finch West LRT) and for replacing Line 3 Scarborough with buses.

The TTC news release also claims that the budget represents “A commitment to continue delivering service levels above current ridership levels.” A City release further details these highlights by emphasising that more Streets to Homes workers will “help vulnerable people on the transit system”, while more Special Constables will “increase safety and security.”

Council also approved the TTC’s $12.5 billion 2023-2032 capital budget plan. According to the TTC, “This year’s share of the… plan is approximately $1.34 billion, comprising $800 million for infrastructure and state of good repair projects, $455 million for vehicle purchases and overhauls and $88 million for transit expansion-related work.”

The TTC news release also outlines how the capital plan:

• funds essential safety and state-of-good repair capital work to ensure the safety and reliability of [the] system;
• funds projects to meet legislative requirements to provide full accessibility of the system by 2025;
• advances the fleet procurement strategy to buy 60 streetcars, hundreds of hybrid and battery-electric buses and 70 Wheel-Trans vehicles and
• supports continuing work on three major capacity-improvement projects (expansion of Bloor - Yonge Station plus projects to improve service along Line 1 and Line 2).