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A new report being presented to TTC commissioners on Thursday paints a less-than-glowing picture of customer satisfaction with the transit agency.
The report by TTC CEO Mandeep Lali, which draws on data from February, measures the TTC’s performance against a variety of benchmarks, including ridership, on-time performance, as well as overall customer satisfaction.
It suggests only about 64 per cent of riders are happy with the service, down from the previous month’s measure and about 20 per cent off the TTC’s own target.
Coun. Josh Matlow, who sits on the TTC board, said he’ll be presenting a motion Thursday calling on Lali to provide answers to the problems raised in his report.
“I want to see a plan,” Matlow said. “We should be creating more opportunities for our surface network to move and ensuring that our subways isn’t delayed by mechanical problems and oil leaks.”
Report comes amid 2 hydraulic fuel leaks last week
The CEO’s findings come as the TTC recovers from a pair of hydraulic fuel leaks on Line 2 last week shut down subway service on the Bloor-Danforth line for hours.
“These delays are unacceptable and cannot become the new normal,” Matlow writes in his motion. “Right now, transit riders use the TTC with the expectation that their daily commute will be impacted by a delay. Torontonians deserve better.”
Coun. Josh Matlow, who sits on the TTC board, will present a motion at the TTC’s meeting Thursday calling for a concrete plan to deal with ongoing deficiencies in the TTC’s operations. (Saeed Dehghani/CBC)
The CEO’s monthly report points to several areas where the TTC acknowledges improvement is needed.
Ridership was 6.8 per cent below the TTC’s budgeted numbers for February and down 3.8 per cent compared to last year’s numbers for the same time period.
Revenue from fares is also falling below expectations, the report says, resulting in an $8-million year-to-date budget shortfall.
Overall, the report states, only about 64 per cent of riders said they were satisfied with the TTC — well below the agency’s target of 84 per cent.
Subway service scored highest in rider satisfaction at 64 per cent, followed by streetcar service at 62 per cent and buses at 61 per cent.
Service reliability a growing issue: advocate
The report blames “extreme weather events in 2026, an economic slowdown and a decline in immigration and international students,” for the ridership slump.
Transit advocate Steve Munro agreed weather played in a role in declining ridership earlier this year, but he said there is likely more to the numbers.
“An issue, and it seems to be getting worse in recent years, is the reliability of the service,” he said. “That’s something the TTC really needs to get their hands around.”
Transit advocate Steve Munro says it’s not unusual to see customer satisfaction numbers down during some months. What he finds unusual is that riders on three modes, buses, streetcars and subway, are unhappy. (Mike Smee/CBC)
Lali’s report also points out buses, streetcars and subway trains are all falling below the TTC’s 90 per cent on-time target.
Matlow told CBC Toronto Wednesday he wants to see the TTC came up with a way to make the service significantly more reliable.
“What’s frustrating me is if there’s aging infrastructure, then we need the capital dollars to invest in it. But we can’t just say ‘this is the status quo.'”
Ridership and fare shortfall can lead to what Matlow calls “a vicious cycle.”
“The fewer fares that are coming in through the fare box…the fewer resources [the TTC has] to be able to deliver better service.”
Munro said the TTC ought to look at improving on multiple fronts, including cleanliness, safety, and better reliability, on all three modes of transit: buses, streetcars and subways.
“What’s striking about it is the big drop in the customer satisfaction scores, and in this case all the modes fell,” Munro said. “It’s across the board.”
CBC Toronto asked both Lali and the TTC’s chair, Coun. Jamaal Myers, comment on the report’s findings. Neither has yet responded.