Open the purse strings, TTC tells city hall
Record ridership means the Toronto Transit Commission needs both a 5-cent fare hike Jan. 1 plus a $17 million increase in its operating subsidy from city council, the city’s budget committee was told Thursday.
The subsidy increase is needed just to accommodate ridership growth and won’t mean transit vehicles will be any less crowded in 2014, said TTC chief executive Andy Byford.
Fares pay 73 per cent of operating costs and city council supplies 27 per cent, which last year came to $411 million or 78 cents a ride – lower than the subsidy in other North American cities, the TTC says.
With ridership projected to increase to 540 million rides from 526 million, the TTC has requested $428 million from council, which is to make its decision next month.
Byford said the subsidy remained at $411 million this year and last, after being cut from $429 million in 2011.
“Enough’s enough,” Byford told reporters after presenting the TTC’s numbers to the budget committee.
“With a predicted 2.3 per cent rise in customer numbers over the next year, we have to drive up that subsidy,” Byford said.
“To me, this is a defining moment for the TTC. This budget will mean, do we stand still or, worse, slide back, or do we move forward?”
Ridership has been hitting new highs for the past seven years, the committee was told.
Councillor Doug Ford, vice-chair of budget, said the transit system has too many managers.
“Something’s wrong here,” Ford said. “Something’s broken. I believe we need more front-line workers.”
Byford responded that over three budgets, 2012, 2013 and the proposed deal for 2014, the TTC will have added 647 front line positions and deleted 214 management positions.
“I think my record stands for itself,” he said. “My policy is to put more people on the front line and less people in back offices.”
“I’m not going to back down on the need for additional subsidy. I think it’s unfair to increase fares by any more than we’ve proposed.”
The 5-cent Jan. 1 fare hike will bring the cost of a token to $2.70 from $2.65. The cash fare stays at $3.
