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The TTC is an organisation that is struggling. While it faced a great revival under Andy Byford, the system has faced problem after problem under his successor, Rick Leary. Not all of these problems have been within the TTC’s control; most notably the COVID-19 pandemic, but particularly in the last two years things have been feeling very rough.
In all of my years living in Toronto the subway has never felt so slow and unreliable, as well as infrequent and now even loud in places it hadn’t been previously, but the streetcar system also feels like it's in utter chaos, with a huge perceived decline in service and more diversions and disruptions than regular service. When an out-of-towner visited recently, I gave my usual tour of the system (a tour which is generally pretty positive), and I found myself having to excuse a lot more issues than usual, from antisocial behaviour, to poor service. That's before getting into issues like the SRT derailment and subsequent closure, and other concerning safety and service issues. And it's hard not to tie that back to the agency's top leader, previously in senior roles at the MBTA in Boston — a system which is now in crisis — and York Region Transit, which is perhaps most notable for how little transit it actually runs, and the role he has played in it. A role which might not be top of mind because throughout all of the problems of the last several years, Rick Leary has been much less visible than Byford — who often apologised to riders when the type of service disruption happened that has since become far too common.
Now, no doubt some things have improved on the TTC in the last several years from credit card and phone payment to regionally integrated fares, but they often feel like things that while important, are outside of the core mandate of frequent reliable service. This isn’t inevitable. When I travel back to my old home of Vancouver I am reminded that transit in Canada can be good. While Vancouver has its problems like any city, trains and buses are frequent, shutdowns are extremely well organised and communicated, and many things like wayfinding feel in line with some of the best systems in the world, not just North America. Vancouver is also recovering transit riders incredibly quickly, and doing a lot to build on that success.
So, with Rick Leary stepping down, the question is; who can, and who should lead the TTC, and what do they need to do? What's clear is that the TTC does not need more of the same, it needs vision — because even when the “operational basics” like reliable and frequent service are back on track, the system still lags the world cities Toronto wants to be classed with in many regards. From wayfinding, to service design, and modern technology, Toronto really needs a transformation — especially as the city grows and pressure on its public transit system does as well.
Personally, I think outside expertise is something which should strongly be considered in future leader of the TTC, and while Andy Byford is truly an excellent operator, we need to cast a wider net than just Canada and the United Kingdom. Indeed, so many countries and cities have excellent public transport, arguably even more so than the UK — including countries too often skimmed over like Korea, Spain and Chile — and as it turns out, lots of people all around the world speak English! Someone with strong external expertise will still obviously understand the basics of running a solid and reliable system, which Toronto sorely needs, but they will also be aware of the places where Toronto needs to catch up, no longer just to Paris and Tokyo, but to cities from Istanbul to Santiago to Copenhagen and Stockholm; while Toronto's transit has improved rather slowly, other countries have undertaken little-discussed revolutions in public transportation. Of course, a leader needs to appreciate that there are truly some unique things about Toronto, like our temperature swings which are some of the most extreme in the world, but they also need to be comfortable pushing back when someone tells them why a technical standard that is sufficient for Europe or Asia won’t work in Toronto.
Naturally, the leader also needs to be visible and accountable; rebuilding trust with the public means using the system, being visible, and being recognizable, and of course owning up when things don’t go well. And if the TTC is going to become truly great, its leader also needs to be a big advocate, not just for needed funding, but for things which are even harder to get, like road space, and priority over cars.
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Reece Martin is the creator and host of RMTransit, a YouTube channel focused on transit, infrastructure, and development around the world, with extensive knowledge and professional experience as a transportation planner.
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UrbanToronto has a research service, UrbanToronto Pro, that provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Toronto Area—from proposal through to completion. We also offer Instant Reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, that tracks projects from initial application.
