Toronto Transit Commission - Strategic Planning Committee
The full agenda, as filed
All 3 items in the clerk’s order. Each carries the city’s own words: the staff recommendation, what the body decided, and its status. Nothing below is written by us.
TTS4.1amended
Development of a Long-Term Financial Plan for the TTC
Through the 2026 TTC Budget, and 2025 Strategic Planning Committee meetings, the TTC identified operating and capital budget pressures over the short, medium and long- term. Various strategies are utilized each year to balance the operating budget, and to set a ten-year capital budget and plan that addresses the most immediate and critical priorities of the organization. The short-term balancing of the TTC's financial pressures would not have been achieved without a substantial City subsidy in recent years, including the Ontario-Toronto New Deal providing three-years of operating funding support, and project specific capital grant funding from the provincial and federal governments. For instance, the injection of $5.1 billion in the 2025-2034 Capital Plan, which was predominantly city funding, reduced the TTC's state-of-good-repair backlog by $3.9 billion, or nearly 50%. However, fleet plan changes, asset condition assessments and cost estimate increases have increased the SOGR backlog in the 2026-2035 Capital Plan to a projected $6.1 billion at the end of the 10-year planning window. Funding for new trains, buses and streetcars by other orders of government addressed immediate fleet needs, and the operating support through COVID, have kept the system going. While these efforts had significant impact in the immediate term, the TTC still has a long-term financial problem due to a fiscal framework that has not evolved at the same pace as the scale, complexity, and expectations of a world class transit system. This cycle of finding immediate term solutions to the budgetary pressures of the organization is one repeated annually. With each successive year the balancing act produces increasingly limited opportunities to find new efficiencies and revenue generation opportunities. The TTC's aging assets continue to drive state-of good repair investment needs to maintain existing levels of service, while struggling to fund capacity enhancements to keep up with growth. Each year, we indicate a new fiscal framework for public transit is required that is predictable and sustainable. The purpose of this report is to outline the work the TTC is undertaking to develop a recommended approach on a new fiscal framework for public transit in Canada's largest city. The objective of developing a formal Long-Term Financial Plan (LTFP) for the TTC is to provide alternative fiscal and service scenarios for decision-makers to consider with a deliberate view of a longer-term horizon of the organization. The LTFP will establish a recommended framework for achieving financial sustainability and outline the specific actions within the TTC's control based on the current financial and governance model of the organization, and opportunities where government partner support may be required. This report outlines the objectives, key areas of analysis and options that will be explored as the TTC formalizes a long-term financial plan for the organization. This includes consideration of the opportunities and investments required to support ridership growth (see Ridership Growth Strategy), and ongoing intergovernmental partnership support.
The Strategic Planning Committee: 1. Received this report for information. 2. Requested TTC staff to include in the Phase 1 work, ideas and opportunities for public and intergovernmental advocacy informed by Canadian and global best practices.
Staff recommendation as filed
It is recommended that the Strategic Planning Committee: 1. Receive this report for information.
TTS4.2amended
2026-2028 Ridership Growth Strategy
This report presents the 2026-2028 Ridership Growth Strategy (RGS) summarizing key trends, strategic challenges, and recommended actions to grow ridership in Toronto over the next three years in a prioritized manner. It provides a consolidated blueprint that builds upon extensive research, consultation, and previous TTC strategies to guide near and midterm decision-making.
The Strategic Planning Committee: 1. Directed staff to prioritize ridership growth initiatives that leverage existing resources and service when developing the 2027 budget. 2. Sent the report back to staff for further work and consideration, such work and consideration to include: stakeholder consultation and expert input into its plan; an articulation of a ridership growth vision and a high level statement on what the TTC is seeking to address in terms of increasing mobility in Toronto; an analyses of the mobility context modal share review and new trends in employment, leisure and development pressures; a review of the opportunities that exist in this context that can increase modal share and ridership growth, including new fare products, review of TTC service standards, new ideas that trend towards higher gain with lower costs; and possible cost and strategies to fund a Ridership Growth Strategy, such strategies to be developed in consultation with the City. 3. Requested staff to report back to the TTC by Q1 2027 with specific options and recommendations for the Board's consideration. 4. As part of the City-TTC MOU outlining roles and responsibilities, include an overview of the roles of partners required for the execution of ridership growth initiatives, along with their respective accountabilities. 5. Directed TTC staff to work with the City of Toronto to establish city-wide long-term mode share objectives, that includes all modes along with transit ridership growth targets. 6. Directed TTC staff to develop a long-term strategy document that integrates the Ridership Growth Strategy, Long-Term Financial Plan, and other relevant strategic and policy documents that will serve as the integrating and guiding framework for transit capital, service, and policy directions.
Staff recommendation as filed
It is recommended that the Strategic Planning Committee: 1. Endorse the 2026-2028 Ridership Growth Strategy.
TTS4.3adopted
Intergovernmental Relations - Status Update
The report provides a summary of recent intergovernmental activities, including confirmed changes to the Canada Public Transit Fund (CPTF). An update on other key advocacy efforts is provided.
The Strategic Planning Committee: 1. Received this report for information.
Staff recommendation as filed
It is recommended that the Strategic Planning Committee: 1. Receive this report for information.