The Toronto region is fortunate to have a network of transit systems that enables nearly two million people to travel to and from work and other destinations every day. Unfortunately, our transit network is a work in progress - a patchwork of municipal and regional services with each transit system facing its own unique challenges and constraints.
That is why we’ve examined the region on a city-by-city basis, crunching the numbers to develop a series of report cards that highlight the strengths, challenges and opportunities of each municipality’s transit system. Key measures of performance include base service coverage, frequent service coverage, reliability, transit priority measures, 24-hour service delivery, and integration.
In many cases, our current shortcomings are the result of a historical lack of resources for transit. Municipalities also face an even bigger challenge – a surging population. Over the past decade, our region has seen unprecedented growth, dramatically altering the fabric of our outlying communities - and our commutes.
These suburban cities now find themselves pressured to stand up an urban-quality transit system that helps residents move within and throughout the region, enabling access to jobs and opportunities that lie beyond municipal borders.
Time, investment, and regional collaboration will help us to close many of the current gaps. With chronic congestion costing us $11B annually in lost productivity, driving talent out of our region and slowing post-pandemic recovery, transit has a critical role to play. We hope these report cards will create a framework for discussion and advocacy, demonstrating with data where additional investment is needed and where opportunities await.