Toronto’s mayor is endorsing a TTC plan that would see the addition of hundreds of new buses and streetcars.
It’s a motion that, if approved by City council, would see Toronto invest more than a billion dollars into a new fleet of TTC vehicles.
“Investing in transit state of good repair isn’t really sexy, but it is necessary if we want a transit system that operates at its best and at it’s most reliable,” the mayor said.
“Working with the TTC, we have laid out a plan to start making those investments with your valued tax dollars. But it is also extremely important that our investments are in short order matched by the federal and provincial governments who both understand the importance of investing in transit, investing in Canadian built vehicles, and investing in our post-COVID future,” he added.
Tory says that the City is putting in the money first – fronting 40 per cent of the funding needed for the plan, which also includes 600 new bases – half of which would be fully electrical – and 80 new subways for the Bloor-Danforth line.
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All of these vehicles would be running within the next 2 years, but the big question is why the City is opting to partner again with Bombardier.
While it’s clear a switch to a different company would result in delays, TTC C-E-O, Rick Leary, says the reliability of the current vehicles has come a long way.
“We know there were challenges early on and are very pleased with the direction it’s going in, but they will be held accountable right to the end of the delivery,” he said.
With the plan in the hands of City council, Tory says it’s crucial, as Toronto looks ahead to post-pandemic life which, on transit, has recently led to overcrowding concerns on buses.
