海角社区官网

“TTC riders must feel safe and know how to respond,” she said.

During the pilot “we’ll have highly visible crisis workers in uniform on the subway,” who will be “offering appropriate expert care to people experiencing mental health illness, and keeping riders safe at the meantime.”

While the TCCS is intended to provide a nonpolice response to mental health issues, Chow said the pilot was part of a wider effort to improve public safety on the TTC and elsewhere, and the city has also hired more front-line transit staff, police, paramedics and firefighters.听

The pilot,听which was first announced in May,听will begin Nov. 15, at a time when more commuters are expected to start returning downtown under back-to-office mandates from major employers such as big banks and the provincial government. The colder months will also likely compel more homeless people, many of whom face mental health challenges, to seek shelter in the transit system.

Public safety on transit has become a significant concern for 海角社区官网residents at least since the onset of the pandemic five years ago, although not all incidents that have contributed to those fears have been tied to mental illness.听A recent city-commissioned survey found about 34 per cent of respondents said they felt unsafe on the TTC.听

The teams will be stationed at Spadina, Bloor-Yonge, and Union stations and will respond to calls throughout the downtown 鈥淯鈥� of Line 1, with an 鈥渆nhanced presence鈥� during peak travel times. Riders can reach the service through the SafeTTC app, or by alerting TTC staff or calling 211.听

They will work with groups that already help address safety on the TTC, including transit agency staff, Streets to Homes, LOFT community services, security guards and the police.

Chow said the program will be evaluated, and if successful, could be expanded across the transit system. The pilot is expected to cost $540,000 this year, and $1.8 million over a full year. The mayor plans to bring a report to the Oct. 8 council meeting with more details of the program.听听

The mayor was joined at the announcement by 海角社区官网police Chief Myron Demkiw, who said the TCCS was an important part of the force鈥檚 approach of partnering with community groups to ensure the appropriate response to different types of calls.

He said most mental health related calls don’t result in violence, and referring them to crisis teams that treat them as health care issues rather than police matters “allows everyone to focus on what they do best.”听

But Demkiw stressed that his officers would be still available to respond to dangerous situations on the transit system. 鈥淭oday鈥檚 announcement does not replace our presence, in fact it complements it,鈥� he said.

In a statement, Coun. Brad Bradford (Ward 19, Beaches 鈥� East York) said the pilot didn’t go far enough, and called for more special constables and police officers in stations and on transit vehicles.听

“I鈥檓 glad to hear that Mayor Chow is finally acknowledging what Torontonians have been saying for years: people do not feel safe on the TTC,” said Bradford, a vocal critic of the mayor expected to run against her in next October’s election.听

“Unfortunately, I鈥檓 concerned that her administration is still failing to address the problem of transit safety with the seriousness it deserves.”

The city launched the TCCS in 2022, and has designated it the municipality’s fourth emergency service, joining police, fire and paramedics. Under Chow, council approved expanding it citywide in 2024. 听

According to , since the service’s inception, it has responded to more than 25,000 mental health crisis calls, and in 2023 resolved 78 per cent of calls transferred from 911 without the involvement of police. City staff credit TCCS with contributing to to a 4.5 per cent decrease in mental health related 911 calls that year.听