Did you see the pop-up bus lane on Dufferin last week? It didn鈥檛 last long. Toronto鈥檚 leadership acted quickly to remove children鈥檚 paint, moving much faster than they have to advance transit priority projects.
in the wee hours of the morning, demonstrating how easy it can be to install bus lanes. It鈥檚 been harder to find leadership from city council to fast-track such improvements.
These civic activists, motivated by the looming risks facing public transit, took a personal risk to make their point.
Rapid transit like the Scarborough subway and the Ontario Line are not under threat; Premier Doug Ford has taken over responsibility for these projects, and secured federal funding to get them built. It鈥檚 the affordability and quality of TTC service that is at risk, but these critical issues haven鈥檛 been given enough attention during the election.
Just two mayoral debates have been held. Our advocacy group TTCriders decided against organizing a transit debate this year, largely because John Tory skipped out on ones we did host in 2014 and 2018.
It鈥檚 not only the incumbent mayor who has opted out of answering transit questions. Only seven incumbent council candidates 鈥 Paul Ainslie, Brad Bradford, Shelley Carroll, Paula Fletcher, Josh Matlow, Frances Nunziata and Gord Perks 鈥 completed a TTCriders survey about how they will address critical issues like TTC operating budget shortfalls. Tory has yet to complete the survey, preferring to point to his record without making new promises.
Meanwhile, progress that advocates fought for is under attack. Scarborough Southwest residents have reported receiving a robocall with negative messaging about bus lanes from candidate Parthi Kandavel. Scarborough-Rouge Park candidate Ashan Fernando is calling for the removal of bus lanes. Incumbent Scarborough councillors are silent on defending these projects.
Bus lanes on Eglinton East, Kingston and Morningside were fast-tracked during the pandemic because the TTC rightly identified that they benefit essential workers. More lanes were planned, a move supported by the 海角社区官网Office of Recovery and Rebuild and dozens of civic organizations.
But Toronto鈥檚 plan for transit priority has stalled. A Jane Street bus lane was scheduled for installation last year. Now, even public consultation has been delayed until 2023, while target dates for other corridors are 鈥渢o be determined.鈥 Incumbent councillors James Pasternak, Anthony Perruzza and Nunziata have been silent on delays to the Jane bus lane, which would serve residents of their wards.
TTC data shows transit users are mostly shift workers, women, and racialized and lower-income earners. Most of these riders take long trips by bus.
After so much lip-service paid to heroes of the pandemic, will the next council increase the bus service they rely on? Will the promised discount for low-wage workers finally be funded? Or will our cherished TTC continue to decline and lose more riders?
It鈥檚 a critical moment to take civic action and vote for candidates who loudly support better public transit.
Shelagh Pizey-Allen is the executive director of , a membership-based group of transit users.
