Wellesley Institute recently published a series examining how mayoral candidates can show leadership and deliver Toronto the Bold. We called for a city that takes wellness, health, and equity seriously to build a better future for every Torontonian, and a city takes the lead on doing so.
Leading into election day we are providing analyses of the information available to us from leading candidates on how they would address the health equity issues we raised.
Our previous election analysis piece looked at housing. Below, we take a look at what the leading mayoral candidates have committed towards improving Toronto’s public transit system.
In our transit position piece we outlined a vision in which everyone in the city has equitable access to a public transit system that is affordable, conveniently located, and can reliably connect Torontonians to services, educational and employment opportunities, green spaces, social connections, nutritious food, and other health-promoting activities.
For that, mayoral candidates needed to demonstrate a vision and timeline, with measurable public targets, on how they would ensure the transit system delivered on health equity. We recommended that candidates commit to working with community and experts towards building an equitable transit system. This would mean reducing inequities through taking action in three key areas. The first is accessibility, in that public transit is conveniently located and gets all those who need it to where they need to go in a reasonable amount of time. Second, affordability, where fare costs are drastically reduced or eliminated for those under a Thriving wage. Lastly, aligning transit policies and programs to improve on related social determinants of health.
Although several candidates focused on how they would improve public transit safety, including by ensuring cellular access on the TTC, it was unclear how those actions would advance our vision of an equitable transit system.
Ana Bailao committed to reversing cuts to the TTC and return transit service back to pre-pandemic levels but did not appear to propose any plan to assess and deliver on better public transit in underserved areas or for those with transit needs outside of peak periods.
She did not appear to address fare affordability or other equity concerns.
Overall, Bailao’s transit proposals will only improve equitable access to public transit by reversing the recent cuts.
Brad Bradford did not appear to commit to reversing TTC service cuts or expanding transit service beyond pre-pandemic levels nor to address the transit needs in underserved areas or for those with transit needs outside of peak periods.
He did not appear to address fare affordability or other transit-related equity concerns.
Overall, Bradford’s platform would not improve equitable access to public transit.
Olivia Chow committed to reversing TTC cuts and expanding transit service beyond pre-pandemic levels.
She would invest $60 million towards expanding Scarborough’s rapid transit network and creating a dedicated, off-street bus rapid transit line along the rapid transit corridor running from Kennedy Station to Ellesmere. She did not appear to have a plan to assess and deliver on better public transit in underserved areas or for those with transit needs outside of peak periods.
She pledged to expand funding for the Fair Pass Transit Discount Program to other equity-deserving groups, including seniors, those receiving social assistance, and high school students. She also stated that current fines for fare evasion should be lowered.
She committed to expanding the Toronto Community Crisis Service to the TTC.
Overall, her plan would represent positive steps towards improving equitable access and affordability. While her commitment to expanding transit in Scarborough is much needed and will help improve access for some, it is critical that other underserved areas across Toronto are not left behind. We hope that her commitment to expanding transit service extends to other underserved areas and the many people who rely on public transit outside of peak hours. She does not include any clear or measurable targets which would help ensure greater accountability.
Anthony Furey committed to reversing TTC cuts and expanding transit service beyond pre-pandemic levels.
He committed to champion the expansion of Scarborough’s rapid transit network and funding the construction of the Scarborough rapid transit busway if the province does not provide the funding, but would not otherwise address the transit needs in underserved areas or for those with transit needs outside of peak periods.
He would conduct a formal review with a view to removing the RapidTO lanes in Scarborough along Eglinton East, Kingston and Morningside and halt the planned roll out of RapidTO along Jane, Dufferin, Steeles, Finch and Lawrence.
He would expand funding for the Fair Pass Transit Discount Program.
He did not appear to address other transit-related equity concerns.
Overall, some of his proposals would represent positive steps towards improving equitable access and affordability. We are concerned that his proposal to remove priority bus and streetcar lanes and existing bike lane infrastructure across Toronto will increase health inequities. He does not include any clear or measurable targets which would help ensure greater accountability.
Josh Matlow committed to invest up to $183 million from his proposed City Works Fund and climate action levy to reversing TTC cuts. He supports expanding transit service beyond pre-pandemic levels with additional funding in subsequent years.
He committed to developing a comprehensive transportation network in Scarborough that includes a connected network of public transit routes along with cycling and walking trails that will shorten commute times and improve quality of life.
He committed to expand funding for the Fair Pass Transit Discount Program.
He supports ending TTC’s fare enforcement program.
He committed to a $115 million Community Health and Safety Fund, which would help deliver expanded mental health supports by way of transit crisis teams specializing in de-escalation as well as additional and improved shelter access.
Overall, his plan would represent positive steps towards improving equitable access and affordability. We appreciate his understanding of how good public transit is connected to an improved quality of life. Given that, we hope that his commitment to expanding transit service extends to other underserved areas and the many people who rely on public transit outside of peak hours. His commitment to deliver expanded mental health supports by way of trained transit crisis teams is good, and which we hope will lead to more stable and sustainable supportive housing and other critical services. He does not include any clear or measurable targets which would help ensure greater accountability.
Mitzie Hunter committed to reversing $53 million in TTC cuts and expanding transit service beyond pre-pandemic levels.
She would open subways at 5:30AM Monday to Saturday to make it easier for those working early shifts to get to work, and increase Wheel-Trans service to meet increased demand.
She committed to reversing TTC fare hikes , expand funding for the Fair Pass Transit Discount Program, and invest $57 million into eliminating all TTC fares for seniors and Wheel-Trans users.
She would increase police patrols around stations and pair TTC officers with social workers to assist vulnerable people.
Overall, her proposals would represent positive steps towards improving equitable access and affordability. She is the only person to mention expanding subway hours to support workers who require transit during off-peak hours. Expanding this to include buses and streetcar service is important. Her plan to eliminate TTC fare for seniors and Wheel-Trans users is a great start that we hope will be expanded to other marginalized groups. We are wary of increased police patrols in TTC stations as there is no current evidence that this will improve health equity. We hope that alongside social workers, efforts are made to connect those sheltering on the TTC with stable and supportive housing and mental health supports. She does not include any clear or measurable targets which would help ensure greater accountability.
Mark Saunders would reverse TTC cuts but did not appear to be committed to expanding transit service beyond pre-pandemic levels. He would work with the federal and provincial government to expand transit options in Scarborough by accelerating the completion of the Line 4 extension, but offered no funding or plan.
He committed to free TTC fares for seniors aged 65 and up every Monday from 10AM to 3PM.
He did not appear to address improving transit service for those with transit needs outside of peak periods, or address other transit-related equity concerns.
Overall, his proposal to provide a time-limited window of fare-free transit for seniors represents a positive step towards improving equitable access and affordability for some. However, his platform will not otherwise improve equitable access to transit in Toronto for most people and is likely to worsen inequities. He does not include any clear or measurable targets which would help ensure greater accountability.
In conclusion, we have not seen the progress Toronto needs on public transit from our leading mayoral candidates. As we recommended, to achieve an equitable transit system, the future mayor of Toronto must work with community and key stakeholders to develop a vision and timeline for transforming our transit system so that it delivers on health equity for everyone in Toronto.
Unfortunately, no candidates committed to this. No candidates outlined how they will ensure public transit will be expanded to adequately serve the transit needs of underserved areas and workers. No candidates committed to providing clear targets towards transit fare affordability for marginalized groups. And no candidates discussed how their plans for public transit in Toronto would support advancing health equity in other areas.
While the majority of candidates would reverse TTC cuts and expand service beyond pre-pandemic levels, they have no clear plan or public targets to ensure this delivers equity over time. Most campaigns focused on Scarborough for transit expansion while leaving out other underserved communities. Only one platform mentioned the need to improve transit for those who need it during weekends, early mornings, and nights. It is clear that much more work needs to be done and we hope the next mayor will prioritize making Toronto’s transit system equitable for all.