[nfitz]

They do that on King St every few months.

Well that may still be an upgrade. Back when I worked down there before Covid, and was up and down King every weekday, I saw it happen once. But now I've seen it again, despite not being down there for months.

It's actually a bit numbing how many people sit and wait for two light cycles at Church waiting for a green light that isn't coming for them to go straight. Streetcars laying on the horn behind them very rarely get them moving.

Ah. Yeah, I saw that too at one light. But it was just a typical green circle, so I don't understand why.

I don't know why they just don't splash a lot of red paint at the intersections, now they are using it more and more elsewhere.

 

[Jonny5]

I don't know why they just don't splash a lot of red paint at the intersections, now they are using it more and more elsewhere.

We're in year eight of "we're going to dig up King Street any day now and redo it properly this time, so why fix it now?"

 

[drum118]

TTC’s recommended 2026 budget adds service while addressing affordability with fare freeze and ride caps

Jan. 7, 2026

Today, the TTC Board approved its 2026 operating and capital budgets that keeps transit affordable through a third consecutive fare freeze and the introduction of fare capping, adds nearly 200,000 hours of service, and invests $16.7 billion in long-term capital projects.

The $3-billion combined operating budgets for both the TTC conventional system and Wheel-Trans represent a 6.8-per-cent increase over the approved 2025 budgets and ensures safe, frequent, and affordable service for TTC customers.
Highlights of the 2026 budget:

• Freezes TTC fares again at 2023 prices.
• Introduces a fare capping program so any trips after 47 in each month would be free. In 2027, that number drops to 40 trips.
• Dedicates almost $60 million to preserve and enhance 2025 safety initiatives and operating levels as more workers return to office, and to address congestion and changes in ridership patterns.
• Provides additional service for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
• Increases Wheel-Trans funding by $19 million to meet rising demand.
• Funds Lines 5 and 6 operations in 2026 through the New Deal with the Province of Ontario.

“Transit should fit your life, not the other way around. With this budget, fares stay frozen for the third year in a row, fare capping will make travel more affordable, and we’re adding service where people need it most,” said Mayor Olivia Chow. “Toronto residents can get to work, school, or home safely and reliably, without having to choose between transit and other essential expenses. Together, we’re building an affordable and caring city that delivers for you.”

“The TTC is moving from managing challenges to delivering results,” said TTC Chair Jamaal Myers. “This budget strengthens affordability, reliability, and safety while tying investments to clear performance metrics. Riders deserve transparency and accountability, and that’s exactly what we’re delivering.”

“These Board-approved budgets support meaningful investments in our operations and capital projects upon which we can build the incremental improvements that our customers will benefit from,” said TTC CEO Mandeep S. Lali. “It also means we will be able to deliver world-class service during the World Cup, which will bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to our City.”

The recommended 2026-2035 Capital Budget and Plan is $16.7 billion.

Priority projects funded through the capital plan over the next five years include:
• Conventional and Wheel-Trans bus fleet replacements and associated charging infrastructure
• Critical subway systems (signals, electrical and communications) and equipment (escalators, elevators, ventilation and subway pumps/backflow preventers) to maintain reliability and enhance the customer experience
• Facility renewal programs including roofing rehabilitation, HVAC replacements, overhead doors, safety systems and infrastructure renewal projects to maintain asset integrity
• Streetcar track replacement
The plan adds $1.36 billion for important longer-term state of good repair, reliability and safety and legislative programs, including:
• $302.8 million for subway, bus, and streetcar vehicle overhauls
• $168.8 million for crucial subway and surface track replacement
• $253.4 million for traction power, signaling, communications and power distribution asset replacement/rehabilitation
• $141.6 million for facility rehabilitation/modifications

Except for the fare policy items, the TTC Budget now goes to the City for consideration as part of the 2026 budget process.

All TTC budget reports and presentations are available at: https://secure.toronto.ca/council/#/committees/2944/27791

 

[Northern Light]

This could go in the Mayor Chow thread, but I'll stick it here:

Discussion at TTC today of where the budget for 2027 is headed:

TTC board warned of ‘terrifying’ outlook for next year during budget debate

TTC staff warned that there would be a $379-million shortfall next year requiring a huge fare increase, if no additional funding comes from the province.

www.thestar.com

From the above:

 

[CMQSD402F9011]

This could go in the Mayor Chow thread, but I'll stick it here:

Discussion at TTC today of where the budget for 2027 is headed:

TTC board warned of ‘terrifying’ outlook for next year during budget debate

TTC staff warned that there would be a $379-million shortfall next year requiring a huge fare increase, if no additional funding comes from the province.

www.thestar.com

From the above:

View attachment 707330

What happened to the planned Parking levy that TTCriders once planned of? Shows how Doug Ford has No interest in bringing back the provincial operating subsidies to the TTC

 

[Toronto1834]

What happened to the planned Parking levy that TTCriders once planned of? Shows how Doug Ford has No interest in bringing back the provincial operating subsidies to the TTC

I think the City needed MPAC data to make it work, which is controlled by the province. They were going to ask MPAC for the data last I recall, not sure what happened with that.

 

[81-717]

Priority projects funded through the capital plan over the next five years include:
• Conventional and Wheel-Trans bus fleet replacements and associated charging infrastructure
• Critical subway systems (signals, electrical and communications) and equipment (escalators, elevators, ventilation and subway pumps/backflow preventers) to maintain reliability and enhance the customer experience
• Facility renewal programs including roofing rehabilitation, HVAC replacements, overhead doors, safety systems and infrastructure renewal projects to maintain asset integrity
• Streetcar track replacement
The plan adds $1.36 billion for important longer-term state of good repair, reliability and safety and legislative programs, including:
• $302.8 million for subway, bus, and streetcar vehicle overhauls
• $168.8 million for crucial subway and surface track replacement
• $253.4 million for traction power, signaling, communications and power distribution asset replacement/rehabilitation
• $141.6 million for facility rehabilitation/modifications

No mention of the new subway fleet, huh? Can they just award the damn contract already

 

[nfitz]

And they should be locked up (obviously). Of course, even if they were to be released on bail the very next day, I'm sure there'd be people ...

No one is suggesting otherwise than locking up terrorists. I've never heard anyone even suggesting they be bailed. This is rather scarecrowy isn't it?

No mention of the new subway fleet, huh? Can they just award the damn contract already

Read it again. It says "includes" those items. It's not restricted to those items. They've already made crystal clear the new cars are funded.

 

[CMQSD402F9011]

With trucking might be expensive in the future. Wouldn’t TTC build like an unloading spur or ramp at Kipling from the CP Rail Galt Sub for the future subway car deliveries? Greenwood might probably not be used anymore.

 

[smallspy]

With trucking might be expensive in the future. Wouldn’t TTC build like an unloading spur or ramp at Kipling from the CP Rail Galt Sub for the future subway car deliveries? Greenwood might probably not be used anymore.

A ramp was built at Wilson for the TR deliveries. It is still there, and will likely be where all new cars are delivered in the future.

Dan

 

[81-717]

No one is suggesting otherwise than locking up terrorists. I've never heard anyone even suggesting they be bailed. This is rather scarecrowy isn't it?

One would hope so, but reading some posts/threads here, especially posts by certain people (they know who they are) often gives the impression of a "soft on" / "bleeding heart" attitude to the problem at best.

Read it again. It says "includes" those items. It's not restricted to those items. They've already made crystal clear the new cars are funded.

Yet the contract still isn't awarded ("negotiations with Alstom" should've been completed by now, and the contract not being awarded is now the only thing stopping Thunder Bay from designing & building those things already).

With trucking might be expensive in the future. Wouldn’t TTC build like an unloading spur or ramp at Kipling from the CP Rail Galt Sub for the future subway car deliveries? Greenwood might probably not be used anymore.

The new cars are needed sooner (should've already been here starting this year, but no thanks to Leary's incompetence & complicity in delaying/cancelling them, the best we can hope for now is 2030 or maybe 2029 if we're really lucky) than the new yard would be built (the new yard seems to have been pushed back to probably the late 2030s at best, presumably to be concurrent with a potential west extension), so GW isn't going anywhere. The new cars are spec'd as 2-car sets (unlike the TRs) specifically for this reason.

 

[RapidTransit]

New cars will still be designed for 6-car open gangway operations. I assume a similar set up as the BART trains.

I'm sure there's a lot of details to work out before signing off on anything. As there should be. Why design something when not knowing the full ask.

My wishkist, that will never happen is for Sheppard to be 6car trains as well. Make all subway lines the same, instead of a unique fleet.

 

[81-717]

New cars will still be designed for 6-car open gangway operations

Yes the gangways will span all 6 cars, but they could still be uncoupled into 3 pairs, unlike the TRs. Though maybe they should've gone with the REM configuration with the gangways spanning each pair only.

I'm sure there's a lot of details to work out before signing off on anything. As there should be. Why design something when not knowing the full ask.

The details should've already been worked out when the RFP was posted twice in 2023/2024. What "should be" is for them to arrive as soon as possible, since they're already gonna be late. Absolutely not a single T1 should be anywhere other than a scrapyard beyond the early 2030s (same with the TRs beyond the early/mid 2040s), period.

My wishkist, that will never happen is for Sheppard to be 6car trains as well. Make all subway lines the same, instead of a unique fleet.

Maybe when the 4 is extended into a proper line, provided they have the sense to not build a separate tram line or OL 2.0

 

[CMQSD402F9011]

A ramp was built at Wilson for the TR deliveries. It is still there, and will likely be where all new cars are delivered in the future.

Dan

I meant if it’s possible to build a ramp at Kipling station (Where the Galt sub is) or possibly at Wilson now that the airport has been closed at Downsview.

The new cars are needed sooner (should've already been here starting this year, but no thanks to Leary's incompetence & complicity in delaying/cancelling them, the best we can hope for now is 2030 or maybe 2029 if we're really lucky) than the new yard would be built (the new yard seems to have been pushed back to probably the late 2030s at best, presumably to be concurrent with a potential west extension), so GW isn't going anywhere. The new cars are spec'd as 2-car sets (unlike the TRs) specifically for this reason.

Greenwood yard stopped taking deliveries of new subway cars in the early 2000s iirc. But yea Greenwood isn’t going anywhere.

 

[smallspy]

I meant if it’s possible to build a ramp at Kipling station (Where the Galt sub is) or possibly at Wilson now that the airport has been closed at Downsview.

What bearing does the existence or lack-thereof of an airport at Downview have on the existence and use of a loading ramp at the TTC's facility?

At the end of the day - sure, anything is possible. But the question is why? What does building a new ramp at Kipling or anywhere else get you versus one at a TTC facility that already exists?

Dan