Toronto Transit Commission - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Island Ferry

The ferry service to the Toronto Islands

Toronto Islands

The Toronto Islands are a chain of small islands in the city of Toronto, Ontario. Comprising the only group of islands in the western part of Lake Ontario, the Toronto Islands are located just offshore from the city centre, and provide shelter for Toronto Harbour...

was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation

Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division

The City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division is the division of the Toronto municipal government responsible for city-owned parks, forests, and recreation centres...

Gray Coach

Gray Coach Lines was a suburban and regional inter-city bus operator founded in 1927 by the TTC. Gray Coach used inter-urban coaches to link Toronto to points throughout Southern Ontario. In addition, Gray Coach operated tour buses in association with Gray Line Tours

Gray Line Worldwide

Gray Line Worldwide operates local sightseeing tours across the world using trolley coaches, double-deckers and standard single deck coaches. It also offers charter services, airport transfers and convention services....

. The main terminal was the Metropolitan Toronto Bus Terminal on Elizabeth Street, downtown. In 1954, Gray Coach expanded further when it acquired suburban routes from independent bus operators not merged with the TTC as it expanded to cover Metro Toronto. By the 1980s, Gray Coach faced fierce competition in the inter-urban service in the GTA. The TTC sold Gray Coach Lines in 1990.

Buses

Buses are a large part of TTC operations today, but before about 1960, they played a minor role compared to streetcars. Buses began to operate in the city in 1921 and became necessary for areas without streetcar service. After an earlier experiment in the 1920s, trolley buses

Trolleybus

A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...

were used on a number of routes starting in 1947, but all trolley bus routes were converted to bus operation between 1991 and 1993. The TTC always used the term trolley coach to refer to its trackless electric vehicles. Hundreds of old buses were recently replaced with the new, low-floor Orion VII, and the TTC has recently acquired many hybrid electric bus

Hybrid electric bus

A hybrid electric bus combines a conventional internal combustion engine propulsion system with an electric propulsion system. These type of buses normally use a diesel-electric powertrain and are also known as hybrid diesel-electric buses....

es. A new order will bring the total of hybrids to over 500, second only to New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

. Older (2001–2006) TTC Orion VIIs feature the standard, "bread-box" style, whereas newer (2007- ) buses feature Orion's new, more stylish body. Although most of the bus fleet has already been replaced, a number of lift-equipped, high floor buses are reaching the end of their useful lifespan, and another order of buses may be needed around 2012. With a total of 2031 buses, the TTC is the third largest transit bus operator in North America, behind the Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...

in New York City (6263) and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is the California state-chartered regional transportation planning agency and public transportation operating agency for the County of Los Angeles formed in 1993 out of a merger of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the...

(2911).

The TTC also runs Wheel-Trans, a paratransit

Paratransit

Paratransit is an alternative mode of flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules. Typically mini-buses are used to provide paratransit service, but also share taxis and jitneys are important providers....

service for the physically disabled with special low-floor buses designed to accommodate wheelchairs and to make boarding easier for ambulatory customers with limited mobility.

Rapid transit

The Toronto subway and RT

Toronto subway and RT

The Toronto subway and RT is a rapid transit system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consisting of both underground and elevated railway lines, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission . It was Canada's first completed subway system, with the first line being built under Yonge Street, which opened in...

is a basic system consisting of the Yonge–University–Spadina line, a U-shaped line opened in 1954 and was last extended in 1996; the Bloor–Danforth line, an east-west line opened in 1966 and was last extended in 1980; the Scarborough RT, a partly elevated light metro

Medium-capacity rail transport system

In rail transport, a medium-capacity system is a non-universal term coined to differentiate an intermediate system between light rail and heavy rail. The concept is similar to Light Metro, seen in European countries...

line opened in 1985 which continues from the Bloor-Danforth Line's eastern terminus; and the Sheppard line, opened in 2002. The three subway lines are serviced by 678 cars grouped in trains of 4 cars (Sheppard Line) or 6 cars (Yonge-University-Spadina, Bloor-Danforth Lines), with all three sharing non-revenue track connections and using the same technology. The Scarborough RT has a fleet of 28 cars grouped into trains of 4 cars each; it is not compatible with the subway system whatsoever, and therefore shares no track connections or equipment.

All subway lines provide service seven days a week from approximately 6:00 a.m. until 1:30 a.m. (the following day) (last train runs at approximately 1:45 in each direction) except for Sundays in which the opening is delayed until approximately 9:00 a.m. During the overnight periods the subway and its stations are closed in order for maintenance at track level and in the stations themselves. Overnight service is provided by buses operating above ground. These special overnight routes are issued numbers in the 300 series and referred to as Blue Night

Blue Night Network

The Blue Night Network is the overnight public transit service operated by the Toronto Transit Commission in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The network consists of a basic grid of 22 bus and 2 streetcar routes, distributed so that almost all of the city is within 2 km of at least one...

routes, indicated by a typical TTC bus stop sign with a blue band added.

Plans were made for a streetcar subway along Queen Street, which were upgraded to a full subway in 1964, from the Humber loop to Greenwood, curving north to connect to the Bloor-Danforth Subway. All that ever materialized of this line was an incomplete east-west station structure under Queen station at Yonge, which remains in existence today, and structural provisions for an east-west station under Osgoode Station at Queen and University Avenue. The Queen Subway plan was cancelled in 1974 in favour of new lines in North York, however plans from Toronto and Ontario now necessitate its construction within the next 20 years to relieve pressure from the growing ridership on the Yonge subway line.

In the mid-1990s, work began on an Eglinton West subway line, but the project was cancelled before significant progress was made. Construction of this line is no longer a priority for the TTC, but in early 2007 Eglinton Crosstown LRT revisited the idea. The LRT would run underground in the central part of the line between Keele Street and Laird Drive, with the remainder a surface LRT route which would span almost the entire length of the city from Pearson Airport to Scarborough. It was eventually relaunched as the Eglinton–Scarborough Crosstown line after Transit City

Transit City

Transit City was a plan for developing public transport in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was first proposed and announced by then-Toronto Mayor David Miller and Chair of the Toronto Transit Commission Adam Giambrone on March 16, 2007...

was cancelled, now being completely underground and incorporating the Scarborough RT.

A current focus for the TTC's rapid-transit expansion is a short extension bringing the western branch of the Yonge-University-Spadina Line north-west to York University

York University

York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....

, Steeles Avenue

Steeles Avenue

Steeles Avenue is an east-west street that forms the northern city limit of Toronto and the southern limit of York Region, Ontario, Canada. It stretches across the western Greater Toronto Area from Milborough Townline in Halton Region east to the Scarborough-Pickering limit. It runs for within...

and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre in York Region. The Government of Ontario announced on March 23, 2006, that it will provide $670 million for this extension, about one-third of the expected cost. A northerly extension on the Yonge branch is being lobbied by York Region and the Province of Ontario, and is being investigated by the TTC. This project would bring the Yonge line north to the existing Richmond Hill Centre transit terminal in Richmond Hill at Highway 7, and would be possible when a new signal system allows headways on the Yonge line to decrease from the current 150 seconds to as little as 90. Another project long considered to be financially beneficial to the commission is the extension of the Bloor-Danforth subway line 1-2 kilometres westbound beside the CP rail line to The East Mall (major artery) near Cloverdale Mall (shopping centre), however this is unlikely to be built in the near future given the recent plans for a regional bus terminal at Kipling Station, the current terminus.

In September 2006, Toronto City Council

Toronto City Council

The Toronto City Council is the governing body of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors....

approved a contract for 234 new state-of-the-art cars from Bombardier Transportation

Bombardier Transportation

Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....

, based upon the company's Movia

Movia

Movia is a family of metro train built by Bombardier Transportation. The structure and body shell are fully customisable for the needs of each system that orders it. Unlike most traditional metro trains, they usually have full-width gangways between carriages, allowing passengers to walk the entire...

trains. Much controversy surrounded this purchase, as Bombardier was awarded a non-bid contract. Competitor Siemens AG

Siemens

Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...

stated that it could fulfil the contract for up to $100,000,000 less by assembling the trains outside of Canada, whereas the Bombardier trains will be built in the plant that has assembled most of Toronto's subways in Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay

-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...

. These trains arrived in late 2010, with the first train entering revenue operation on July 21, 2011.

Streetcars

Toronto's streetcar system is one of the few in North America still operating along street-running tracks and has been operating since the mid-19th century (horsecar

Horsecar

A horsecar or horse-drawn tram is an animal-powered streetcar or tram.These early forms of public transport developed out of industrial haulage routes that had long been in existence, and from the omnibus routes that first ran on public streets in the 1820s, using the newly improved iron or steel...

service started in 1861 and 600 V

Volt

The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...

Direct current

Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...

overhead electric service in 1892). Streetcar service dates back to the Toronto Street Railway horse-drawn cars and continues today with the current electric cars. New TTC routes since the 1940s have generally been operated by other modes, and the less-busy streetcar routes have also been converted. Streetcar routes are now focused on the downtown area, with none running farther north than St. Clair Avenue

St. Clair Avenue

St. Clair Avenue is a major east-west street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was laid out in the late 18th century by the British as a concession road , north of Bloor Street and north of Queen Street....

, about 5 km from Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...

.

A great expansion of the streetcar network (as "Light Rapid Transit" on private rights-of-way) was proposed by the City of Toronto and the TTC on March 16, 2007, in the Transit City

Transit City

report. As of November 2007 streetcars are equipped with the Surface Vehicle Automatic Stop Announcement System (SVASAS) which is called out over the P.A. system which dictates the name of the next stop. In addition, an L.E.D. board on the streetcar displays the name of the street and changes each time it passes a stop which is mounted behind the operator's shield. Now, almost all TTC vehicles have the SVASAS. In October 2007 the Ontario Human Rights Commission

Ontario Human Rights Commission

The Ontario Human Rights Commission was established in the Canadian province of Ontario on March 29, 1961 to administer the Ontario Human Rights Code...

introduced a new legislation that will require all transit operators in Ontario to call out all stops for the visually impaired passengers.

Prior to the introduction of the Canadian Light Rail Vehicle

Canadian Light Rail Vehicle

The Canadian Light Rail Vehicle ' is a type of streetcar that is used by the Toronto Transit Commission in Toronto, Canada.-Background:...

and the Articulated Light Rail Vehicle, the TTC operated a fleet of 765 PCC-type streetcars

PCC streetcar

The PCC streetcar design was first built in the United States in the 1930s. The design proved successful in its native country, and after World War II was licensed for use elsewhere in the world...

- 540 which they purchased new, the rest of which were purchased as other cities sold off their PCC streetcar fleets.

The TTC's current fleet of 248 streetcars is nearing the end of its useful life, and the TTC will be buying at least 204 new LRVs. The commission has stated that potential bidders for the new contract must propose a 100% low-floor vehicle. These new vehicles will likely be costly, as the TTC's network has unique challenges such as steep grades on hills (up to 8%), many extremely sharp curves (as little as 10 973 mm / 36.0 ft in radius), and a unique track gauge (1495 mm / 4 ft 10⅞ in). The commission intends to customize a model that meets approximately 75% of its criteria. Bombardier

Bombardier Transportation

won the bidding with its Bombardier Flexity Outlook

Flexity Outlook

The Flexity Outlook is a family of 100% low-floor articulated light-rail trams manufactured by Bombardier Transportation. Part of the larger Flexity product line , Flexity Outlook cars fall into two distinct sub-categories with dramatically different appearances...

model. The new streetcars, customized Bombardier Flexity Outlooks, are set to be built and in service as soon as 2013.

The TTC has retained two PCC streetcars (#4500 and #4549) and one Peter Witt streetcar

Peter Witt streetcar

Peter Witt was a Cleveland Railway commissioner, who designed a model of streetcar known by his name, and used in many North American cities, most notably in Toronto and Cleveland.-Features:...

(#2766, primarily for charter service.

However, during the summer of 2009 and 2010, the TTC ran one of its two PCC cars on the 509 Harbourfront

509 Harbourfront

509 Harbourfront is a streetcar route in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission.-History:The Harbourfront LRT, originally designated 604 Harbourfront, began service in 1990...

route on Sundays between May and the Labour Day weekend of that year. In previous years, one of the PCC cars would run along the Harbourfront route on holidays during the summer.

Fares

The TTC fare system accepts cash, tickets (for Students and Seniors), tokens, and transit passes. As of January 3, 2010, adult cash fares are $3.00 for a single trip, or $2.50 each for trips using tokens (customer must purchase in increments of four from token vending machines (TVMs) or from collector booths). Adult passes are available by the day $10, week $36, or month $121, with a 12-month subscription option for $111/month. Student or senior cash fares are $2.00 for a single trip, or $1.65 each using tickets which are sold in groups of 5. Student/senior weekly passes are sold for $28 and monthly passes for $99. Child cash fare is $.75 or 10 tickets for $5.50. The $10 day pass is valid for one adult and 5 youths (up to age of 19) or 2 adults and up to 4 youths on the weekends or holidays.
Transfers are free (for trips in one direction), and are encouraged by the grid system of routes and by transfer terminals at many subway stations. Transfers must be picked up at the point of entry, as outgoing buses and streetcars will not accept transfers from the closest subway station.

There are more than 1,200 vendors licensed to sell TTC fares in Toronto.

The provincial Minister of Transportation has announced plans to introduce the Presto card, a unified smart card

Smart card

A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card , is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. A smart card or microprocessor cards contain volatile memory and microprocessor components. The card is made of plastic, generally polyvinyl chloride, but sometimes acrylonitrile...

-based payment system for the entire Greater Toronto Area

Greater Toronto Area

The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...

. Union railway station will be first Toronto location to use the card in 2007 and four other stations (Don Mills, Downsview, Finch, and Islington) by 2010. There are no plans for the TTC to actually adopt the Presto card yet, rather the surrounding transit systems. This is why only stations connecting to other systems will be equipped- Don Mills (YRT), Finch (YRT, GO, Brampton Transit), Downsview (YRT), Union (GO Trains, buses) and Islington (Mississauga Transit). The TTC has indicated that it is not yet willing to invest the required capital to convert to the Presto card. According to the director of corporate communications for the TTC the presto system is at least 5 years away from full implementation.

The TTC hopes to install a new fare box designed to catch counterfeit tokens and passes on all city buses, streetcars and subway stops by the end of 2011. The system is being introduced to combat $1 million per year of fare fraud. With the new system costing about $5.3 million by current estimates it would take at least five years to pay for itself. The new system is incompatible with the Presto card and is only a stopgap measure which would require an upgrade or replacement to make it compatible. It is being trialled on limited bus lines.

Schedules and route information

Route information can be accessed through the TTC Info number 416-393-INFO. Individual route schedules are available online at TTC.ca. Google Maps supports the TTC since October 2010. Schedules for particular route are also usually posted at TTC transfer points, and trip planning services are available by phone.

Additional TTC information is circulated by "What's On" and "Rocket Rider/TTC Customer News" pamphlets located on some vehicles. Information can be accessed in person at the TTC head office

William McBrien Building

William McBrien Building is the administrative headquarters of the Toronto Transit Commission. Designed by Charles B. Dolphin and opened in 1958, the 7-storey building is located at 1900 Yonge Street above the Davisville subway station. The building is named for former TTC Chairman William C...

(Davisville Station

Davisville (TTC)

Davisville is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 1900 Yonge Street at Chaplin Crescent/Davisville Avenue...

1900 Yonge St.), but the TTC Info Centre at the Bloor-Yonge Station

Bloor-Yonge (TTC)

Bloor-Yonge is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina and the Bloor–Danforth subway lines operated by the Toronto Transit Commission in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 733 Yonge Street at Bloor Street West/East...

has been closed.

On December 15, 2008, the TTC launched a new Next Vehicle Arrival System (NVAS) to indicate the time of arrival of the next vehicle along a given route. The Spadina and Harbourfont streetcar lines were the first equipped with the NVIS system, with time-to-arrival information displayed on LED systems at Union and Spadina stations. Spadina also features a flat-screen television showing all of the cars on the 510 Spadina route. All TTC streetcars have been upgraded with GPS

Global Positioning System

The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...

receivers and now operate with NVIS. Most subway stations are equipped with OneStop media screens displaying time until the next train, time of day, and other useful information, replacing the older and years-derelict "Subway Online" system. Streetcar and bus stops do not yet have informational displays; customers can receive this information through a SMS

SMS

SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...

-based information system by texting station codes to the NVIS service. The TTC is still in the process to expand the system to all routes, and will be in place in all 69 subway stations by 2010.

Online trip planner

On February 3, 2010, the TTC launched an online trip planner, which allows commuters to plan their routes and transfers by typing in an address, main intersection or landmark as a starting point or destination from TTC's official website. However, since its launch, the trip planner has remained in beta mode. There are still a few bugs to be fixed. On October 2010, the TTC officially integrated its trip planner with Google Maps

Google Maps

Google Maps is a web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, free , that powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder, Google Transit, and maps embedded on third-party websites via the Google Maps API...

Connections

The TTC makes connections with other transit systems of the Greater Toronto Area

Greater Toronto Area

. GO Transit

GO Transit

GO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe...

, MiWay, York Region Transit

York Region Transit

York Region Transit is the public transit operator in York Region, Ontario, Canada. Its headquarters are in Richmond Hill, at 50 High Tech Road....

, Viva

Viva (bus rapid transit)

Viva is a bus rapid transit service operating in York Region, Ontario, Canada. Viva service is integrated with York Region Transit's local bus service to operate as one regional transit system providing seamless transit service across York Region and connections to northern Toronto.Viva was...

, Brampton Transit

Brampton Transit

Brampton Transit is public transport bus operator for the City of Brampton in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and within the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada. Brampton Transit began operations in 1974....

and Durham Region Transit

Durham Region Transit

Durham Region Transit is the regional public transit operator in Durham Region, east of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its headquarters are at 605 Rossland Rd East in Whitby, Ontario, and there are regional centres in Ajax, Whitby, and Oshawa.-Overview:...

are connected to the TTC via some of Toronto's subway stations and GO Transit's commuter rail stations. Some of their bus routes also coincide or intercept some of that of TTC's as well. Via Rail

VIA Rail

Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....

and Amtrak

Amtrak

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...

connect with the TTC at Union Station

Union Station (Toronto)

Union Station is the major inter-city rail station and a major commuter rail hub in Toronto, located on Front Street West and occupying the south side of the block bounded by Bay Street and York Street in the central business district. The station building is owned by the City of Toronto, while the...

while Greyhound intercity buses also connect with the TTC at the Toronto Coach Terminal, as well as Scarborough Centre

Scarborough Centre Bus Terminal

Scarborough Centre Bus Terminal is an intercity bus terminal in Scarborough, Toronto located at its namesake subway station. It is primarily served by GO Transit buses running along the Lakeshore East and Highway 407/York University corridors, with longer distance connections outside the Greater...

and Yorkdale terminals.

Accessibility

Although the Wheel-Trans door-to-door service has been available since the mid-1970s, since the 1990s, the TTC has focused in providing accessible services on conventional bus routes, the RT and subway. While only 29 of the 68 stations on the Scarborough RT and the Yonge–University–Spadina and Bloor–Danforth subway lines are wheel-chair accessible, all stations on the Sheppard line are fully accessible. As of August 2, 2011, only two bus routes (52 Lawrence West and 352 Lawrence West) are not accessible. The TTC's streetcar network is not accessible, but the TTC plans to replace the fleet gradually with modern, low-floor vehicles, specifically Bombardier's

Bombardier Transportation

Flexity Outlook, by 2020.

All surface vehicles are equipped with the Surface Vehicle Automatic Stop Announcement System (SVASAS) as of February 2008 which is operated over the loudspeakers dictating the name of the next stop (e.g., "Next Stop: Yonge Street, Queen Subway Station.") along with an LED board on the streetcar/bus displaying the name of the street and changes each time when a streetcar/bus passes a stop. As of October 25, 2007, the Ontario Human Rights Commission

Ontario Human Rights Commission

The Ontario Human Rights Commission was established in the Canadian province of Ontario on March 29, 1961 to administer the Ontario Human Rights Code...

urges all public transit operations in Ontario including GO Transit

GO Transit

to call out all stops for the visually impaired passengers. Transit operations who do not announce all stops could be violating rider's rights according to the OHRC.

Terminals

Most TTC surface routes terminate at loops, side streets or subway station complexes. The TTC system is one of the few mass transit systems in Canada where many surface routes can be accessed inside a paid-fare zone common to other routes or subway lines. This feature allows boarding via the back doors at terminals, reduces the usage of paper transfers, and the need of operators to check for proof-of-payment. However, offenders caught by an authorized TTC employee, or Toronto Police

Toronto Police Service

The Toronto Police Service , formerly the Metropolitan Toronto Police, is the police service for the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest municipal police service in Canada and second largest police force in Canada after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police...

officers face a $500 fine for fare evasion.

There are some larger loops at terminal buildings other than subway stations:

Bingham Loop
Humber Loop
Long Branch Loop (adjacent to Long Branch GO Station)
York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....

, in front of the York Lanes shopping centre (This terminal will be served by the planned Spadina subway extension)

Other loops include:

Neville Park Loop
High Park Loop
Woodbine Loop
Earlscourt Loop
Fleet Loop
Exhibition Loop
Exhibition Loop (TTC)
Exhibition Loop is the terminus for the 511 Bathurst and 509 Harbourfront streetcar routes and serves:* CNE at the Exhibition Place* Ricoh Coliseum* Exhibition GO Station* BMO Field-History:...

Stops and shelters

The shelters used by the systems are split between CBS Outdoor

CBS Outdoor

CBS Outdoor is the outdoor advertising division of media conglomerate CBS Corporation. It is the third largest outdoor media owner in revenue terms...

(formerly Viacom

Viacom (1971–2005)

Viacom , stylized as VIACOM in its current logo, was an American media conglomerate. It was the owner of CBS, Nickelodeon & MTV, among others. Effective December 31, 2005, this corporate entity changed its name to CBS Corporation...

Media) (with ads) and Toronto Transportation Services. A total of 4,100 shelters are managed by Toronto Transportation and most from the former transportation departments of the municipalities that make up the City of Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

.

The Otter Loop Shelter on Avenue Road south of Lawrence Avenue West is the only remaining bus shelter from the 1940s and 1950s. The loop and shelter are not in regular revenue service and not owned by the TTC.

The transit system is introducing shelters with solar panels and ones with next stop broadcast. The latter will appear along streetcar lines.

Facilities

TTC buses and streetcars are operated out of a number of garages and carhouses located around the city and are serviced at several other facilities.
The surface routes are divided into several divisions. Individual divisions have a superintendent, an on-duty mobile supervisor, a CIS communications centre, and a garage facility tasked with managing the division's vehicle fleet and routes.

Headquarters

TTC Head Office is located at 1900 Yonge Street at Davisville Avenue. Known as the William C. McBrien Building

William McBrien Building

, it was opened in 1957. The previous TTC Headquarters was at Yonge Street and Front Street in the Toronto Board of Trade Building.

There are plans to relocate the HQ to a yet to be built site at 4050 Yonge Street

Yonge Street

Yonge Street is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at , and the construction of Yonge Street is designated an "Event of...

near York Mills Road

York Mills Road

York Mills Road is an east-west route in Toronto, Ontario, Canada named for the community of York Mills or Hoggs Hollow. "York" refers to York Township and "Mills" refers to the gristmill and sawmills in the Don River valley during 1804–1926. It is the former 10th concession road.York Mills runs...

. The site is a commuter parking lot with a TTC entrance to York Mills Subway Station

York Mills (TTC)

York Mills is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 4015 Yonge Street at Wilson Avenue/York Mills Road...

. Build Toronto is charged with helping the commission relocate, but it is facing political opposition from many mayoral candidates.

Commuter parking lots

The TTC operates 30 commuter parking lots, all at subway stations, with a total of 13,981 parking spaces. Effective April 1, 2009, free parking for Metropass holders was eliminated. All passengers using parking facilities during peak hours must now pay for the service. The rates vary from lot to lot but are in the range of $2.00 - $6.00 from 5:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekdays, and free at other times. Certain lots can only be used by commuters with a valid metropass. All TTC lots are open (uncovered) parking lots.

Washrooms

There are 10 sets (men and women) of public washrooms located on the TTC system, all at subway stations and most at stations that are major transfer points or at the end of rapid transit lines.
All are located within the paid fare area, thus accessible only after fare has been paid.

Safety programs

Safety features provided by the TTC include:

Request Stop on surface routes (9 p.m.-5 a.m.) (excluding streetcar routes); youth and female passengers travelling alone can request the driver to stop at points between bus stops (no such service is offered for male passengers although some drivers take requests from men). The program was started in 1991, due in part to the activities of serial rapist and killer Paul Bernardo
Paul Bernardo
Paul Kenneth Bernardo, also known as Paul Jason Teale , is a Canadian serial killer and rapist, known for the sexual assaults and murders he committed with his wife Karla Homolka and the serial rapes he committed in Scarborough.-Early life:Bernardo's mother, Marilyn, was the adopted daughter of a...

. As of October 2011, the Request Stop Program has been expanded to include any passenger who feels vulnerable, after multiple requests from the public.
Designated Waiting Areas (DWA) on subway and RT platforms; these are well lit, have intercoms, monitored by security cameras, and are at the location where the guard car stops.
Toronto EMS
Toronto EMS
Toronto Emergency Medical Services is the statutory Emergency medical services provider for the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The service is operated directly as a branch of the municipal government as an independent, third-service option provider, which means that the service is funded by...

Paramedics stationed at key locations within the subway system during the morning and evening rush to assist with medical emergencies, and provide a faster response. This also reduces delays on the rapid transit system.
Emergency Power Cut stations - indicated by a blue beacon - and located on both ends of all Subway/RT platforms with a telephone to call Transit Control's emergency number (3555).
Yellow Passenger Assistance Alarm strips on subway and RT cars since 1977.
Emergency stopping mechanisms (PGEV - Passenger/Guard Emergency Valve) on all subway and RT trains (for use in severe emergencies, i.e., doors open while train in motion, person stuck in doors as train leaves station, derailment etc.).
Approximately 12,000 cameras monitoring activities on the subway system and on the entire fleet of buses and streetcars.
Underground Alert messages displayed on the subway platform video screens to notify passengers about criminals.
TTC Transit Enforcement Unit

TTC By-law No. 1

The TTC's By-law No. 1 is a by-law governing the actions of passengers and employees while on Commission property. It can be enforced by a "proper authority" which is defined in the by-law as: "an employee or agent of the TTC wearing a TTC uniform; an employee or agent of the TTC carrying an identification card issued by the TTC; or a municipal police officer." The by-law covers rules regarding, fare payment and conduct while in the system. Effective 12 October 2009, a revised version of the by-law has been issued. Revisions include the restriction of placing feet or "any object that may soil" on seats, the prohibition of using offensive language, and the provision that one must give up their seat to a person with a disability in priority seating areas.

An online version of the by-law is available here.

Special Constable Services

From 1997 to 2011 the TTC employed Special Constables

TTC Special Constable Services

The TTC Special Constable Services was the safety and security division of the Toronto Transit Commission in Toronto, Canada from June 1, 1997 until February 1, 2011...

that were responsible for safety and security and had similar policing powers to Toronto Police Service

Toronto Police Service

officers. During the phase out of the Special Constables the Toronto Police reinstated its Transit Patrol Unit which had originally been canceled in the mid 1990s. The Special Constables are now Bylaw enforcement officers referred to as Transit Enforcement Officers. The Enforcement Officers now deal primarily with fare evasion and trespass to property act infractions.

OneStop media system

The TTC, in partnership with OneStop Media Group, have rolled out large LCD television screens in major stations throughout the system. The new media system replaced the old "Subway Online" system, which has been decommissioned.

The signs feature advertising, news headlines and weather information from CP24, as well as TTC-specific information regarding service changes, service delays and information pertaining to using the system.

On June 12, 2007, the TTC, in partnership with the Toronto Crime Stoppers and OneStop, launched the Underground Alert system at the Toronto Police

Toronto Police Service

Headquarters. The new Underground Alert system allows authorities to post pictures and details of wanted suspects on the screens throughout the subway system. Subway passengers will be encouraged to call police if they have any information.

The system can also be used when an Amber Alert

AMBER Alert

An AMBER Alert or a Child Abduction Emergency is a child abduction alert bulletin in several countries throughout the world, issued upon the suspected abduction of a child, since 1996...

is issued which also may include announcements via the P.A. system. In addition, the "Amber Alert" signs may also appear on many TTC buses.

In September 2008, Dundas Station

Dundas (TTC)

Dundas is a station of the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 300 Yonge Street at Dundas Street West/East....

was the first to feature a “Next Train” announcement integrated into the signage. The system has been expanded to numerous other stations since its initial roll out. Since mid-July 2009, the majority of stations have been equipped with this service.

Communications

The TTC utilizes several types of voice and data communications. There are three main systems. The first is the system used by Operations, Security and Maintenance. This system operates on five UHF

Ultra high frequency

Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres...

conventional frequencies. Channels 1, 3, 4 and 5 are used for day to day operations, while Channel 2 is reserved for the Wheel-Trans service.

Buses and streetcars use the CIS (Communications and Information System). This system is spread out city wide with transmit facilities throughout the city. Each bus and streetcar has a Transit Radio Unified Microprocessor (TRUMP) set onboard. This is attached to a transponder receiver which allows CIS operators to track the location of the vehicle using an older computational system known as dead reckoning

Dead reckoning

In navigation, dead reckoning is the process of calculating one's current position by using a previously determined position, or fix, and advancing that position based upon known or estimated speeds over elapsed time, and course...

. The TRUMP also allows the operators and CIS operators to send and receive text messages for such things as short turns and route adjustments. There is also the option of voice communications between the operator and the CIS operator. The CIS was conceived in the late 1970s and was fully implemented in 1991.

The third system is used by the subway system. This is called the Wayside system. Replacing the old devices which communicated by the third rail are new UHF MPT-1327

MPT-1327

MPT 1327 is an industry standard for trunked radio communications networks.First published in January 1988 by the British Radiocommunications Agency, and is primarily used in the United Kingdom, Europe, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and even China...

Trunking

In modern communications, trunking is a concept by which a communications system can provide network access to many clients by sharing a set of lines or frequencies instead of providing them individually. This is analogous to the structure of a tree with one trunk and many branches. Examples of...

radio sets. The Subway system is divided into 3 separate systems, each representing its respective subway line. This new trunking system allows Transit Control to communicate directly with a single train, a zone encompassing several trains, or the entire line. The Scarborough RT is not included in this system. They continue to use a single channel UHF system, much the same as the system used by operations staff.

All of these systems can be monitored by a scanner

Scanner (radio)

A scanner is a radio receiver that can automatically tune, or scan, two or more discrete frequencies, stopping when it finds a signal on one of them and then continuing to scan other frequencies when the initial transmission ceases....

capable of the UHF Low band (406–430 MHz). Numeric codes - often referring to people or positions (299 Bloor - Subway Line mechanic at Bloor) are also announced through the radio and/or the overhead paging system. The TTC also has Several "Plans" ('Plan A' through 'Plan G') that are used in emergencies but are not announced on the P.A. system and only referred to on the radio.

Personnel

The TTC has a team of over 12,000 employees. Most are operators, however the Commission also employs supervisors, custodians and a wide range of skilled trades people who work on vehicles and critical subway and surface infrastructure.

In October 2008, TTC was named one of Greater Toronto's Top Employers

Greater Toronto's Top Employers

Greater Toronto's Top Employers is an annual competition that recognizes the best places to work in the Greater Toronto Area...

by Mediacorp Canada Inc., which was announced by the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...

newspaper.

Labour disputes

Unionized workers of the TTC workers have performed strike actions eight times since 1952:

1952 - On strike for 19 days.
1970 - On strike for 12 days.
1974 - On strike for 23 days in August; service resumed when back-to-work legislation was passed by the province, which marked the first time the province was involved in a TTC strike.
1978 - On strike for 8 days; service resumed by order of back-to-work legislation.
1991 - On strike for 8 days in September.
1999 - On strike for 2 days in April; service resumed by order of back-to-work legislation.
2006 - On strike for 1 day on May 29.
2008 - On strike for 2 days on April 26 at 12:01 a.m.
2008 Toronto Transit Commission strike
The 2008 TTC strike was as a legal strike action by Toronto Transit Commission unionized employees that began on April 26, 2008 at 12:01 a.m. EDT. All bus, streetcar and subway in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, was suspended leaving thousands of people stranded across the city...

On March 30, 2011 the Province of Ontario passed legislation classifying the TTC an essential service

Essential services

Essential services may refer to a class of occupations that have been legislated by a government to have special restrictions in regard to labour actions - Such as not being allowed to legally strike....

, removing the employees right to strike, and the employers right to lock-out

Lockout (industry)

A lockout is a work stoppage in which an employer prevents employees from working. This is different from a strike, in which employees refuse to work.- Causes :...

Incidents

Although it is a generally safe system, the TTC has experienced several major accidents and incidents since 1954:

On 27 March 1963, a six-car subway train was completely destroyed by fire. This occurred on a spare track near Union station
Union (TTC)
Union Station is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the Toronto subway and RT. Opened in 1954 along with the first twelve subway stations of Toronto, it is located between the Yonge Street and University Avenue sections of the line at 55 Front Street West between Bay Street and York...

, after the few remaining passengers were evacuated.
On 15 October 1976, an arson destroyed a train and caused significant damage to Christie station
Christie (TTC)
Christie is a station on the Bloor–Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 726 Bloor Street West at Christie Street/Grace Street.-History:...

. There is evidence today with the odd-coloured trim tiles on the station walls on the centre of the platforms. A section of the line was closed for two days.
On 11 August 1995, the Russell Hill subway accident resulted in the deaths of 3 passengers and injuries to 30 others. There were an additional 100 passengers who filed injury-related claims from the accident.
In late 1995, TTC employee Jimmy Trajceski was killed during a robbery at Victoria Park station
Victoria Park (TTC)
Victoria Park is a station on the Bloor–Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 777 Victoria Park Avenue, one block north of Danforth Avenue. The station itself can be accessed by pedestrians via Victoria Park Avenue, or via Albion Avenue, or via a walkway that leads...

. Adrian Kinkead was arrested 4 months later for the crime and was found to be responsible for two other murders. He was convicted of all three crimes and sentenced to life in prison.
On 27 September 1997, 23-year-old Charlene Minkowski was killed when she was pushed in front of a southbound train at Dundas Station
Dundas (TTC)
Dundas is a station of the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 300 Yonge Street at Dundas Street West/East....

. Herbert Cheong, a diagnosed schizophrenic, was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Between 2 and 4 January 1999, an exceptionally large snowstorm paralyzed parts of Central Ontario and the Eastern United States. As a result, the city and the transit system ground to a halt. In the following days, major interruptions and delays were incurred and policies to handle snow at the Commission were changed.
On 8 December 2000, a garbage train caught fire while en route through Old Mill station
Old Mill (TTC)
Old Mill is a station on the Bloor–Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 2672 Bloor Street West at Old Mill Terrace/Humber Boulevard.The station is built into the side of the Humber River valley...

. The train was completely destroyed and the station remained closed for two days. Since the incident, the TTC has stopped the practice of using garbage trains and maintains a fleet of surface garbage trucks to collect refuse.
On 14 August 2003, at around 4:15 p.m. EDT, the Northeast Blackout
Northeast Blackout of 2003
The Northeast blackout of 2003 was a widespread power outage that occurred throughout parts of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Ontario, Canada on Thursday, August 14, 2003, just before 4:10 p.m....

affected parts of Canada and the northeastern United States. The city of Toronto, like many other cities involved, effectively ground to a halt. Subway service was suspended and 18 trains sat stuck in tunnels between stations, unable to move with no power. (All other trains were able to coast without power to the nearest station to be evacuated). Streetcars remained stationary where they were, and buses fought to get through gridlocked traffic, hampered by the lack of traffic signals
Traffic light
Traffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic signals, signal lights, robots or semaphore, are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic...

. The subway did not reopen until August 18. This was the longest complete interruption in subway service in the history of the TTC. The incident led to an extensive review of TTC emergency procedures.
On 23 April 2007, a TTC asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...

removal crew employee, Tony Almeida, was killed and several others were injured at the end of a night shift when the work car they were operating snagged on some cabling and dislodged a work platform. The TTC was fined $250,000 for violating the Occupational Health and Safety Act. It was later found that Almeida was under the influence of cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...

.
On 30 August 2011, a woman was killed when a TTC bus rear-ended a flatbed truck carrying a crane at around 2:30pm. At least 13 people were also injured in the crash. The bus driver has been charged with criminal negligence causing death and possession of cannabis, as the drug was found in his belongings at the time of the accident.

Suicide

The TTC has long maintained a policy of not releasing suicide information and statistics to the public or the media for fear of the possibility of "copycat suicide

Copycat suicide

A copycat suicide is defined as an emulation of another suicide that the person attempting suicide knows about either from local knowledge or due to accounts or depictions of the original suicide on television and in other media....

s". In 2008, the Toronto Sun

Toronto Sun

The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...

launched a year-long appeal before Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner to have the TTC release information relating to the number of suicides and attempts between 1998 and 2007. The Information and Privacy Commissioner subsequently ordered the statistics be made available and they were released to the public on 26 November 2009.

From 1998 to 2007, 150 people died committing suicide by coming into contact with a TTC subway train. Since 1954, when the Yonge subway line first opened, there have been more than 1,200 suicide incidents on the TTC including both fatalities and attempts, according to the TTC.

After being forced to make the information public the TTC ensured that they also released information demonstrating efforts being undertaken to intervene and prevent

Suicide prevention

Suicide prevention is an umbrella term for the collective efforts of local citizen organizations, mental health practitioners and related professionals to reduce the incidence of suicide....

such incidents in the future. The TTC's "Gatekeeper Program" is an internal course available for front line staff to learn and identify the warning signs of someone who may be suicidal and help them, or at least try and prevent them from doing so on the transit system. The TTC also has partnerships with St. Michael's Hospital

St. Michael's Hospital (Toronto)

St. Michael's Hospital is a teaching hospital and medical centre in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was established by the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1892, with the founding goal of taking care of the sick and poor of Toronto's inner city. The hospital provides tertiary and quaternary services...

and other institutions to assist with both prevention programs and counselling programs for staff who have witnessed such incidents. The TTC maintains that it will continue its policy of not reporting suicides and suicide related statistics in years to come, however in February 2010, statistics from 2008 and 2009 were released in a public report to the Commission regarding suicide and suicide prevention.

Crisis Link

In June 2011, the TTC announced a new suicide prevention program called "Crisis Link" aimed at people who are in a station and in immediate danger of performing self harm. Special speed dial

Speed dial

Speed dial is a function available on many telephone systems allowing the user to place a call by pressing a reduced number of keys. This function is particularly useful for phone users who dial certain numbers on a regular basis....

buttons have been installed on pay phones in station designated waiting areas that "link" the caller to a 24 hour crisis councillor service provided by Distress Centres of Toronto. Signage has also been placed in high risk areas of the station platform directing those at risk to utilize the service. Once fully implemented by the end of July modifications will be made to 141 of the system's payphones and 200 posters will be placed on stations platforms.

Statistics

The below statistics are the subway suicide incidents and attempts from 1998 through 2009:

Year	Suicides	Attempts	Total Incidents
1998	12	13	25
1999	22	4	26
2000	21	12	33
2001	12	17	29
2002	16	11	27
2003	17	9	26
2004	15	8	23
2005	14	6	20
2006	8	11	19
2007	13	9	22
2008	N/A ♦	N/A ♦	19
2009	N/A ♦	N/A ♦	18

♦ Data obtained from Toronto Transit Commission Report that does not specify a distinction between attempted and completed suicides.

Island Ferry

Gray Coach

Buses

Rapid transit

Streetcars

Fares

Schedules and route information

Online trip planner

Connections

Accessibility

Terminals

Stops and shelters

Facilities

Headquarters

Commuter parking lots

Washrooms

Safety programs

TTC By-law No. 1

Special Constable Services

OneStop media system

Communications

Personnel

Labour disputes

Incidents

Suicide

Crisis Link

Statistics

See also