94-704: The Queen Street Viaduct (usually known as the Queen Street Bridge) in Toronto, Canada carries vehicles and Toronto Transit Commission streetcars along Queen Street East and across the Don River . It is an example of a Pratt truss . The viaduct is at least the third bridge over the Don River at this location, the first operated by the Scadding family in the early 1800s (One of the early bridges
188-569: A Presto reader as they enter a TTC station or vehicle. Either their fare is automatically paid through stored value, verifies if the Presto user has a valid TTC transit pass on it, or validates the TTC's two-hour Presto transfer. Their card or ticket then acts as proof-of-payment (POP) to present to TTC staff such as fare inspectors, who carry hand-held devices to verify Presto fare payments, upon request. As of June 2018 , Presto readers are available at
282-722: A decade of service reductions and only minor improvements. In addition to buses, streetcars, and subways, the TTC also operated the Toronto Island ferry service from 1927 to 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department (now Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation ). The TTC also operated a suburban and regional intercity bus operator, Gray Coach Lines, from 1927 to 1990. Gray Coach used interurban coaches to link Toronto to points throughout southern Ontario. In addition, Gray Coach operated tour buses in association with Gray Line Tours . The main terminal
376-528: A dedicated right-of-way lane from Finch West station on Line 1 Yonge–University to the Humber College's North Campus in Etobicoke. The line is forecast to provide approximately 14.6 million rides a year, or 40,000 a day, by 2031. It is scheduled for completion at the end of 2024, with an estimated cost of $ 1.2 billion. The Ontario Line , which is a rapid transit line and successor to
470-540: A filibuster in the provincial legislature, proposing more than 12,000 amendments that allowed residents on streets of the proposed megacity take part in public hearings on the merger and adding historical designations to the streets. This only delayed the bill's inevitable passage, given the PCO's majority. The amalgamation would take place effective January 1, 1998, at which time the new City of Toronto (legal successor of Old Toronto ) came into existence. Originally, members of
564-545: A newly constructed Metro Hall at 55 John Street, which was designed by Brisbin Brook Beynon Architects (BBB Architects). The amalgamated council chose to meet at City Hall, though it temporarily met at Metro Hall while City Hall was retrofitted for the enlarged council. Metro Hall continues to be used as office space by the City of Toronto. The following is a list of services that were funded and provided by
658-951: A total of 2,031 buses, the TTC is the third-largest transit bus operator in North America, behind the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City (more than 5,600) and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (2,911). The TTC also runs Wheel-Trans , a paratransit 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. The TTC ordered 153 articulated buses with all newly ordered buses in service by January 2015. At 18 metres (60 ft) long,
752-412: Is a 7.8-kilometre (4.8 mi) subway extension, which will continue Line 2 east towards McCowan Road and north towards Scarborough City Centre and to a new terminal at the intersection of McCowan Road and Sheppard Avenue . The $ 5.5-billion extension will replace the defunct Line 3 Scarborough and is expected to be complete in 2030 at the earliest. The Eglinton Crosstown West extension will extend
846-450: Is available to customers of Rogers and Freedom Mobile ; however, customers of other carriers (such as Bell and Telus) can make 911 calls. 5G wireless service is available between Bloor–Yonge and Dupont stations on Line 1, and between Castle Frank and Keele stations on Line 2. The stations and tunnels between Vaughan Metropolitan Centre station and Sheppard West station on Line 1 have a non-5G service. The TTC offers Wi-Fi to connect to
940-464: Is circulated by "What's On" and "Rocket Rider / TTC Customer News" pamphlets on some vehicles. Information can be accessed in person at the TTC head office ( Davisville station at 1900 Yonge Street), as well as at a TTC Info Centre, which opened in 2018, at Union station . Twitter users can communicate with TTCHelps for inquiries. Most subway stations are equipped with OneStop media screens that display
1034-409: Is one of a few steel Truss bridges in the city: The art work on the bridge by Eldon Garnet consisted of a clock, which ceased to work and the mechanism and hands were removed in 2010. The phrase " this river I step in is not the river I stand in ", taken from the philosophy of Heraclitus , is inscribed in large letters overarching the road. The bridge art is one part of a three site art piece, with
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#17327806876181128-610: Is the oldest and largest of the urban transit service providers in the Greater Toronto Area , with numerous connections to systems serving its surrounding municipalities . Established as the Toronto Transportation Commission in 1921, the TTC owns and operates three rapid transit lines with 70 stations , over 150 bus routes , and 9 streetcar lines . In 2023, the system had a ridership of 736,712,000, or about 2,449,800 per weekday as of
1222-1102: Is very close to the local residents.' The Frost government moved immediately and on February 25, 1953, introduced the bill ( An Act to provide for the Federation of the Municipalities in the Toronto Metropolitan Area for Certain Financial and Other Purposes ) to create the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto. The new municipality would have the power to tax real estate and borrow funds on its own. It would be responsible for arterial roads, major sewage and water facilities, regional planning, public transportation, administration of justice, metropolitan parks and housing issues as needed. The municipalities retained their individual fire and police departments, business licensing, public health and libraries. The council would have its own chairman, selected by
1316-477: The 1988 municipal election , requiring direct elections to Metro Council from all of Metro's municipalities and severing the links between the two tiers. The suburban boards of control were abolished and Metro Councillors were elected from new Metro Wards, which were larger than the city and borough wards. Now only the mayors of the six member municipalities sat on both the upper-tier and lower-tier councils. The first chairman of Metropolitan Toronto, Fred Gardiner,
1410-684: The Great Depression and World War II , it accumulated reserves that allowed it to expand considerably after the war, both with subways and major steady growth of its bus services into the suburbs. It was not until 1971 that the Metro Toronto government and the province started to provide operational funding, required primarily due to rising costs of delivering transit to low-density suburbs in Metro Toronto and large wage increases. Deficits and government funding soared throughout
1504-471: The Relief Line , is expected to be completed by 2030. The Ontario government estimates the line's cost at $ 10.9 billion for the 15-kilometre (9.3 mi) stretch from Ontario Place to Don Mills Road and Eglinton Avenue East at Science Centre station (part of the under-construction Line 5). It is the largest single expansion in Toronto subway history. The Line 2 Bloor–Danforth extension
1598-593: The University of Toronto Scarborough campus, though this has since been replaced with plans for a separate Eglinton East LRT . Metrolinx is studying an extension of Line 4 Sheppard , to replace the former Sheppard East LRT project, which would likely connect with the Line 2 Bloor–Danforth extension at McCowan Road and Sheppard Avenue. Toronto's streetcar system is one of the few in North America still operating along street-running tracks. It has been operating since
1692-582: The 1970s and 1980s, followed by service cuts and a period of ridership decline in the 1990s, partly attributable to recession. In 1997, the Progressive Conservative government under Premier Mike Harris implemented the " Common Sense Revolution " which, among other things, cut CA$ 42 million in provincial financing support for the Eglinton West subway line , and cut $ 718 million in municipal transit support, placing
1786-485: The 512 St. Clair streetcar route, and another on Lake Shore Boulevard (the western portion of 501 Queen), which runs through the Etobicoke district nearly to the city limits with Mississauga at Etobicoke Creek . Up until 1995, the TTC operated a fleet of 765 PCC-type streetcars , 540 of which it purchased new. The rest were purchased as other cities sold their PCC streetcar fleets. From 1987 until September 2019,
1880-438: The City of Toronto (which was deemed particularly important after being reincorporated as cities), North York and Scarborough built planned city centres: North York City Centre and Scarborough City Centre respectively. This pattern was in contrast to other metropolitan areas like Hamilton-Wentworth , where suburbs such as Stoney Creek had historic cores and whose inner areas were well separated from inner-city Hamilton . As
1974-401: The City of Toronto and the five townships, which at this time were re-designated as boroughs (all but East York were later incorporated as cities). Long Branch, New Toronto, and Mimico were absorbed back into Etobicoke; Weston was absorbed into York; Leaside into East York; and Swansea and Forest Hill, into Toronto, resulting in an unusual final situation where none of the municipalities outside
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#17327806876182068-441: The City of Toronto. Therefore, YRT, DRT and MiWay buses can only drop off passengers inbound and pick up passengers outbound while within the boundaries of Toronto. Originally, there were no free or discounted transfers between suburban agencies (which still have separate fare structures) and the TTC. But on February 26, 2024, Ontario's One Fare Program, a GTA-wide fare integration program allowing free or discounted transfers between
2162-706: The Internet at all stations but not in tunnels; this service is ad-supported. However, the Wi-Fi service will be discontinued at the end of 2024. The Wheel-Trans door-to-door service has been available since the mid-1970s. Since the 1990s, the TTC has focused on providing accessible services on conventional bus routes, the RT and subway. 56 of the 75 stations on Lines 1, 2, and 3 are wheel-chair accessible are equipped with elevators, and all stations on Line 4 are fully accessible. In December 2011, all bus routes became accessible with
2256-580: The Metropolitan Toronto Council also sat on their respective lower-tier councils; they were not directly elected to the upper-tier council, and because Toronto councillors often voted in a bloc, inner-city issues tended to dominate. From its inception in 1953 until the 1966 municipal election , Metropolitan Toronto Council consisted of the mayor of Toronto, two members of the Toronto Board of Control (the top two finishers of
2350-528: The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto, and seceded from York County. Metropolitan Toronto Council had its inaugural meeting on April 15, 1953, and was made up of the Metro chairman, Frederick Gardiner , who had been appointed by the province; the mayor of Toronto ; Toronto's two most senior controllers ; nine senior aldermen from the City of Toronto ; and the twelve suburban mayors and reeves . Metro Toronto
2444-578: The Nova LFS Artics hold about 112 passengers, compared with 65 on a standard 12-metre (40 ft) bus. The Toronto subway system consists of three lines: From 1985 until 2023 Line 3 Scarborough , a partly elevated light metro line served the district of Scarborough . The three subway lines are served by 678 cars grouped in trains of four cars on Line 4 Sheppard, and six cars on Line 1 Yonge–University and Line 2 Bloor–Danforth. The three subway lines share non-revenue track connections and use
2538-516: The Province of Ontario promised $ 404 million for TTC operations to compensate for reduced ridership and revenue loss during the COVID-19 pandemic , with more funding to come later. The TTC projected a shortfall of $ 700 million in 2020. Buses are a large part of TTC operations today. However, before about 1960, they played a minor role compared to streetcars. Buses began to operate in
2632-421: The TTC adopted its present name, opened the first subway line, and greatly expanded its service area to cover the newly formed municipality of Metropolitan Toronto (which eventually amalgamated into the present City of Toronto ). The system has evolved to feature a wide network of surface routes with the subway lines as the backbone. On February 17, 2008, the TTC made many service improvements, reversing more than
2726-475: The TTC and other GTA transit systems (within either a two-hour or three-hour window), was implemented. However, the policy only applies to fare payments made via Presto, credit, or debit card; customers ineligible to receive free or discounted transfers are still required to pay a double fare. Via Rail and Amtrak connect with the TTC at Union Station , while Ontario Northland , Megabus , TOK Coachlines and US-bound Greyhound intercity coaches connect with
2820-535: The TTC at the Union Station , Scarborough Centre , Highway 407 , and Yorkdale bus terminals. The communication system used by surface vehicles is called the Communications and Information System. It was piloted in the 1970s, implemented in 1991, and is now deployed on all TTC surface vehicles. In August 2023, Rogers implemented 5G wireless service at all the TTC's downtown stations and within
2914-544: The TTC for free year-round. As of August 15, 2023, the TTC's fare payment system consists of cash fares, Presto cards and Presto tickets. Customers also have the option to pay the equailvent of the adult single-ride TTC Presto card fare prices by tapping a contactless credit or debit card on TTC Presto fare readers. Although legacy fare media products, such as concession tickets (for youths ages 13 to 19 and seniors 65 or older), tokens, and physical day passes (including weekend family and group day passes) are no longer available for
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3008-576: The TTC operated two-car Articulated Light Rail Vehicle (ALRV) streetcars, a longer version of the Canadian Light Rail Vehicle (CLRV) streetcars. Following the retirement of the TTC's CLRV streetcars on December 29, 2019, the entire TTC streetcar fleet consists of the low-floor Flexity Outlook vehicles from Bombardier Transportation , the first of which entered service on the 510 Spadina route on August 31, 2014. Since March 1, 2015, children 12 and under have been able to ride
3102-619: The TTC transit network, along with several other transit service providers throughout the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) including the Metrolinx-owned GO Transit , Union Pearson Express services and on OC Transpo in Ottawa . The TTC also provides limited-use paper Presto tickets, mainly for occasional riders, which come in 1-ride, 2-ride and day pass varieties. Users tap their Presto card or ticket on
3196-866: The TTC via some of Toronto's subway stations, GO Transit's commuter rail stations, and other hubs like Toronto Pearson International Airport . In addition to Union Station, there are 6 other stations where the TTC subway network and GO Transit commuter rail lines intersect. Some bus routes of the surrounding local transit agencies run on Toronto streets along with TTC buses, mainly to reach TTC subway stations. Examples of this include YRT buses travelling on Yonge Street en route to Finch Bus Terminal , MiWay buses travelling on various streets in Etobicoke en route to Kipling Bus Terminal and DRT buses travelling on various streets in Scarborough en route to Scarborough Centre station . However, by law, other local transit agencies are prohibited from carrying passengers wholly within
3290-533: The TTC. As a result, since 2011, the TTC became the largest transit operator in Anglo-America not to receive provincial or state funding. The TTC has received federal funding for capital projects from as early as 2009. The TTC is also considered one of the costliest transit systems per fare price in North America. For the 2011 operating year, the TTC had a projected operating budget of $ 1.45 billion. Revenue from fares covered approximately 70 percent of
3384-468: The Toronto Board of Control was abolished with the 1969 Toronto municipal election , Toronto's contingent on Metro Council was made up of the mayor of Toronto and 11 senior aldermen – with the nine previous city wards being redrawn into 11 wards. In the City of Toronto the person who achieved the greatest number of votes in a ward was named the senior alderman. The person with the second most votes
3478-575: The adult cash fare and single-ride Presto tickets has been $ 3.35 for a single trip. Since April 3, 2023, the cost of adult single fares using a Presto card has been $ 3.30. The Fair Pass program allows those eligible for the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) or Ontario Works to receive a discount when using a Presto card. The Presto card is an electronic unified contactless smart card –based fare payment system, owned and managed by Metrolinx , for use across
3572-628: The budget, whereas the remaining 30 percent originated from the City. From 2009 through 2011, provincial and federal funding amounted to 0 percent of the budget. In contrast to this, the Société de transport de Montréal receives approximately 10 percent of its operating budget from the Quebec provincial government, and OC Transpo receives 9 percent of its funding from the province. The fairness of preferentially funding transit in specific Canadian cities has been questioned by citizens. On August 12, 2020,
3666-459: The central Council Chamber. Eventually this space proved inadequate and committee facilities and councillors' offices were relocated to an office tower at the southwest corner of Bay and Richmond Street (390 Bay Street ), across from City Hall; Metro Council continued to meet in the City Hall council chamber. Finally, in 1992, the Metro government moved out of Toronto City Hall altogether and into
3760-506: The central part of the line from west of Keele Street to Laird Drive, with most of the remainder of the route travelling at grade, though Science Centre station will be underground. The full first phase of the route will span 19 kilometres (12 mi) across the city, from Mount Dennis in York to Kennedy station in Scarborough. Line 6 Finch West is an 11-kilometre (6.8 mi), 18-stop light rail line under construction, extending west in
3854-436: The chairmanship of Lorne Cumming. The Board worked until 1953, releasing its report on January 20, 1953. Cumming's report proposed a compromise solution: a two-tiered government, with the formation of a Metropolitan government, governed by a Metropolitan Council, to provide strategic functions, while existing municipalities would retain all other services. He rejected full amalgamation, citing a need to preserve 'a government which
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3948-401: The city in 1921, and became necessary for areas without streetcar service. After an earlier experiment in the 1920s, trolley buses 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 have been replaced with
4042-452: The city no longer annexed suburbs from York Township. At times, the suburbs asked to be annexed into Toronto, but the city chose not to do so. In 1924, Ontario cabinet minister George S. Henry was the first to propose a 'metropolitan district' with its own council, separate from the city and the county, to administer shared services. He wrote a draft bill, but the government chose not to act on it. The Great Depression saw almost all of
4136-473: The city were ever entities founded as distinct historic urban settlements in their own right. The reorganized Metropolitan Toronto adopted a flag and decal using a symbol of six rings representing the six municipalities. Development in Metro Toronto generally unfurled outward smoothly from the City of Toronto into the surrounding municipalities with little leapfrogging , giving it a core-to-suburb continuum that ignored municipal boundaries, resulting in it having
4230-592: The current City of Toronto . The boundaries of present-day Toronto are the same as those of Metropolitan Toronto upon its dissolution: Lake Ontario to the south, Etobicoke Creek and Highway 427 to the west, Steeles Avenue to the north, and the Rouge River to the east. Prior to the formation of Metropolitan Toronto, the municipalities surrounding the central city of Toronto were all independent townships, towns and villages within York County . After 1912,
4324-428: The duration of World War II. Two factors changed in the 1940s. A Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (PCO) government was elected in 1943, with a changed policy, intending to promote economic growth through government action. Also in 1943, the first master plan was adopted in Toronto. It recognized that future growth would take place in the vacant land of adjacent suburbs. Planning would have to take into account
4418-406: The earliest. All subway lines provide service seven days a week from approximately 5:45 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. the following day (last train runs at approximately 1:45 a.m. in each direction) except for Sundays, when start of service is delayed until approximately 8:00 a.m. During the overnight periods, the subway and its stations are closed to enable maintenance at track level and in
4512-485: The end the Harris government announced what they saw as a superior cost-saving plan. The six municipalities of Metro Toronto would be amalgamated into a single-tier city of Toronto. This was a major break from the past, which had seen the core simply annex suburbs. Similar amalgamations were planned for other parts of Ontario, such as Ottawa and Hamilton . The announcement touched off vociferous public objections to what
4606-436: The entire burden of financing the system on municipalities and leaving the TTC with a $ 95.8 million/year funding shortfall. The TTC cut back service with a significant curtailment put into effect on February 18, 1996. Since then, the TTC has consistently been in financial difficulties. Service cuts were averted in 2007, though, when Toronto City Council voted to introduce new taxes to help pay for city services, including
4700-420: The entrances of all subway stations and on all buses and streetcars. Unlike the Presto card, Presto tickets can only be used on TTC services (subway and surface vehicles within the City of Toronto). They are not reloadable and cannot be used on any other transit service providers that use Presto. On December 15, 2008, the TTC launched a new Next Vehicle Arrival System (NVAS) to indicate the time of arrival of
4794-534: The first minister of municipal affairs , David A. Croll , and introduced a draft bill to amalgamate Toronto and the built-up suburbs. The draft bill faced strong opposition in Toronto and was withdrawn. The government then started its own inquiry into issues of the suburbs surrounding Toronto. Through consensus, it came to the conclusion that a metropolitan municipality was the best solution. The inquiry reported in September 1939, and its conclusions were put aside for
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#17327806876184888-429: The four in municipal election) and one mayor or reeve from each of the 12 suburbs, and was presided over by the Metro chairman who did not have a seat. With the 1966 election, as the result of the reorganization of the 13 municipalities into the City of Toronto and five boroughs , representation on Metropolitan Toronto Council also changed and the body was expanded from 22 to 32 seats, with greater representation from
4982-462: The general public to purchase from the TTC, they are still accepted as valid fare payments until December 31, 2024, after this date, they will no longer be accepted as valid fare on the TTC. As of January 1, 2019, TTC monthly passes and the 12-month pass are only available on Presto, following the phase-out of the TTC's own monthly Metropass and the Metropass discount plan (MDP). Since April 3, 2023,
5076-561: The increasing difficulty of performing critical maintenance work on the S-series trains, the existing Line 3 Scarborough service was initially scheduled to be decommissioned permanently in November 2023; instead, the line closed four months ahead of schedule after a derailment on July 24, 2023. The line has been replaced by TTC bus service until the Line 2 Scarborough subway extension to Sheppard and McCowan opens for revenue service in 2030 at
5170-606: The job would be "bigger than anything he had tried before." The bill to form Metro was passed on April 2, 1953. The Gardiner appointment was announced on April 7. In Canada, the creation of municipalities falls under provincial jurisdiction. Thus it was provincial legislation, the Metropolitan Toronto Act , that created this level of government in 1953. When it took effect in 1954, the portion of York Township not yet annexed by Toronto, as well as all of Scarborough and Etobicoke Townships were incorporated as part of
5264-475: The local municipalities. Gardiner, elected as chairman of the board in 1949, wrote to Premier Leslie Frost that only a unified municipality could measure up to the problems. In 1950, the City of Toronto Council voted to adopt an amalgamated city, while nearly all of the suburbs rejected the amalgamation. From 1950 until 1951, the Ontario Municipal Board held hearings on the proposal, under
5358-480: The low-floor Orion VII, and the TTC has acquired many hybrid electric buses . The TTC's hybrid buses were first put on the road in 2006; these were followed by the newer 500 Orion VII Next Generation Hybrids in 2008. A new order brought the total number of hybrids to over 500, second only to New York City . Older TTC Orion VIIs from 2001 to 2006 feature the standard "breadbox" style, whereas newer buses, from 2007 onwards, feature Orion's new, more stylish body. With
5452-613: The media termed the " megacity " plan. In March 1997 a referendum in all six municipalities produced a vote of more than 3:1 against amalgamation. However, municipal governments in Canada are creatures of the provincial governments, and referendums have little to no legal effect. The Harris government could thus legally ignore the results of the referendum, and did so in April when it tabled the City of Toronto Act . Both opposition parties held
5546-463: The mid-19th century. Horsecar service started in 1861, and 600 V DC overhead electric service began in 1892. New TTC routes since the 1940s have generally been operated by other modes of transportation, and the less busy streetcar routes have also been converted. Streetcar routes are now focused on the downtown area, although two run farther from the core: one being on St. Clair Avenue , 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from Lake Ontario on average, served by
5640-401: The names of some express buses, and the new " Toronto Rocket " subway cars, which began revenue operation on July 21, 2011. Another common slogan is "The Better Way". The TTC recovered 69.6 percent of its operating costs from the fare box in 2017. From its creation in 1921 until 1971, the TTC was self-supporting both for capital and operations (it had to pay property taxes until 1967). Through
5734-615: The next vehicle along a given route. All TTC streetcars have been upgraded with Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers and now operate with NVIS. Real-time route information can be accessed from the Next Vehicle Arrival System (NVAS) from the City of Toronto Open Data initiative via SMS by texting the stop number displayed on the bus/streetcar stop pole, or with an app that uses NVAS data. Route information can also be accessed by phone. Individual route schedules are available online. Additional TTC information
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#17327806876185828-488: The nine wards of the City of Toronto, the mayor of Scarborough and the four members of Scarborough's Board of Control, the mayor of Etobicoke and three of the four members of Etobicoke's Board of Control (the top three in terms of votes), the mayor of York and its two Controllers, the mayor of East York and one alderman, selected by East York council, the mayor of North York, all four members of North York's Board of Control, and one alderman selected by North York's council. After
5922-410: The number of the ward, name of municipality and the name of the local communities: At its inception in 1953, Metro was headquartered at a six-floor building at 67 Adelaide Street East (now home to Adelaide Resource Centre for Women). When the new Toronto City Hall opened in 1965, one of its twin towers was intended for Metro Toronto offices and the other for the City of Toronto; the two councils shared
6016-497: The on-board Automatic Next Stop Announcement System since February 2008. It operates over speakers indicating the next stop. A digital orange LED destination sign on streetcars and buses as well as the Toronto Rocket subway trains display the name of the upcoming streets/stations as the vehicle progresses on its route. All TTC revenue service vehicles are equipped with external speakers that play automated announcements of
6110-496: The operation between Greyhound Canada and the government of Ontario three years later. The Gloucester subway cars , the first version of TTC subway cars, known as "red rockets" because of their bright red exterior, have been retired. The current T-series trains also have a red interior color scheme. The name lives on as the TTC uses the phrase to advertise the service, such as "Ride the Rocket" in advertising material, "Rocket" in
6204-497: The position). As usual in Ontario municipalities, these councils were non-partisan , although in later years some councillors (and candidates) did identify themselves explicitly as members of particular political parties. Metro councillors were elected by plurality . From the inception of Metro Toronto until amalgamation , there were six chairmen altogether: Metro Toronto wards established in 1988 were given names that contained
6298-583: The province initially, then to be elected by the Council itself after 1955. Premier Frost convinced Fred Gardiner, who still preferred amalgamation, over the metro scheme, to take the job. Gardiner was well known to Frost through the Conservative Party, was well-off, was felt to be beyond personal corruption. Gardiner accepted the position partly due to his friendship with Frost, and he demanded that he retain his corporate connections. He also felt that
6392-512: The retirement of the commission's last inaccessible buses. On August 31, 2014, the commission launched its new fleet of low-floor Bombardier's Flexity Outlook streetcars. With the decommissioning of the last of the commission's non-accessible high-floor CLRV vehicles on December 29, 2019, all TTC streetcar routes are now served by low-floor Flexity vehicles. As per Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) guidelines, all surface vehicles and subway trains have been equipped with
6486-457: The river were graded higher to meet the level of the bridge. To make room for the new bridge, the old one was shifted to the south to carry road traffic during construction. The bridge was opened for streetcars on 8 October 1911, and for other road traffic 5 days later. The bridge was renovated in the 1990s and public art was added. At the top of the western side of the bridge is a piece of public art created in 1996 by Eldon Garnet . The bridge
6580-520: The route and destination of vehicle travel. Most TTC surface routes terminate at loops, side streets, or subway stations. The TTC 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, if people are caught entering fare-paid terminals illegally from
6674-504: The same technology. The rolling stock in use consists of the Toronto Rocket trains on Lines 1 and 4 and the T-series trains on Line 2. Line 3 Scarborough had a fleet of 28 S-series cars grouped into trains of four cars each and was not compatible with other subway lines, given that the S-series cars used 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) standard gauge . It shared no track connections or equipment. Due to
6768-462: The seats on Metro Council were reapportioned according to population, the council was now dominated by the suburban majority; but it continued to address suburban and inner city issues in equal measure. In the 1995 provincial election , PCO leader Mike Harris campaigned on reducing the level of government in Ontario as part of his Common Sense Revolution platform, and promised to examine Metropolitan Toronto with an eye to eliminating it. However, in
6862-455: The second part as words inscribed on the pavement at the intersections of Broadview avenue and Queen street, and the last part as four metal "banners" at Queen and Degrassi street Toronto Transit Commission The Toronto Transit Commission ( TTC ) is the primary public transport agency in Toronto , Ontario, Canada, operating the majority of the city's bus and rail services. It
6956-417: The stations themselves. Overnight service is provided by buses and streetcars operating above ground. These overnight routes are issued numbers in the 300-series and are referred to as Blue Night routes, indicated by a typical TTC bus stop sign with a blue band added. Line 5 Eglinton , which uses light rail vehicles, is under construction and scheduled to open for service in 2025. It will run underground in
7050-666: The street, they could be fined $ 500 for fare evasion. With the exception of Greenwood , High Park , Jane , Old Mill , and Runnymede , all subway stations' off-street terminals are within the fare-paid area. The shelters in the system are installed and maintained under contracts with Astral Media (later became a part of by Bell Media ) (with CBS Outdoor since 2006 and previously Viacom Media) and Toronto Transportation Services . Approximately 4,100 shelters are managed by Toronto Transportation. Some shelters are solar powered and include next vehicle arrival displays. Metropolitan Toronto The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto
7144-477: The structure of a single city. For example, most of the areas of the small inner boroughs of York and East York, were in effect, extensions of inner city Toronto and gradually transitioned into the more typical suburban areas of the outer municipalities (which also had such inner-city areas where they bordered Toronto). Given that none of the boroughs originated as distinct settlements, they did not have their own downtowns. To give themselves an identity distinct from
7238-401: The suburbs which now had 20 out of 32 seats on the body – up from 11 out of 22 with seats roughly allocated according to population. The distribution of seats was as follows. Toronto (12), North York (6), Scarborough (5), Etobicoke (4), York (3), East York (2). The new Metro Council was made up of the mayor of Toronto, two of the four members of the Toronto Board of Control, senior aldermen from
7332-420: The third quarter of 2024. The TTC is the most heavily used urban mass transit system in Canada . Public transit in Toronto started in 1849 with a privately operated transit service. In later years, the city operated some routes, but in 1921 assumed control over all routes and formed the Toronto Transportation Commission to operate them. During this period, streetcars provided the bulk of the service. In 1954,
7426-424: The time until the next train, and other information. The next vehicle feature is available on LCD screens in all stations. Since mid-2011, all buses and streetcars have had the tracking feature enabled, accessible free online and by SMS for commuters. On February 3, 2010, the TTC launched an online trip planner, which allows commuters to plan their routes and transfers on the TTC's website. However, since its launch,
7520-418: The towns and villages of the county become insolvent. When that happened, they were financially taken over by the province. In 1933, Henry, now the premier, appointed a formal inquiry into forming a metropolitan district. A proposal was made for Toronto to provide several of its services to the suburbs as well. The inquiry died with the defeat of Henry in 1934. In the 1930s, a Liberal Ontario government named
7614-619: The trip planner has remained in beta mode with many bugs remaining to be fixed. In October 2010, the TTC integrated its trip planner with Google Maps . Transit information in Toronto has been available in Apple Maps since the release of iOS 9 in September 2015, when Apple Inc. first launched support for public transit data. The TTC connects with other transit systems of the Greater Toronto Area . GO Transit , Union Pearson Express , MiWay , York Region Transit (YRT), Brampton Transit , and Durham Region Transit (DRT) are connected to
7708-460: The tunnels between them. In September 2023, the federal government imposed new licence conditions requiring that cellphone and data services be available on the entire subway network by the end of 2026 and that all mobile wireless carriers, including Telus and Bell, have access to it. As of September 2023 , all downtown subway stations and some west-end stations, as well as the tunnels connecting them, have Rogers 5G wireless service. The service
7802-406: The under-construction Line 5 Eglinton west to Renforth station and Pearson International Airport by 2030 or 2031 and will be mostly underground. The line will travel through all six of Toronto's districts that were amalgamated in 1998 and bring the subway to Mississauga . There is currently one priority TTC expansion plan: Previous plans called for a second, eastward extension of Line 5 to
7896-588: The west bank of the river, used by the Canadian Pacific Railway , Grand Trunk Railway and the Canadian Northern Railway . There was also a concern that streetcars were becoming too heavy for the second bridge. The current steel Truss bridge was built in 1911 by Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company of Darlington , England. It was higher in elevation than previous bridges at the location and streets on each side of
7990-460: The whole metropolitan area. Forest Hill reeve Fred Gardiner , who was politically well-connected to newly elected PC premier George Drew , now promoted the idea of ambitious new programs to lay the capital infrastructure for growth. In 1946, the province passed the Planning Act , which required each urban municipality to have its own Planning Board. A Toronto and Suburban Planning Board
8084-479: Was Metro chairman from 1953 until the end of 1961. During his tenure, Metro built numerous infrastructure projects, including the opening of the first subway line , start of construction of the second subway line , water and sewage treatment facilities, rental housing for the aged and the Gardiner Expressway , named after Gardiner. Metro also amalgamated the various police forces into one in 1956. It
8178-423: Was a period of rapid development of the suburban municipalities of Metro. The population of Metropolitan Toronto increased from one million to 1.6 million by the time he left office. As a result of continued growth, the province reorganized Metro in 1967. The seven small towns and villages, which were no longer any denser than the surrounding areas, were merged into their surrounding municipalities. This left
8272-417: Was a wooden bridge built in 1803.) The previous bridges were closer to the level of the river bank below. The bridge prior to the 1910 bridge was a warren truss bridge and was shifted over during the transition work. The Board of Railway Commissioners authorized the construction of the third, current bridge in 1909 because of safety concerns. The new bridge would eliminate a busy grade-level railway crossing on
8366-452: Was an upper-tier level of municipal government in Ontario, Canada, from 1953 to 1998. It was made up of the old city of Toronto and numerous townships, towns and villages that surrounded Toronto, which were starting to urbanize rapidly after World War II. It was commonly referred to as " Metro Toronto " or " Metro ". Passage of the 1997 City of Toronto Act caused the 1998 amalgamation of Metropolitan Toronto and its constituents into
8460-475: Was appointed by the province; subsequent chairmen were elected by Metro Council itself. The Metro chairman was, for many years, an ex-officio member of the council without having to be elected to Metro Council by constituents as either a local mayor, controller , alderman or councillor. Beginning in 1988, the position of chairman was chosen by council members from amongst its own members (excluding mayors who could vote for Metro councillors but could no longer run for
8554-449: Was composed of the City of Toronto, the towns of New Toronto , Mimico , Weston and Leaside ; the villages of Long Branch , Swansea and Forest Hill and the townships of Etobicoke , York , North York , East York , and Scarborough . Metropolitan Toronto had planning authority over the surrounding townships such as Vaughan , Markham , and Pickering , although these areas did not have representation on Metro Council. Gardiner
8648-588: Was founded, under the chairmanship of James P. Maher, and the vice-chairmanship of Fred Gardiner. The Board promoted specific projects, and also promoted a suburban 'green belt', a unified system of arterial roads and the creation of a single public transit network. The Board was ineffective. Projects such as a bridge across the Don River Valley and the Spadina Road Extension (the basis for the later Spadina Expressway ) were rejected by
8742-562: Was the Metropolitan Toronto Bus Terminal on Elizabeth Street north of Dundas 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 interurban service in the GTA. The TTC sold Gray Coach Lines in 1990 to Stagecoach Holdings , which split
8836-641: Was the junior alderman. Both aldermen sat on the Toronto City Council, but only the senior alderman sat on Metro Council. With the 1985 Toronto municipal election the Metro Councillor and City Councillor in the City of Toronto were elected separately though from the same ward. The Metro Councillors still sat on both the Toronto and Metro Council, however. The suburbs retained the status quo and still did not have direct elections to Metro. The Province of Ontario changed this arrangement with
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