Just 64 per cent of riders are satisfied with TTC service
And due to decreased fare revenue, there’s an $8-million year-to-date budget shortfall
Ahead of a TTC board meeting planned for later today, a monthly report by TTC CEO Mandeep Lali shows that many Toronto transit users hold a dismal view of the city’s transit operations.
According to the report, just 64 per cent of riders are happy with the TTC’s service. (The TTC aims to reach 84 per cent customer satisfaction.) February’s ridership fell 6.8 per cent below the transit agency’s budgeted projection, and was down by 3.8 per cent compared to the same time period in 2025.
The city’s bus system ranked lowest, with 61 per cent of users saying they are satisfied with it. Streetcar service came in at 62 per cent satisfaction, and the subway at 64 per cent.
Relatedly, fare revenue has also declined. The report says there is an $8-million year-to-date budget shortfall.
The report attributes the decrease to “extreme weather events in 2026, an economic slowdown and a decline in immigration and international students.”
Speaking with CBC, transit advocate Steve Munro said that while weather was likely a factor, the TTC must acknowledge problems within its control.
“An issue, and it seems to be getting worse in recent years, is the reliability of the service,” he said. “That’s something the TTC really needs to get their hands around.”
A motion put forward by Councillor Josh Matlow will also be discussed at today’s meeting. It focuses on hydraulic fluid leaks and signal issues, following numerous recent subway shutdowns. “These delays are unacceptable and cannot become the new normal,” the motion says. “Transit needs to be fast and reliable. Right now, transit riders use the TTC with the expectation that their daily commute will be impacted by a delay.”
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Carly Lewis is a journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times and the New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Wired, Interview Magazine, Pitchfork, Elle, and Maclean’s, where she is a contributing editor. Her work has been recognized by the National Magazine Awards and the Digital Publishing Awards. She reports on city life, culture—including what people do online—politics, art and crime. She received the Dave Greber Freelance Writers Award for “The Murder of Ashley Wadsworth,” an investigative feature about a Canadian teenager who was killed by a man she met on social media, published by Maclean’s.
