TORONTO TRANSIT COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1981 Toronto Transit Commission Commissioners Julian Porter, O.C., Chairman Karl L. Mallette, Vice Chairman Paul Godfrey, Commissioner Jeffrey S. Lyons, O.C., Commissioner June Rowlands, Commissioner Julian Porter Officers Alfred H. Savage, A.H. Savage Chief General Manager David C. Phillips, General Secretary L.G. Berney W. Graham Chase, O.C., General Counsel Karl L. Mallette Lloyd 0. Morley, Treasurer and Comptroller D.C. Phillips Senior Officials Lloyd G. Berney, S.T. Lawrence General Manager- Operations Paul Godfrey Stanley T. Lawrence, General Manager - Engineering and Construction W.G. Chase Dr. Juri Pill, Executive Director- Planning Dr. J. Pill Jeffrey S. Lyons L.O. Morley June Rowlands 2 July 20, 1982 alleviating peak hour crowding by persuading employ­ ers to provide or increase the availability of variable Paul V. Godfrey, Chairman work hours to their employees. and Members of the Council of the lt is noteworthy that the growth in ridership was not Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto overly affected by the fare increase in January, 1981 Ladies and Gentlemen: which increased the basic adult ticket fare from 50i The 1981 Annual Report of the Toronto Transit (6 for $3.00) to 57.1 i (7 for $4.00), and which averaged Commission is presented for the approval of the 13.1 %. This fare increase generated $22.7 million in Council of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto. additional revenue and total revenues increased by The Commission is pleased to report another $31.4 million to $215.0 million (54.9i per passenger). record year for public transit in Metro Toronto, as 1981 At the same time expenses rose by $47.6 million, ridership climbed to 392.0 million and a new single mainly as a result of the 1979 and 1981 wage day ridership record of 1.477,000 was established on settlements. inflation in prices of materials and December 11. In December, 1981 TTC riding sur­ services and the 6.4% mileage increase. Total passed Chicago and established Toronto as the expenses for 1981 were $284.4 million (72.6i per second largest carrier in North America, behind only passenger). Consequently the Operating Subsidy rose New York City. However, when riding is expressed in by $16.2 million from $53.2 million to $69.4 million terms of the population of the area served, riding per (17.7i per passenger) in 1981. capita in Metro Toronto for 1981 ranked the highest Consistent with prior years, the Commission's among North American properties. Operating Subsidy was assumed by the Municipality There are many contributing factors to the remarka­ which, in turn, received a subsidy from the Province of ble increase of 25.6 million rides (7.0%) over 1980 and Ontario. The Provincial subsidy formula is based on the degree of influence which each has had is a sliding scale which increases the subsidy as the uncertain. The Commission has undoubtedly bene­ Commission's revenue/cost ratio (as calculated in fitted from public reaction to the ever increasing cost accordance with Provincial subsidy rules) decreases. of private automobile operation and ownership The Commission's actual revenue/cost ratio of 71.2% coupled with the expense and inconvenience of compared favourably with the target revenue/cost downtown parking. In addition other general, social ratio of 68%, mainly because of higher ridership than and economic trends such as the increasing role of expected, and consequently less subsidies were women in the workforce are conducive to increased required from Metro and the Province. transit riding. However, this is not the whole story. The In the area of capital investment, the Commission Commission can take credit for encouraging usage of spent $60.7 million in 1981, including $24.1 million for the system by its extensive marketing program which the purchase of 198 new buses and $10.5 million in has stressed the economy and convenience of the progress payments for 125 new Canadian Light Rail transit system compared with the automobile and Vehicles (CLRV's). Engineering work was begun on through the promotion of the monthly unlimited ride the new 4.4 mile line from Kennedy station to the "Metropass" which was introduced in May, 1980 and Scarborough Town Centre. This line is being has steadily increased in usage (46.8 million rides in constructed primarily to promote development in and 1981.) In the final analysis, however, the Commission improve access to the Town Centre area, and is recognizes that its major goal is to continue to provide subject to special funding by the Province. In 1981 a safe, reliable and clean service at a reasonable price, a decision was made to build this line using the newly which will encourage the use of the transit system as developed Intermediate Capacity Transit System a viable alternative to the automobile. (ICTS) technology rather than the originally planned While the challenge in the late 1970s was how best Light Rail (CLRV) system. The ICTS system uses steel to operate in an environment of declining ridership, in wheel vehicles which run on an exclusive right of way 1981 the challenge has been how best to serve the and incorporate advanced technology which includes increased ridership.ln 1981 the Commission increased linear induction motors. The line is scheduled to service by 6.5 million miles, equivalent to a 6.4% begin operation in late 1984. increase over 1980, proportionately the largest annual By the end of 1981 the full order of 196 new CLRV's service increase since 1975. Much of this increase had been accepted and all are now in revenue service, was directed to improved rush hour service on both replacing PCC streetcars which had been in use for surface and subway routes and the introduction of many years. In addition, the long term Communica­ new express type bus services. To provide this tions and Information System (C.I.S.) project for the additional service, 187 vehicles were added to the installation of on-board communication/computer Commission's fleet. Efforts were also directed at units on surface vehicles, to better monitor and direct 3 service, continued on an extended trial basis in 1981. the Commission from his previous position as A move was made towards increased automation in Commissioner of Public Affairs for the City of fare collection when approval was given for the Edmonton. Mr. R. Michael Warren, his predecessor, acquisition of equipment for testing new turnstiles relinquished his position on June 1, 1981 to assume which accept magnetically encoded tickets the position of President of the new Canada Post and passes. Corporation. The challenges of the 1980s demand that the The remainder of this Annual Report sets out in Commission maintain its traditional high standard of more detail the financial and operating results and management and operating skills. In September 1981, discusses other major activities and new developments the Commission welcomed Mr. Alfred H. Savage as in 1981. its new Chief General Manager. Mr. Savage comes to The TTC - Sixty Years of Transit Service liThe Better Way" On September 1, 1921, the Toronto Transportation The TTC started operations in 1921 with a fleet of Commission assumed the operations of the Toronto 709 motored street cars and 121 trailers inherited Railway Company, the Toronto Civic Railway and the from the Toronto Railway Company. Over the past 60 City of Toronto sections of the Toronto and York Radial years, the TTC has acquired over 4,500 pieces of Railways' Mimico and Scarborough lines. A year later, revenue rolling stock, including 1,486 light rail vehicles the Metropolitan (north) line of the T&YRR had been of the Witt, PCC and CLRV designs, 642 subway cars acquired. Thus, what had been nine separate opera­ and over 2,300 buses including 755 in the past ten tions collecting separate fares had become one years alone. system with a single fare serving the 35-square mile The photos on this page provide a glance back to the City of Toronto area. first days of the TTC in Toronto in this, the Annual By 1953, the Toronto Transit Commission had been Report for the 60th year of Commission operations. formed to assume responsibility for providing public transit services in the entire Metropolitan Toronto area. A major track rebuilding program was launched when the The first bus service in Toronto, HUMBERSIDE­ TTC took over in 1921. This Oueen/Kingston Road view, ANNETTE, was introduced in September, 1921. in October 1921, shows concrete being mixed on site Open-top, double-deck buses were used. The early by the batcher and the sub-paving being poured. bus routes served as feeders to the heavy trunk car lines. 4 Many of the larger wooden cars of the Toronto Railway Between. 1921 and 1923, five hundred and seventy-five Co. were rehabilitated by the Commission and saw new "Peter Witt" cars were put in service. These many years of useful life. The last were retired in 1951. modern steel-bodied cars were of front entrance/centre ' exit design with air operated doors. During the Second World War, TTC's bus fleet was The P.C. C. Car, introduced in 1938, represented the taxed to the limit as system ridership tripled. This 1943 most important advance in transit technology since view shows rush hour conditions in the Leaside the first electric cars of the 1890's. industrial area. Trolley buses have been operating continuously since One hundred and forty British-built subway cars were 1947. The post war model, above, was retired in the ordered for the original Yonge line, opened in 1954. early 1970s and its motors and control equipment After millions of miles, the 'Gloucester' cars continue salvaged for use in the next generation of electric buses.