Thursday, July 06, 2023

Toronto's transit system is actually pretty good

Most Canadian media outlets and newspapers are reporting on the recently released transit report card from the Toronto Region Board of Trade. Here are a few of the headlines: City had least reliable service in 2022; Toronto transit has least reliable  in the GTA; TTC has the least reliable transit system compared to over municipalities in Ontario; TTC ranked last among GTHA transit systems in new report card; etc.

You get the idea: Toronto's transit system is rubbish, the worst of the worst. But, actually, service reliability was just one of many factors that the Board of Trade looked at. Overall, Toronto's TTC earned a solid B rating, along with Mississauga, the highest rating of any transit system tested. Hamilton and Waterloo scored a B-, Oakville and Milton a terrible D-. If Toronto were to expand its express bus service, add more streetcar routes, and address some safety issues on the TTC, it would have scored an A, says the Board of Trade.

You would never have gleaned that from a quick perusal of the headlines, or even a quick read of most most them. So much for press transparency and objectivity.

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