Seniors and Wheel-Trans users would ride the TTC for free if Mitzie Hunter is elected mayor, the mayoral candidate said Friday.
Releasing a plan to boost TTC ridership, Hunter announced that as mayor of Toronto she would also lower TTC fares by reversing recent fare hikes as well as reversing recently implemented service cuts.
“This gets to the heart of why I am running for mayor,” Hunter said. “Toronto has to be a city that works for everyone, everywhere in our city. We all know this. Yet we are drifting away from that kind of city. That's why we need a new approach, a fresh set of eyes to deal with the issues of today as well as to prepare for tomorrow.”
She said that with construction set to begin along Queen Street for the new Ontario Line subway, congestion is likely to get worse and transit therefore needs to be better.
“This is the worst time to be reducing TTC service frequency and hiking fares,” she said. “I will fix that by restoring service, reducing fares and making the TTC free for seniors and Wheel-Trans users.”
Hunter has also previously said she’d like to increase police patrols around transit stations and pair TTC officers with social workers to assist vulnerable people.
The announcement comes after city councillors in Montreal voted earlier this month to make public transit fare for seniors in that city as of July 1. Mississauga also recently introduced a reduced $1 Miway fare for seniors 65 and older.
Hunter didn't specify how she would pay for the plan, which she estimated would cost $144 million a year when fully implemented in 2025. She reiterated that her platform will be fully costed by Election Day.
Josh Matlow also released a plan to reverse the TTC service cuts earlier this week, pegging the cost at around $180 million a year.
The cuts came into effect along 39 routes last week as part of efforts to cope with a massive budgetary shortfall brought on by reduced ridership which has not recovered since the pandemic.
