Item - 2025.TTC1.2

It is recommended that the TTC Board:

1. Endorse the 2025 Subway Closures and Streetcar Diversions Forecast; and

2. Direct staff to forward this report to the General Manager, Transportation Services, City of Toronto for information.

This report summarizes the work achieved and the infrastructure enhancements made using subway closures and streetcar diversions in 2024, including initiatives implemented to improve service during closures and diversions. It also provides forecasting for state of good repair, modernization and expansion work on our subway and streetcar networks for 2025 and 2026, along with associated closures and diversions, and challenges being faced. These challenges include limited non-revenue work opportunities in conjunction with an increase in enhanced modernization and expansion projects creating a dual demand on resource allocation and track occupancy.

The TTC will review options to remain in a state-of-good-repair, while accommodating enhancement, including extending closure boundaries, multi-day subway closures, and modifying the nightly early subway closure time from 11 p.m. to 10 p.m. The TTC intends to present these options to the Board in late 2025.

Closures and Diversions

Incremental operating costs associated with the use of bus replacement service for streetcar diversions and subway closures are funded from respective capital project budgets.

Subway closure costs are variable and dependent upon the duration and distance of the closure territory, along with the complexity of the work. The cost for each closure is attributed to the incremental costs for buses, advertising, and staffing. This includes Operators, contracted customer service support staff, TTC staff to supervise the closure, paid duty police officers, and parking enforcement officers. The average subway early closure cost is approximately $35,000 per evening and the average full, two-day weekend closure cost is $500,000 per weekend ($250,000 per day).

The 2025 Subway Closures and Streetcar Diversions Forecast includes requirements associated with the delivery of various TTC infrastructure state-of-good-repair (SOGR) projects and Engineering, Construction and Expansion (ECE) projects, such as Automatic Train Control (ATC) on Line 2, Station Finishes and Pump Replacement projects. Bus replacement costs are funded in the TTC’s 2025-2034 Capital Budget and Plan, which was approved by the TTC Board at its meeting of January 10, 2025, and to be considered by City Council at its Special Meeting on February 11, 2025.

Bus replacement costs for City and Metrolinx projects are recovered by the respective organizations. For the Provincial Priority Subway Expansion (PPSE) programs, other than Line 5 and Line 6, the TTC is anticipating that all incremental costs to maintain service capacity through construction activities will be funded by Metrolinx. Specific arrangements under the PPSE programs are subject to the finalization of a service disruption policy. The 2025 Operating Budget includes operating costs and recoveries of $13.0 million, which was approved by the TTC Board at its meeting of January 10, 2025, and to be considered by City Council at its Special Meeting on February 11, 2025.

Work Cars

Work planned during subway closures are reliant on work cars to aide in the performance of the scheduled activities. As such, the TTC’s 2025 Operating Budget includes $0.8M to bolster work car maintenance and the 2025-2034 Capital Budget and Plan includes $35.6 million of approved funding for work car overhauls as well as $62.9 million toward work car procurements. These investments, as approved by the TTC Board on January 10, 2025, and before City Council for consideration on February 11, 2025, are required to increase reliability and respond to increased demand for work cars due to higher capital activity.

The Chief Financial Officer has reviewed this report and agrees with the financial impact information.