Item - 2025.TTC11.8

It is recommended that the TTC Board:

1. Direct the TTC CEO to work with the City Manager, the Ministry of Transportation, Metrolinx, Mosaic Transit Group and/or Crosslinx Transit Solutions to significantly improve performance, frequency and speed on Line 5 and Line 6 by exploring and implementing where possible, the following measures including, but not limited to, strengthening transit signal priority, feasibility of increasing service frequency (including any required operating funding subsidy increase from the Province of Ontario), and reviewing internal TTC and City of Toronto policies which govern speeds on surface routes, and provide a progress update to the TTC Board no later than Q1 2026.

The recent opening of Line 6 is an exciting and important addition to transit infrastructure in the City of Toronto. Line 6 will bring rapid transit options to more than 230,000 residents within walking distance and move more than 51,000 riders each weekday. It runs on a dedicated right-of-way along Finch Avenue West, from Finch West Station on TTC’s Line 1 (Yonge-University) to Humber Polytechnic’s North Campus at Humber College Station.

To ensure its success, the Finch West LRT must be fast and convenient to use. The TTC Board must ensure it exhausts every opportunity to realize this vision of fast and convenient transit for our customers. As the TTC continues its soft opening of Line 6, there are opportunities to improve its performance and speed along the route by looking at more aggressive, active transit signal priority, increasing service frequency, and removing or changing internal TTC, City of Toronto and Metrolinx policies that affect vehicle speeds.

The Board is also cognizant of the imminent opening of Line 5, slated for 2026, and seeks to ensure that all learnings from the opening of Line 6 are applied, as appropriate, to Line 5. It is critically important, that Line 5 service meets the expectations of our customers who have long awaited the opening of this critical east-west rapid transit corridor, particularly in advance of Toronto co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup.