Item - 2026.TTC15.16

It is recommended that the TTC Board:

1. Direct staff to:

a. review and analyse projected density at subway stations designated as Protected Major Transit Station Areas and Major Transit Station Areas, as set out in Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022.

b. review and analyse projected subway capacity to meet subsequent population growth, per Bill 23.

2. Request City of Toronto Transportation Planning to:

a. develop strategies to address increased density along Protected Major Transit Station Areas and Major Transit Station Areas designated stations;

b. consider strategies for provincial funding assistance to increase transit capacity.

Ontario’s Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, aims to build 1.5 million homes by 2031. For the City of Toronto, this represents additional pressure on municipal infrastructure, and on the TTC. Bill 23 primarily modified the Planning Act and the Development Charges Act to accelerate construction to vastly increase residential density, often bypassing municipal approval, and eliminated or reduced developer fees (formerly earmarked for affordable housing and infrastructure).

The Protected Major Transit Station Areas (PMTSA) and Major Transit Station Areas (MTSA) mandates requires the City to update zoning to meet high-density targets around MTSAs, encouraging population growth near subway stations, in the form of high-rise buildings.

 
The impact on the TTC will be:

• financial constraints; and
• operational pressures.

Due to the elimination or reduction of developer fees, it is estimated that the City may have a $2.3 billion revenue loss over 10 years, and for the TTC, there is a risk of capital budget shortfall, as the developer fees are a primary source of funding for transit infrastructure.

Without infrastructure upgrades, the resulting capacity constraints, especially at stations, may cause safety issues, should Line 1 and 2 stations be unable to handle the surge in passengers from new high-rise developments.