TTC – A Step Towards Free Transit for Middle School & High School Students
“A small intervention with enormous long-term, lasting consequences that are of our benefit,” said Councillor Dianne Saxe, Toronto City Council (Ward 11) and former Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, during the September 26th Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) Board Meeting.
Saxe was speaking of the Kingston Model for Youth Transit. During the recent meeting, item #11 was a Notice of Motion - A Step Towards Free Transit for Middle and High School Students – by Councillor Saxe, seconded by Commissioner Paul Ainslie (For Action).
TTC Bus (CBC).
Around 04:22:10, Toronto Catholic District School Board Chair Nancy Crawford (Ward 12) and Student Trustee David Beshai took to the podium as part of a delegation to support the motion for free field trip transportation using the TTC.
Crawford spoke of how investing in youth transit solutions would, “benefit the city for decades to come.” Beshai noted that “students recognize the important role the TTC plays in their lives and economic prosperity” and highlighted that universities such as Harvard and Waterloo have conducted studies showcasing how “access to public transportation is the biggest indicator of escaping poverty for students and their communities.”
Youth riding public transit (Canva).
A question period for the Board followed this delegation. Councillor Saxe started by noting that, although the TTC is not currently able to provide free transit for all youth, the field trip pass “is a step in the right direction.” Her comments to staff focused on how the TTC already runs many buses and routes daily that see very minimal ridership during work hours. Saxe also inquired what the marginal costs would be for the TTC to fill those empty buses with students during their under-performing hours to provide more reliable and affordable transit options to school boards.
In response to staff’s concerns about an immediate loss in revenue, Saxe cited the “extraordinary success” of the Kingston program and highlighted how it increased equity and transit ridership while reducing climate pollution, as well as resulted in continued transit ridership into adulthood. Saxe credited this continued ridership with the training the youth received and noted that the program overall increased Kingston Transit ridership over the years, therefore generating untapped revenue for the city.
These sentiments were supported by Councillor Matlow who stated, “I fundamentally believe in free transit. I believe that it addresses equity goals, climate goals and contributes to the quality of life of people in our city. I hope that we can achieve the goal,” before pledging his vote to forward the motion.
(Chair) Councillor Jamaal Myers wrapped up the conversation by sharing his belief that “a TTC fare should never be the reason why one of our students doesn’t have that moment where they discover their passion,” citing his high school field trip to parliament that inspired his career path.
The recorded vote was 6 to 3, carrying the motion, and a report will be returned to the Toronto Transit Commission Board in early 2024.
This is another prime example of the impact and inspiration that the Get on the Bus movement holds for communities, school boards, municipalities and youth nationwide. The Get on the Bus team is proud to see youth across the country standing up for their right to access equitable transit options and is ready to provide expertise and support to any group interested in learning more about programming, resources, partnerships and more.
