Meeting No. 1777

Friday, December 17, 1999

A special meeting of the Toronto Transit Commission was held in Committee Room 2, Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario on Friday, December 17, 1999 commencing at 2:10 p.m.

H. Moscoe (Chair), R. Davis (Vice-Chair), D. Miller, B. Kinahan, C. Korwin-Kuczynski, and J. Mihevc (Commissioners), R. Ducharme (Chief General Manager), V. Rodo (General Manager – Executive & General Secretary), G. Webster (General Manager – Operations), J. Sepulis (General Manager - Engineering & Construction), L. Hilborn (Deputy General Manager - Corporate), M. Roche (Chief Financial Officer), B. Leck (General Counsel), A. Priede (Manager – Human Resources), M. Walker (Chief Security Officer), A. Chocorlan (Manager - Materials and Procurement), M. Stambler (Manager – Service Planning), R. Hughes (Senior Marketing Analyst, Marketing & Public Affairs), W. Dawson (Superintendent, Route & System Planning, Service Planning), R. Thacker (General Superintendent, Wheel-Trans), W. Buffett (Assistant General Secretary) and A. Patrone (Administrative Coordinator) were present.

H. Moscoe was in the Chair.

Declaration Of Interest - Nil

Deputations

a) Report No. 4 – Role of Contracted

Taxi Services in Wheel-Trans Operations

Roger Roberts

TTC Advisory Committee on Accessible Transportation

Lloyd Pollock

Celebrity Taxi

Vince Casuti

President, Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 113

The Commission Received The Foregoing Deputations.

(See Report No. 4 For Minute)

b) Report No. 2 – 2000 Service

Plan – Results of Consultation

Councillor Joanne Flint

City of Toronto

(Submitted brief re: 115 Silver Hills bus service)

Philip Webb

(Submitted brief)

The Commission Received The Foregoing Deputations.

(See Report No. 2 For Minute)

Other Business

1. TTC 2000 Operating Budget

The Commission Received Overhead Slide Presentations From R. Ducharme, Chief General Manager, R. Hughes, Senior Marketing Analyst, W. Dawson, Superintendent, Route & System Planning And V. Rodo, General Manager -Executive & General Secretary.

Vice-Chair Davis Questioned V. Rodo, General Manager - Executive & General Secretary On The Impacts If The City Of Toronto Reaches A Decision To Cut Funding To The TTC 2000 Operating Budget.

V. Rodo, General Manager – Executive & General Secretary Indicated That The Following Actions Would Have To Be Considered If This Was To Occur:

• CUT 2000 Service Plan Items Held In Abeyance;

• CUT Poor Performing Routes;

• Cut Service Additions Which Were Being Implemented To Lead Ridership Growth; And

• Raise Fares.

On Conclusion Of The Presentations, The Commission Approved Recommendation Nos. 1, 2 And 4 Contained In The Report, As Listed Below:

"1. Approve The TTC 2000 Operating Budget (Summarized In Appendix A) As Described In This Report And As Detailed In The Following Documents:

• TTC 2000 Operating Budget

• TTC 2000 Organization Charts

• TTC 2000 Goals & Objectives

• TTC 2000 Detailed Budget Blue Book

2. Note The Following Budget Assumptions And Highlights:

• Fares To Remain Unchanged (Operating Surplus To TTC Stabilization Reserve Fund To Help Offset Need For 2001 Fare Increase)

• Improved Economy Expected For 2000

• Ridership Growth Of 2% To 405 Million In 2000 

• Added Service To Provide For Growth Into 2001

• Revenue/Cost Ratio At 80%

• Subsidy/Passenger Of 37¢

The TTC Remains The Most Productive And Least Subsidized Mass Transit Authority In North America.

4. Consider This Report In Concert With The Following Reports:

• Wheel-Trans 2000 Operating Budget

• 2000-2004 TTC Capital Program."

The Commission Amended Recommendation No. 3 By Deleting "$148.9" And The Words "This Is Exactly The Same Level As Provided In 1999 (And Noting It’s $3.8 Million Lower Than The $152.7 Million In City Funding That Would Be Available Were The City To Fund 20% Of Costs And TTC Revenues 80%)," And Replacing In Lieu Thereof "$152.7" And The Words "That This Is The Level Required To Maintain The Council Approved Policy Of The City Funding 20% Of Cost And TTC Revenue 80%", So Such Recommendation Reads As Follows:

"3. Forward This Report To The City Of Toronto For Council Approval Of The Required 2000 Operating Subsidy Of $152.7 Million, Noting That This Is The Level Required To Maintain The Council Approved Policy Of The City Funding 20% Of Cost And TTC Revenue 80%."

The Commission Approved The Report, As Amended, On A Unanimous Vote.

The Commission Also Approved The Following Motions On A Unanimous Vote:

1. That The Commission Request The Budget Advisory Committee To Nominate Members To Meet With The TTC Chair, TTC Vice-Chair, Available TTC Commissioners And TTC Staff To Prepare A Three-Year Funding Plan For The TTC; And That The December 17, 1999 Commission Report Entitled, "TTC 2000 Operating Budget" And Supporting Documentation Form The Basis Of The Discussion At Those Meetings; And

2. Request That City Of Toronto Council Contribute $3.8 Million To The TTC Stabilization Reserve Fund, Such Amount Representing The Difference Between 20% Of TTC Expenses ($153 Million) And The 1999 Approved City Funding For The TTC ($149 Million); And That Such Funds As May Be In The Fund Be Utilized To Help Offset The 2001 Requirement For A Fare Increase.

2. 2000 Service Plan – Results of Consultation

After Hearing The Deputations, The Commission Adopted Recommendation Nos. 2, 3 And 4 Contained In The Report As Listed Below:

"2. Note That TTC Staff Are Deferring The Recommendation To Remove Saturday, Sunday, And Holiday Evening Service On The 160 Bathurst North Route So That It May Be Considered In Conjunction With The TTC’S Response To A Request For A Budget Reduction From The City Of Toronto.

3. Note That TTC Staff Will Prepare A Separate Report, To Be Presented To The Commission At Its Meeting Of January 12, 2000, Which Will Address Other Issues Which Have Arisen During The Consultation Period, Concerning Service To The University Of Toronto At Scarborough And Service On The 120 Calvington, 12 Kingston Rd, 130 Middlefield, And 131 Nugget Routes.

4. Forward This Report To The City Of Toronto And All City Councillors."

The Commission Amended Recommendation No. 1 Contained In The Report, As Listed Below, By Deferring Consideration Of The Proposed Service Change For The 312 St Clair Service Until Its Next Meeting In Order That Staff Can Report Back On Comments Made By Mr. Philip Webb During His Deputation Concerning This Change.

"1. Approve The Introduction Of The Following Service Changes For A Trial Period, Beginning On February 13, 2000, Noting That No Comments Were Received In Opposition To These Changes:

• 303 Don Mills - Overnight Service On Throncliffe Park Drive

• 37A Islington - Sunday And Holiday Evening Service On Rexdale Boulevard

• 131 Nugget - Revised Service On Morningview Trail

• 72 Pape And 121 Front-Esplanade - Revised Service On Mill Street

• Pearson Airport - New Service From Kipling Station
 
• 109 Ranee - Saturday Late Evening Service

• 73 Royal York - Revised Looping At Dixon Road

• 79 Scarlett Rd - Service On St. Clair Avenue

• 112 West Mall – Monday To Friday Evening Service To Disco Road."

3. 2000 Wheel-Trans Operating Budget

The Commission Received An Overhead Slide Presentation From R. Thacker, General Superintendent, Wheel-Trans.

After Hearing The Presentation, The Commission Approved The Recommendation Contained In The Subject Report, As Listed Below, On The Understanding That Staff Will Not Pursue The Concept Of Using Non-Licensed Vehicles:

"1. Approve The 2000 Wheel-Trans Operating Budget Of $40.9M Provided For In This Report And Companion Documents Noting The Following Highlights:

• $40.4M In Operating Subsidy ($38.4m For Service; $2.5m For Elf Buses; Less $0.5M Contribution From Stabilization Reserve)

• 1,531,500 Trip Demand

• 1,492,500 Passengers Carried

• 2.6% Unaccommodated Rate 

• New Low-Floor Elf Buses In Service Increase To 74

• Partial Replacement Of Orion Fleet Resulting In Maintenance Savings of $0.8M 

• Zone Bus Service Increase From 5 TO 6

• Accessible Taxi Service Increases To 44 Vehicles

• Cancellation Rate Reduced From 14% To 11%

• Implementation Of Integrated Trip Planning

• Implementation Of Cross-Boundary Service To Airport

• Workforce Decreases By 10;

2. Approve The Contribution Of The Projected 1999 Operating Budget Underexpenditure Of $0.5m To The Stabilization Reserve And Withdrawal Of The Same Amount In 2000 To Reduce The 2000 Funding Request To $40.4M;

3. Consider This Report In Concert With The Following:

• 2000-2004 TTC Capital Program Which Includes $6.6M in 2000 to Purchase 30 Low-Floor (ELF) Buses

• 2000 TTC Operating Budget;

4. Forward This Report To The City Of Toronto Council For Approval; And

5. Forward This Report To The TTC Advisory Committee On Accessible Transportation For Information."

4. Role of Contracted Taxi Services in Wheel-Trans Operations

After Hearing The Deputations, Chair Moscoe Moved That Words "Non-Licensed" Be Deleted From Recommendation Nos. 1 And 2.
Vice-Chair Davis Moved That Recommendation No. 1 Be Amended By Deleting "June 30, 2000" And Replacing In Lieu Thereof "August 31, 2000."
Vice-Chair Davis Also Moved That The Commission Defer Consideration Of Recommendation No. 2 Until Its Meeting On February 9, 2000 To Permit Staff To Report Back On The Matter Of Using Non-Licensed Vehicles.

Chair Moscoe Called For A Vote On His Motion To Amend Recommendation Nos. 1 And 2.

Vice-Chair Davis Declared A Point Of Procedure That The Motion For Deferral Should Be Voted On First.

Chair Moscoe Ruled That His Amendment Motion Should Be Dealt With First.

Vice-Chair Davis Challenged The Chair With Respect To His Ruling.

Chair Moscoe Called For A Vote On Whether His Ruling Should Be Upheld.

Chair Moscoe, Commissioner Korwin-Kuczynski, Commissioner Miller And Commissioner Mihevc Voted In Favour With Vice-Chair Davis Opposed. The Ruling By The Chair Was Therefore Upheld On A 4 – 1 Vote.

Commissioner Kinahan was not present to vote on the foregoing matter.

Chair Moscoe Then Called For A Vote On His Amendments To Recommendation Nos. 1 And 2.

Chair Moscoe, Commissioner Korwin-Kuczynski, Commissioner Miller And Commissioner Mihevc Voted In Favour With Vice-Chair Davis Opposed. The Motion Therefore Carried On A 4 – 1 Vote.

Vice-Chair Davis Withdrew His Motion To Amend Recommendation No. 1.

Chair Moscoe Moved That The Commission Defer Recommendation No. 2, As Amended, And That The Chair, Vice-Chair And Appropriate TTC Staff Meet With The Licensing Commissioner For The City Of Toronto To Explore The Development Of A Licensing Scheme To Allow Additional Accessible Taxis To Operate Within The Current Licensing Rules, And That Staff Report Back On This Matter At The February 9, 2000 Commission Meeting.

The Commission Approved The Foregoing Motion.

The Commission Approved The Report, As Amended.

Commissioner Mihevc Moved That Staff Be Requested To Report Back On The Following:

1. The Cost Of Ramping Up Wheel-Trans Service To Provide The Service Currently Provided By Sedans; And

2. The Cost Of Providing Sedan Service In-House, Including What Labour Rates Would Be Required To Make Such A Proposal Reasonably Cost Effective.

The Commission Approved The Foregoing Motion.

Commissioner Kinahan was not present to vote on the foregoing motions.

5. Correspondence

C-1) Councillor Bas Balkissoon, City of Toronto forwarding comments from his community with respect to the proposed routing change for the 131 NUGGET bus service.

The Commission Received The Foregoing Communication.

(Also See Report No. 2 For Minute)

C-2) Councillor Sherene Shaw, City of Toronto urging the TTC to support the recommendations of the Scarborough Community Council with respect to the 2000 Service Plan.

The Commission Referred The Foregoing Communication To Staff For Review And Report Back At Its Meeting Scheduled For January 12, 2000 In Conjunction With A Further Report Being Brought Forward On The 2000 Service Plan.

(Also See Report No. 2 For Minute)

The meeting adjourned at 4:40 p.m.