Toronto launches new online dashboard to track safety and security incidents on TTC

Why is there no cell service on TTC subways? The TTC signed a deal over a decade ago for wi-fi and cell services, but none of the big telecom companies signed on.

The City of Toronto has launched a new online dashboard that keeps track of safety and security incidents on public transit in Toronto.

The new tool, which went live on Monday, tracks a series of metrics related to safety on the TTC, including the rate of criminal offences against TTC customers, TTC employees, and the number of major offences that occur across all transit networks in the city.

Customer satisfaction with personal safety and the number of wellness checks conducted by safety ambassadors are also numbers tracked on the dashboard.

According to the data posted Monday, the rate of offences against TTC customers in May was 1.82 incidents per one million boardings, up from 1.75 in April and 1.66 in March but down from 2.70 in January.

The rate of offences against employees was 8.39 incidents per 100 employees in May, up from 6.79 in April but down from 8.68 in January.

The number of major crime occurrences on all transit systems in Toronto in May was 220, up from 162 in April and 177 in January.

“According to the tracked dashboard data, the rate of offences against customers (per 1 million boardings) has decreased by 33 percent since January. The rate of offences against employees also dropped in the same time period,” a news release issued by the TTC read.

“As well, the types of offences have become less aggressive in nature.”

The dashboard, along with a series of other safety initiatives, was developed in response to a rash of violent incidents on the TTC in the last 12 months.

There have been four homicides on or near TTC property over the last year in addition to three shoves and attempted shoves of individuals onto the tracks at Bloor-Yonge Station.

“I want to thank our employees and our City partners for the hard work to tackle the complex challenges our system has faced over the past several months,” TTC CEO Rick Leary said in a written statement.

“As promising as this trend is, we know the job is far from done. We remain committed to building on these initiatives to ensure we are addressing the concerns we’ve heard.”

One new TTC safety initiative has drawn heavy criticism from transit and anti-poverty advocates.

A news release issued by the TTCRiders on Monday says the TTC’s “Getting Back to Transit (Move Along)” program, which aims to reduce the number of people seeking shelter on the TTC, is a “disturbing plan to hide homelessness” that “won’t make transit any safer.”

In a new report, city staff say the first two phases of its ‘Move Along’ initiative have already been implemented.

Phase 1 includes “encouraging individuals to move from other stations to Union and Spadina stations,” where Streets to Homes resources are available.

As part of Phase 2, the report states, “if the individual is not interested in a referral or refuses to leave the station” the Transit Control Centre will be contacted and special constables will be deployed.

The TTC plans to hire an additional 12 special constables in July to help with implementation of the initiative.

“Expanding police presence on the TTC will make transit users feel unsafe and continue to build a culture of fear within communities especially for Black, Indigenous, racialized, immigrant, unhoused people, and people experiencing mental health crises,” Rebeena Subadar, of Jane Finch Action Against Poverty, said in the TTCRiders news release.

“The ‘Move Along’ initiative brought forth by the TTC is not a safety solution; instead, it is a form of quiet eviction targeting unhoused people.”

For its part, the TTC says it is taking “a compassionate and people-first approach” in preventing individuals from taking shelter in TTC stations overnight.

“Special Constables and Security Guards will use communication skills and develop rapport with individuals to reach a resolution that does not involve an arrest, which is only to be used as a last resort,” the report read.

“Unless there is a public safety concern, individuals will be given every opportunity to leave the premises voluntarily.”