Newmarket commuter Michelle Galloro is at her “wit’s end” with a four-hour, round-trip trek on public transit to get to and from her job at York University’s Keele Campus.
Nothing has changed for her since the opening last year of the TTC Line 1 subway extension into York Region, Galloro said. The promise of faster and more convenient service for riders, she argued, has yet to be met.
“We’ve got transit prices going up and services declining,” Galloro said. “The new subway stops, including Pioneer Village, veer left. That’s great for Toronto and people living in the southwest of York Region, but it has no bearing on the rest of us in north-eastern York Region.”
Galloro was moved to action last September when York University staff and faculty received an email blast before Labour Day notifying them that as of Sept. 4, York Region Transit would no longer take riders directly onto the campus because of a binding agreement it signed in 2008 to avoid duplication of services once the subway extension was complete.
That agreement was made between the City of Toronto and the TTC, and the Regional Municipality of York and York Region Transit. York University was not involved in that deal.
Instead, local transit riders can hop off at the Pioneer Village subway station at Steeles Avenue and Settlers Road and hike the half hour walk to the north end of campus. That, or pay an additional $3.25 TTC fare to subway it one stop to the York University station.
“We have been advocating with the transportation agencies to reduce the financial burden for our students by implementing fare integration as quickly as possible,” York University deputy spokesperson Janice Walls said. “And we will continue to do so.”
York University offers free transportation from any location on campus to assist students, faculty and staff with mobility needs, Walls added.
But Galloro is adamant there’s more than transit costs at stake.
“It’s quite appalling, this was obviously brokered a long time ago without consultation with York Region residents,” Galloro said. “As a taxpayer, why is York Region Transit brokering a deal with the TTC to make more money from us? It’s a cash grab.”
Since then, Galloro has taken her concerns to York Region Transit, about which she got a cookie-cutter form letter reply mid-September, she said. She also prepared a deputation for a Newmarket town council meeting Sept. 24, which was brought forward by Councillor Christina Bisanz on her behalf.
In that deputation, Galloro noted the following concerns:
- YRT, a transit system subsidized by local taxpayers, brokered a deal with the TTC and the City of Toronto that reduces service for York Region residents;
- An argument has been made that the deal was made between TTC and YRT to eliminate redundancy in service. This, however, is untrue. The TTC extension only services residents in Vaughan (southwest of Newmarket) and does not benefit residents living north and east of the Jane Street and Hwy. 7 extension;
- Cost issue: Required to pay two fares, including TTC fare of $3.25 and YRT fare of $3.75;
- Time and convenience issue: An additional 30 minutes-plus added to each commute to and from York U, whether it be walking to Pioneer Village or waiting for the TTC and transferring to YRT.
- Safety issue for students: Staff and faculty have to walk to the perimeter of campus day and night to wait for transit. These areas are not patrolled by York University security or Toronto police.
In a Sept. 6 news story in York University’s student newspaper, Excalibur, TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said “the discussion about fare integration GTA-wide is ongoing.”
York Region Transit did not respond to requests for comment prior to publication.
However, in response to Galloro’s September letter, a York Region Transit spokesperson states: “With regards to your concerns with fare integration, YRT continues to work with Metrolinx and the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) transit agencies towards a consistent approach to transit fares in the region that is customer-focused, simplified, and reflects the quality and value of service provided to all travelers.”
But for Galloro, time is of the essence.
“I’m one of those people who really looks forward to going home at the end of the day.”
The TTC this week announced it is scrapping the Metropass in favour of the Presto smart card. Metropasses will not be accepted after Dec. 31, 2018. However, fare integration of the Toronto and York Region Presto cards is still in limbo.
