Riders are coming back but transit agencies warn they're not fully up to speed after COVID-19

Two of Ontario's biggest public transit agencies say they're seeing a welcome uptick in ridership after two years of dismal demand, but they warn there's still a long way to go before they can fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both the TTC and GO Transit say they've regained 60 and 50 per cent of pre-pandemic riders respectively due to the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions, more in-person events and a gradual return to office work. But they both say it's hard to plan for future riders.

"It's taken us two years to get back to this," said TTC spokesperson Stuart Green. The TTC says its financial report going to the board Thursday will forecast a $66-million revenue surplus, partly due to labour and operating savings, by the end of 2022. 

"We'll get back to those levels that are pre-pandemic, but probably not in the same patterns that we saw," Green added.

Government relief packages helped keep both transit agencies afloat since 2020, in normal years. But at the best of times, both heavily rely on farebox revenue to operate. To keep that cash flowing, they say they have to regain riders who stopped taking public transit, attract new ones and find ways to adapt to changing commuting patterns.

"These are things that we need to be aware of so that we can make sure we're delivering the best service, at the right times of day, on the right routes," Green told CBC Toronto.

Green says weekends are the new peak time for TTC commuters, overtaking the weekday riders that used to predictably ride for a 9 a.m. work start and 5 p.m. end, but now go into the office at varying times throughout the week. 

There's a similar trend on GO Transit, which is partly why the company is exploring different fare options to bring more riders back, and implemented free wifi on trains, buses and in stations in 2020, says Anne Marie Aikins, spokesperson for.Metrolinx, the provincial agency that oversees GO Transit. 

"That's going to be a key element — to use the commute as your part of your workday or relaxing," Aikins said.

Green says the TTC is also looking at different opportunities to bring in more customers, such as piloting on-demand transit using old Wheel-Trans buses in East York, the Beaches, and in North York, looking into ride sharing and consulting and partnering with other organizations. 

Green says with the exception of seasonal services, all TTC service routes are still operating, with some at reduced capacity compared to pre-pandemic levels. In contrast, Aikins says while GO buses have returned to normal operations, about 25 per cent of train routes aren't operating yet.

She says the goal is to have all routes running at 100 per cent by the fall, and expects more riders to fill out the remaining empty space as gas prices rise and traffic gets thicker. 

"People are eager for us to bring back all of their services, and we're doing that as fast as we can," she said.

Not only are riders looking forward to a return to normal services, they're also anticipating new ones. Aikins notes both commuters and transit operators alike are waiting for the Eglinton Crosstown and Finch West light rail transit lines to open in the next two years.