TTC still figuring out how to handle thousands of FIFA fans this summer

This summer, approximately 65,000 soccer fans will swarm the city’s waterfront to cheer at Toronto Stadium and the Fort York fan festival, but with only three months to go, the TTC has yet to paint a clear picture of how it will handle the stream of visitors.

So far, the TTC's publicly-announced plans have been limited to the introduction of transit-only lanes on Bathurst and Dufferin streets, though some details about other service adjustments were shared by a spokesperson Wednesday at the request of CBC News.

Meanwhile, across the country in Canada’s other host city, Metro Vancouver’s transit authority announced its plans weeks ago. In a March 3 new release, TransLink detailed plans for a dedicated FIFA World Cup shuttle, such as empty trains that will be waiting for spectators after matches and additional vehicles on standby to respond to crowd surges.

“There have been some generalities shared by both the city and TTC with respect to the fact that transit will be a priority,” said Coun. Josh Matlow, who sits on the TTC board. "I mean, sure, that makes sense, we all agree with that."

However, Matlow said he worries if plans are coming together close to kickoff, the TTC may need to “scramble to fix things.” He’d like to see the city and TTC be more transparent about their transportation planning, even if it means sharing work in progress.

But Joe Mihevc, another member of the TTC board, said the transit agency is not behind schedule on sharing plans. He said a dedicated team has been working for months on a comprehensive plan that will be announced “very shortly.”

“The city’s bid included a transit-first way of getting to and from the various sites that will be hosting various events. And that, I think, excites the TTC,” he said. 

In a statement, TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said in addition to the transit-only lanes already installed, it will have extra service across all modes of transit on match days.

"We’ll be supporting that extra service with enhanced wayfinding/signage and additional staff in strategic locations to help those attending matches or the FIFA Fan Fest," Green said.

Matlow is concerned about overall transportation planning for the games. The city manager shared some early plans for the city’s traffic management strategy at Toronto’s executive committee in February, while the city’s congestion management plan will be coming out later this month.

Asked if the TTC’s plan is timed to release with the city’s, Green said both plans are "intertwined."

Coun. Dianne Saxe, another TTC board member, said timely public transit service will be essential to Toronto successfully hosting the tournament. 

“Council is looking to the TTC to show that they repay our trust in the more than $1 billion a year that we’re investing ... they better rise to this occasion,” said Saxe.

At a board meeting in early February, chief strategy and customer officer Josh Colle shared plans for increased service during the tournament — specifically on the 29 Dufferin bus and 504 King, 511 Bathurst and 509 Harbourfront streetcar routes.