What to know
- Ontario’s Bill 98 would give the province greater authority over transit fares and service integration across the GTHA.
- The TTC, Toronto City Council, and transit advocates are pushing back, arguing it threatens local control and decision-making.
- Critics warn that a unified fare system could lead to higher TTC fares, especially impacting lower-income riders.
- Advocates and unions are instead calling for stable provincial funding and meaningful public consultation before changes are made.
Transit advocates, the TTC, and the City of Toronto are raising concerns about proposed legislation that could expand the province’s control over local transit systems, including the ability to influence fares, prompting fears it could lead to higher costs for riders.
In March, the provincial government introduced Bill 98, the Building Homes and Improving Transportation Infrastructure Act, 2026, aimed at improving how people and goods move across Ontario while accelerating home construction.
Part of the legislation would give the province broad authority to set rules around transit fares and service integration across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). This could include implementing a more unified fare structure across transit systems.
The province says the goal is to simplify travel, allowing riders to pay a single fare and transfer seamlessly between systems regardless of where their trip begins.
However, critics argue the changes could come at a cost.
Critics raise concerns over Bill 98
Andrew Pulsifer, executive director of the transit advocacy group TTCriders, told Now Toronto the legislation represents an attempt by the province to take greater control over the TTC, raising concerns about affordability.
“Toronto has one of the lowest fares in the region, so I think it’s inevitable that if this goes through, fares will go up, which will have a disproportionate impact on those who can least afford it,” Pulsifer said.
The province’s proposal builds on existing fare integration initiatives, including the One Fare program, which already allows riders to transfer between the TTC and regional systems like GO Transit, Brampton Transit, Durham Region Transit, MiWay, and York Region Transit without paying a second fare.
While Pulsifer acknowledged that fare integration can benefit riders if implemented properly, he expressed concern about how it would be managed.
“There’s a lot of mistrust in this government’s ability to do it right. Is Metrolinx going to be in charge of the TTC? I don’t think Torontonians would trust that,” he said.
The TTC Board and Toronto City Council have also weighed in and expressed opposition, recently advancing a motion that pushes back against the legislation.
The motion supports maintaining local control over transit decisions, including fare-setting, service levels, and system planning, while emphasizing the need to keep transit affordable and protect service quality.
The motion also calls on the province to consult the public before implementing any new regulatory framework and to fully fund any changes it mandates.
Labour groups are also voicing concerns. ATU Local 113, which represents nearly 12,000 TTC workers, has criticized the proposal.
“We support making it easier for riders to get around the region, but that’s not what this act does,” said ATU Local 113 President Marvin Alfred. “It could give the province greater control over TTC fare revenue and shift service dynamics in ways that disadvantage Toronto riders.”
Both ATU Local 113 and TTCriders are calling on the province to reconsider key elements of Bill 98 and instead provide stable, long-term operating funding for transit. They point to the province’s withdrawal of 50 per cent of operating funding in 1997 under then-premier Mike Harris as a key reason transit agencies rely heavily on fares today.
“Transit agencies have been struggling ever since and have become overly reliant on the farebox to cover operating costs,” Pulsifer said. “That’s why fare hikes have become so common.”
