The TTC is apologizing for miscommunication during the World Series which suggested that subway service would not be extended, resulting in heated public backlash.
On Saturday night, the TTC tweeted that subway service would end at 1:30 a.m. despite thousands of baseball fans and Hallo-weekend celebrators relying on transit to get home.
As a result, the City of Toronto also tweeted that “transit won’t wait… and the last TTC train is around 1:30 a.m.”
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The tweet received immense backlash with riders feeling like they were not being prioritized. Following the game, emotions only intensified with viral videos showing thousands of riders stranded having missed final trains out of the city.
On Monday, TTC Chair Jamaal Myers “set the record straight,” saying that the TTC ran additional trains on Lines 1 and 2, with the last train leaving Union Station at 1:45 a.m. and 1:47 a.m., and Line 2 at 1:55 a.m..
Myers said the TTC planned to continue running service in the event that the game went into overtime.
“As the game did not run past normal service time, this plan was never activated, overall the TTC service that night was strong, with minimal disruptions,” Myers told reporters on Monday.
Myers said the tweets sent out by the TTC and amplified by The City of Toronto lead to confusion.
“The TTC deeply apologizes for this mistake,” Myers said.
Myers said he’ll be moving a motion at the TTC board meeting on Monday to establish predictable late-night transit service for late night special events.
The motion is meant to unify communications, giving transit riders one clear transit message, according to Myers.
Matlow, who is supporting the motion alongside Mayor Olivia Chow, says Torontonians felt let down on Saturday, and doesn’t think the TTC, Metrolinx, and the city did a good job after Game 7.
“I think that the service should have been proactively expanded and extended into the early morning hours. I believe that the communications should have demonstrated that the city, the TTC, and yes, Metrolinx has residents’ backs, and none of that was done,” Matlow told reporters on Monday.
Matlow says all agencies should have been prepared, and says Saturday night’s events need to be taken seriously to ensure it doesn’t happen for upcoming events.
“We are about to host the World next year, when the FIFA World Cup is here in Toronto, and we better damn well be prepared. There are going to be people from across the region and beyond,” Matlow said.
Executive Director of TTCriders Andrew Pulsifer told Now Toronto that all transit agencies need a clearly laid out plan for major events, however, he says most of the issue on Saturday lies with Metrolinx.
“The last train left Union Station, like 1:55, right? So, I don’t think a lot of people were actually stranded by the TTC“ he said.
“I do think that Metrolinx, for those that came into town on the GO bus and GO train and whatnot, they need to look at expanding service. But people got home on the TTC, it was just unfortunate to see that tweet go out,” he said.
In a statement to Now Toronto, Metrolinx says trains were added on the following lines: Lakeshore West and East, Barrie, Kitchener and Stouffville.
“We held these trains as long as operationally possible after the game ended, and every train departed at full capacity. We also ran service to 1am on the UP Express,” the statement said. “We always learn lessons from historic events like this one – and we will apply them moving forward.”
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