TTC hits major milestone with 33 billion rides

The TTC has reached 33 billion rides on the system since beginning operations in 1921.

"Congratulations to the TTC on its 33 billion rides milestone and thank you to all the dedicated people who work to keep our transit system running every day,” said Mayor John Tory. "We worked hard throughout the pandemic to keep the TTC on track and protect transit for everyone. That work is continuing as we see ridership continuing to ramp up and we are doing everything we can to welcome more riders back to the system."

“I’d like to congratulate the TTC on surpassing over 33 billion riders,” said TTC Chair Jaye Robinson. “Though we saw a drop in ridership as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the TTC continued to move thousands of customers around the city. I want to thank the many TTC employees who keep Toronto moving every day, as this achievement would not have been possible without them.”

“Thirty-three billion riders is a major milestone, and one that we don’t take for granted,” said TTC CEO Rick Leary. “This achievement would not have been possible without our nearly 16,000 committed employees who dedicate themselves to getting our customers to and from their destinations safely. As we look towards our next century of service at the TTC, we’re working to build a sustainable transit system that our customers can continue to rely on and be proud of.”

The TTC surpassed 32 billion riders on May 12, 2019. As ridership continues to recover after the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the TTC is putting a number of measures in place to support the increased demand for service. In September, service was increased system-wide to meet back-to-school demand, including adding more trains on Lines 1 and 2.

2022 has been an exciting year for the TTC as it recently completed the installation of its Automatic Train Control (ATC) signalling system on Line 1, meaning more frequent and reliable service for customers, and fewer signal-related delays.  

The TTC surpassed 31 billion riders in June 2017, and 30 billion in August 2015.