Access - Spring 2025

View a PDF version of the newsletter.

Message from the Head of Wheel-Trans

This is a special year for Wheel-Trans, as 2025 marks our 50th anniversary. Wheel-Trans began its operations on February 3, 1975, with 46 customers. Fifty years later, we have nearly 42,000 active customers served by over 500 employees. We are excited to celebrate this milestone with our hard-working staff members and you, our valuable customers. Thank you for being a part of the Wheel-Trans community!

In January, the election for the TTC’s Advisory Committee on Accessible Transit (ACAT) was held. Betty Rivington-Law was elected as ACAT Chair for 2025, and Lori Bailey and Sophie Petrillo were elected Vice-Chairs. Congratulations to the executive committee members, and a warm welcome to all the members of the 2025 committee. I look forward to working together toward our shared goal of providing accessible and inclusive transit to the people of Toronto.

Other exciting things on the horizon for Wheel-Trans include upgrades to the interactive voice response (IVR) phone system and the computer system onboard Wheel-Trans buses, as well as further upgrades to our reservations, scheduling, and dispatch software. These upgrades are part of our broader efforts to provide a seamless customer experience.

I wish you a wonderful spring season and look forward to a great year ahead!

Cameron Penman
Head, Wheel-Trans

End of TTC tickets, tokens and day passes

As part of TTC’s ongoing fare modernization, the last day customers can pay their fare with a TTC token, youth/senior ticket, or day pass is June 1, 2025, for TTC conventional transit (bus, streetcar and subway) and December 31, 2025, on Wheel-Trans vehicles (excluding Family of Services trips).

Customers are encouraged to use their remaining tokens, tickets, and day passes by the above-mentioned dates, as refunds or exchanges will not be provided.

Customers can still pay their fare with cash, a physical or digital PRESTO card, a PRESTO ticket, or a debit or credit card, including those in their Apple or Google Wallet.

Please visit ttc.ca for more information.

Wheel-Trans application is now available in over 200 languages

Great news! Customers can now view the Wheel-Trans application in their preferred language. For more information, please contact Wheel-Trans Customer Service by phone at 416-393-4111 or by email at WTCS@ttc.ca.

Wheel-Trans aims to reduce wait times at regional transfer locations

Wheel-Trans, in collaboration with Peel, York and Durham region transit organizations, has been working to reduce customer wait times to 15 minutes or less. To date, we have reduced the average wait time to 16 minutes, which is a significant improvement from the 30-minute average wait time in 2024.

In order to achieve this, Wheel-Trans dispatchers will automatically modify your scheduled arrival or departure times on your behalf. If, for any reason, you would prefer that we do not change your trip times, even when the wait times exceed 15 minutes, please contact Wheel-Trans Customer Service by email at WTCS@ttc.ca or call 416-393-4111.

Why wait on a call when you can manage your trips instantly using the Wheel-Trans Self-booking Website and mobile app?

Wheel-Trans Self-booking Website
(mywheel-trans.ttc.ca)

By visiting the Wheel-Trans Self-booking Website
(mywheel-trans.ttc.ca) and logging into your account, you can:

Book, cancel, and modify your trips without any wait times or reliance on a booking agent, 24 hours a day, seven days a week

• Check trip details, trip times and vehicle type
• Use the “Where is my Ride?” feature to view the vehicle location on a map in real-time, approximately 10 minutes before your pick-up time
• Send trip details to family or support persons by e-mail
• Enter specific pick-up or drop-off instructions and phone numbers
• Use the “Map View” feature to view the map when looking up addresses
• Select and modify your communication preferences
• Change your password
• View your trip history for the past 24 months
• Register eight favourite places
• Place a temporary cancellation on your regular trips
• Receive essential announcements from Wheel-Trans
• Receive service disruption notifications for Family of Services trips

Wheel-Trans mobile app

The Wheel-Trans mobile app is free for iOS and Android users and supports most of the functions available on the Wheel-Trans Self-booking Website. Visit the Google Play Store or the App Store to download the app. For more information, please contact Wheel-Trans Customer Service by phone at 416-393-4111 or by email at WTCS@ttc.ca.

TTC’s Travel Training Program

For customers

Since 2017, Wheel-Trans has been offering a free Travel Training program for all Wheel-Trans customers who want to learn how to travel safely and independently on the TTC’s accessible conventional transit (bus, streetcar and subway). The Travel Training specialist plans a personalized route, considering the accommodations the customer may need, and accompanies them on their journey.

Through the Travel Training sessions, customers learn how to:

• identify accessible routes
• locate and use accessibility features at TTC stations and on vehicles
• safely board vehicles with or without mobility devices
• use the PRESTO fare payment system
• interpret TTC maps and signage

Wheel-Trans customers can participate in the Travel Training program by emailing traveltraining@ttc.ca or calling 416-472-2393. For more information, visit the Travel Training page on ttc.ca.

Note: Travel Training does not determine Wheel-Trans eligibility.

For organizations

The Train the Trainer initiative is part of the TTC Travel Training program. We invite organizations that work with people with disabilities to partner with us and enable our customers to lead independent and confident lives. This free initiative offers the opportunity for an organization’s staff members to be trained by a TTC Travel Training specialist.

If this sounds like an opportunity an organization you know would be interested in, please spread the word. Representatives can get in touch with us by email at traveltraining@ttc.ca or by phone at 416-472-2393.

The City of Toronto wants to hear from you to shape the next Toronto Seniors’ Strategy

Your experience matters! Seniors and older adults living in Toronto are invited to participate in an online survey to inform the next Toronto Seniors’ Strategy. The City of Toronto is developing its third Toronto Seniors’ Strategy and gathering feedback on better supporting seniors and older adults through City programs and services.

The survey will take about 10 to 15 minutes to complete and is available in English, Chinese (simplified and traditional), French, Greek, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Tamil.

To access the survey, please visit Toronto.ca/SeniorsStrategy. If you have any questions, please contact seniors@toronto.ca.

Eligibility re-registration for Wheel-Trans service

Customers who were registered with Wheel-Trans prior to January 1, 2017, are required to submit a new Wheel-Trans application for re-registration. You can do this either by visiting the Wheel-Trans Self-Registration Portal, or by contacting Wheel-Trans Customer Service by phone at 416-393-4111 or via email at WTCS@ttc.ca.

How do I know if this applies to me?

If you are unsure of whether you have to re-register for Wheel-Trans, you can contact a reservationist before booking your ride by phone at 416-393-4222 or via email at WTCS@ttc.ca.

If a customer has not re-registered, the following message will appear when they are scheduling their trips on the Wheel-Trans Self-booking Website. 

Temporary service changes while elevator installations continue at select TTC stations

As a temporary measure to connect customers to the areas around select TTC stations that are not yet accessible, the TTC has introduced the 149 Etobicoke-Lakeshore route and Line 2 accessibility shuttles as well as adjusted service on the 13 Avenue Road and 97 Yonge routes.

The 149 Etobicoke-Lakeshore buses and Line 2 accessibility shuttles operate along Bloor Street West between High Park and Kipling stations to connect people to the areas around Islington, Old Mill, and High Park stations. Service operates every 25 to 30 minutes.

Service on the 13 Avenue Road and 97 Yonge routes has also been extended to 2 a.m., and buses operate every 25 to 30 minutes. For more information on these changes, visit the Routes and Schedules page on ttc.ca.

Message from the ACAT Chair

Much like the transformation from winter to spring, which marks the end of snow and ice and paves the way to buds on the tree and sprouting flowers, I look forward to a renewal of the spirits, growth, and transformation of ACAT this year. Our energies rebound both individually and collectively within ACAT.

It is very exciting to have the new members join our seasoned members for a new year. We welcomed their enthusiasm and participation in the first month of orientation sessions led by the Diversity team at the TTC. To ensure a complete understanding of the AODA, ACAT has planned a review of AODA modules for all its members. Further, meetings are already in place for the four subcommittees: Communications, Design Review, Service Planning and Wheel-Trans Operations. Some of the topics of discussion include:

• Timely and improved communication regarding planned construction around the city and service adjustments due to weather conditions.
• A review of new station designs ensuring that the minimum platform widths comply with all fire and building codes and TTC standards.
• Continued feedback to TTC staff on the 2025 Annual Service Plan regarding route adjustments, floating bus stop design standards and barrier-free third-party station entrances.
• Suggestions on improving technology for timely communication regarding planned and unplanned elevator and escalator outages to improve station accessibility.
• Collaboration with TTC staff on the relocation of bus stops during construction.
• Feedback on updating signage.
• Talking points for TTC operator recertification

ACAT is very excited to continue the initiatives from previous years and work together with the TTC on the Easier Access Program to improve accessible transit across the City of Toronto.

Betty Rivington-Law
ACAT Chair (2025)