Strategies to Relieve Subway Crowding: Case Study from the Toronto Context

The Toronto region is a growing area, but is increasingly constrained by underinvestment in the rapid transit network. The lack of capacity in the transit network is felt most strongly along the Yonge Subway line that runs along the central backbone of the city and serves as the primary transit artery into the downtown. The subway is overcrowded today and, despite improvements coming on board in the near term including new signalling and higher-capacity trains, demand is predicted to continue exceeding capacity in the future. A number of strategies have been developed to address subway congestion, several of which are potentially relevant for cross- jurisdictional application. The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has developed a proposal for a new rapid transit line that will create a connection between two existing perpendicular subway lines, increasing capacity into Toronto’s downtown core. Other proposed options include significant upgrades of Toronto’s commuter rail network into a regional rail service providing faster and more frequent service as well as a higher level of integration between the urban and regional networks. This paper describes the development and evaluation of potential interventions to improve the rapid transit network’s ability to provide quality service to customers. The solutions considered for Toronto – both infrastructure and operational changes – may provide guidance for other cities and agencies facing similar challenges.