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Toronto has ‘alarming’ lack of transit funding compared to other cities, report finds

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Toronto’s transit system is precariously funded, inefficiently governed and expensive to ride, but still attracts more passengers than comparable networks in other major North American cities, according to a new report.

The report, called Mixed Signals, was authored by non-profit transit advocacy group CodeRedTO and will be released at city hall Tuesday.

To compile the document the organization compared the fares, network design, budgets and governance structures of transit systems in Toronto and seven other metropolitan areas: Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, Houston, Washington, D.C., Vancouver, and Montreal.

It concluded that Toronto is “lagging behind other comparator cities in key ways,” particularly when it comes to funding, but still outperforms its rivals in some important areas.

CodeRedTO executive director Cameron MacLeod said he hoped the report would shine a light on the hard choices facing the provincial and municipal governments as they move to expand transit in the GTA after what he described as “30 years of underfunding and under-expansion.”

“We know that other cities approach having modern, effective transit in a very different way. And most cities have come to the conclusion that they have to have hard conversations and they have to figure out how to pay for it,” he said.

CodeRedTO decided to omit New York City from the study because its population is three times that of Toronto, and its subway network predates Toronto’s by decades.

The “most alarming finding,” according to the report, was the extent to which Toronto relies on fare revenue to pay for service.

In 2017, more than two-thirds of the TTC’s $1.8-billion operating budget came from fare revenue, “a level not seen in any other city in North America,” according to the report.

Most of the comparator cities rely on fare revenue for less than half their operating costs, with a government subsidy making up the majority of spending. The subsidy the TTC receives is notoriously low — in 2017 it was just 90 cents per rider, according to the report, compared to $4.75 US ($6.26) in Houston, $1.86 in Vancouver, and $4.56 in York Region.

MacLeod argued the TTC’s reliance on fare revenue instead of steady government subsidies can create a downward spiral that drives down the quality of service, and could be contributing to the trend of declining ridership on the network.

“Fewer riders on a route means that the buses are more empty, which means there’s less revenue to run those buses, so fewer buses run,” he said. “As that happens, people make the decision more and more to avoid transit.”

The report also found Toronto was an outlier in that most other cities have a dedicated revenue source to pay for transit.

Boston, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles all use proceeds of a sales tax to pay for transit, while Vancouver has instituted a parking tax and tolls.

Toronto city council voted last December to examine tolling municipal highways to fund transit projects, only to have the Ontario Liberal government of the day quash the move.

MacLeod said the lack of a steady source of funding makes it difficult to follow through on long-term transit plans. The report calls for Toronto to institute “new, predictable, sustainable revenue” to fund transit.

The report also raised concerns about the governance of Toronto’s transit network, which is split between the TTC, a city agency, and Metrolinx, a provincial Crown corporation.

While Metrolinx operates GO Transit service in Toronto and the surrounding area, and also owns the Presto fare card system being deployed on the TTC, neither the City of Toronto nor the TTC has representation on Metrolinx’s board. Instead, its unelected members are appointed on the recommendation of Ontario’s transportation minister.

MacLeod said the governance model effectively means there is a “locked door” between Metrolinx and the TTC that hampers efforts to co-ordinate transit in the region.

The report concluded “no other comparator city has a fare card fully controlled by another level of government with no local oversight.”

The report also flagged the high cost of transit passes in Toronto. At $146.25, the price of a monthly TTC pass is the equivalent of 45 cash fares. A monthly pass on Montreal’s STM is the equivalent of just 26.2 cash fares, and the cost of a pass for Vancouver’s TransLink is equal to 32.2 cash fares.

“We have this really big barrier to entry where somebody has to decide at the beginning of the month if they will need the TTC often enough, and they have to have $146 saved up and available,” MacLeod said.

He argued the TTC should institute a pay-as-you go system that would put a cap on the number of rides customers pay for each month — after a certain number of paid rides, trips for the rest of the month would be free. Presto already operates on a monthly cap system on GO Transit, but the TTC says it has no plans to implement such a policy for monthly passes.

Despite lagging behind other cities in important ways, the report concluded there are some things Toronto is doing well.

With about 535 million riders last year, the TTC has the highest ridership of all agencies CodeRedTO studied. Just under one quarter of commuters in the GTA take public transit to work, compared to 20.4 per cent in the Vancouver area, and just 5 per cent in Los Angeles.

“The whole point of this is that we need to keep going to ensure that our system stays strong,” MacLeod said.

“We’ve rested on our laurels a bit too much.”

Ben Spurr is a Toronto-based reporter covering transportation. Reach him by email at bspurr@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @BenSpurr

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Nostalgia and much more with Starburst XXXtreme

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Get a taste of adventure with Starburst XXXtreme based on the legendary NetEnt Game. The nostalgic themes are sure to capture fans of the classic version as they get treated to higher intensity, better visuals, and features. The most significant element of the game is its volatility. Patience will not be an essential virtue considering the insane gameplay, and there is a lot of win potential involved. It retains the original makeup of the previous game while adding a healthy dose of adrenaline. 

Starburst Visuals and Symbols

The game is definitely more conspicuous than before. The setting happens over a 5-reel, 3-row game grid with nine fixed win lines, which function if a succession from the left to the right reel is present. Only those players that that attain the highest win per bet line are paid. From a visual standpoint, the Starburst XXXtreme slots illustrates lightning effects behind the reels, which is not surprising as it is inherited from the original version. Available themes include Classic, Jewels, and Space. The game is also available in both desktop and mobile versions, which is advantageous for players considering the global pandemic. According to Techguide, American gamers are increasingly having more engaging gaming experiences to socialize to fill the gap of in-person interaction. Starburst XXXtreme allows them to fill the social void at a time when there is so much time to be had indoors. 

Starburst XXXTreme Features

Players get to alternate on three features which are Starburst Wilds, XXXtreme Spins, and Random Wilds. The first appears on reels 2,3, or 4. When these land, they expand to cover all positions while also calculating the wins. They are also locked for a respin. If a new one hits, it also becomes locked while awarding another respin. Starburst XXXtreme offers a choice between two scenarios for a higher stake. In one scenario with a ten times stake, the Starburst Wild is set on random on reels 2,3, or 4, and a multiplier starts the respin. The second scenario, which has a 95 times stake, starts with two guaranteed starburst wilds on reels 2,3, or 4. it also plays out using respin game sequence and features. The game also increases the potential with the Random Wilds feature to add Starburst Wilds to a vacant reel at the end of a spin. Every Starburst Wild gives a random multiplier with potential wins of x2, x3, x5, x10, x25, x50, x100, or even x150.

The new feature is sure to be a big hit with the gaming market as online gambling has shown significant growth during the lockdown. AdAge indicates the current casino customer base is an estimated one in five Americans, so Starburst XXXtreme’s additional features will achieve considerable popularity. 

What We Think About The Game

The gambling market has continued to diversify post-pandemic, so it is one of the most opportune times to release an online casino-based game. Thankfully Starburst XXXtreme features eye-catching visuals, including the jewels and space themes. These attract audience participation and make the gameplay inviting. The game also has a nostalgic edge. The previous NetEnt iteration featured similar visuals and gameplay, so the audience has some familiarity with it. The producers have revamped this version by tweaking the features to improve the volatility and engagement. 

That is characterized by the potential win cap of 200,000 times the bet. Starburst XXXtreme does not just give betting alternatives for players that want to go big. The increase of multipliers also provides a great experience. If the respins in the previous version were great, knowing that multipliers can go hundreds of times overtakes the game to a new level. 

Players should get excited about this offering. All of the features can be triggered within a single spin. Whether one plays the standard game or takes the XXXtreme spin route, it is possible to activate all of the features. Of course, the potential 200,000 times potential is a huge carrot. However, the bet size is probably going to be restricted and vary depending on the casino. It is also worth pointing out that a malfunction during the gameplay will void all of the payouts and progress. Overall, the game itself has been designed to provide a capped win of 200,000 times the original bet. 

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Anglais

‘We’re back’: Montreal festival promoters happy to return but looking to next year

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In downtown Montreal, it’s festival season.

In the city’s entertainment district, a musical act was conducting a sound check on stage Friday evening — the second day of the French-language version of the renowned Just For Laughs comedy festival. Tickets for many of the festival’s free outdoor shows — limited by COVID-19 regulations — were sold out.

Two blocks away, more than 100 people were watching an acoustic performance by the Isaac Neto Trio — part of the last weekend of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, a celebration of music from the African continent and the African diaspora.

With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to limit capacity, festival organizers say they’re glad to be back but looking forward to next year when they hope border restrictions and capacity limits won’t affect their plans.

Charles Décarie, Just For Laughs’ CEO and president, said this is a “transition year.”

“Even though we have major constraints from the public health group in Montreal, we’ve managed to design a festival that can navigate through those constraints,” Décarie said.

The French-language Juste pour rire festival began on July 15 and is followed by the English-language festival until July 31.

When planning began in February and March, Décarie said, organizers came up with a variety of scenarios for different crowd sizes, ranging from no spectators to 50 per cent of usual capacity.

“You’ve got to build scenarios,” he said. “You do have to plan a little bit more than usual because you have to have alternatives.”

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Anglais

MELS new major movie studio to be built in Montreal

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MONTREAL — MELS Studios will build a new film studio in Montreal, filling some of the gap in supply to meet the demand of Hollywood productions.

MELS president Martin Carrier said on Friday that MELS 4 studio construction will begin « as soon as possible », either in the fall or winter of next year. The studio could host productions as early as spring 2023.

The total investment for the project is $76 million, with the Quebec government contributing a $25 million loan. The project will create 110 jobs, according to the company.

The TVA Group subsidiary’s project will enable it to stand out « even more » internationally, according to Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau. In the past, MELS Studios has hosted several major productions, including chapters of the X-Men franchise. The next Transformers movie is shooting this summer in Montreal.

Péladeau insisted that local cultural productions would also benefit from the new facility, adding that the studio ensures foreign revenues and to showcase talent and maintain an industry of Quebec producers.

STUDIO SHORTAGE

The film industry is cramped in Montreal.

According to a report published last May by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec (BCTQ), there is a shortage of nearly 400,000 square feet of studio space.

With the addition of MELS 4, which will be 160,000 square feet, the company is filling part of the gap.

Carrier admitted that he has had to turn down contracts because of the lack of space, representing missed opportunities of « tens of millions of dollars, not only for MELS, but also for the Quebec economy. »

« Montreal’s expertise is in high demand, » said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who was present at the announcement.

She said she received great testimonials from « Netflix, Disney, HBO and company » during an economic mission to Los Angeles in 2019.

« What stands out is that they love Montreal because of its expertise, knowledge and beauty. We need more space, like MELS 4, » she said.

There is still not enough capacity in Quebec, acknowledged Minister of Finance, the Economy and Innovation Eric Girard.

« It is certain that the government is concerned about fairness and balance, so if other requests come in, we will study them with the same seriousness as we have studied this one, » he said.

Grandé Studios is the second-largest player in the industry. Last May, the company said it had expansion plans that should begin in 2022. Investissement Québec and Bell are minority shareholders in the company.

For its part, MELS will have 400,000 square feet of production space once MELS 4 is completed. The company employs 450 people in Quebec and offers a range of services including studio and equipment rentals, image and sound postproduction, visual effects and a virtual production platform.

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