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Review Transit Fare Evasion Fine Fairness

Titre complet:
Fine Equity: Balancing Toronto Transit Commission Fare Evasion and Parking Fines - by Councillor Paula Fletcher, seconded by Councillor Alejandra Bravo

Summary#

This City Council item asks staff to look into whether Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) fare evasion fines are fair compared to other City transportation fines. Council adopted only the part that directs the City Manager to report back on this issue (as amended). No fines change as a result of this vote.

  • Main change: The City Manager must report to Council on TTC fare evasion fines and fairness compared to other transportation-related fines.
  • No immediate change to TTC or parking fines.
  • The motion notes that a TTC fare evasion ticket is $195 (about $235 with added fees) and can exceed $400, while a ticket for not paying at a parking machine or overstaying time is $30.
  • Timing: The report was requested for the May 10, 2023 Council meeting.
  • What is unclear: The amendment to the reporting direction is not described in the supplied material. Based on the vote description, Council did not adopt the parts of the motion that would express support for a fairness principle or ask the TTC to immediately reduce fare evasion fines.

What it means for you#

  • Transit riders

    • No change to fare evasion fines today. If you are ticketed, the amounts remain as noted above.
    • Council may consider changes in the future after it receives the report.

  • Drivers/parkers

    • No change to parking fines.

  • General public

    • This item mainly affects City administration (a staff report). Any practical changes to fines would require later decisions by the TTC Board and/or Council.

Expenses#

The item directs staff to prepare a report; this likely has minor administrative costs. No public cost estimate is provided.

  • No publicly available information on the cost of preparing the report.
  • Any financial impact from changing fines (such as reduced fine revenue or enforcement changes) would depend on future decisions, not this item.

Proponents' View#

Based on letters submitted to Council in support of the motion:

  • The motion appears intended to improve fairness and proportionality in fines (penalties should match the offence).
  • Supporters argue TTC fare evasion fines are far higher than comparable transportation fines (for example, $195+ vs. $30 for certain parking offences), which could be unfair to transit users.
  • They point to equity concerns: TTC enforcement data shows Black and Indigenous riders, especially men, are overrepresented in enforcement activities; high fines can lead to collections, harm credit scores, and force people to miss work to contest tickets.
  • Barriers with the PRESTO system (for example, limited in-person reload locations in parts of the city, slow reloads, or broken readers) can contribute to unintentional non-payment, which high fines punish.
  • Lowering fines and addressing inequities could support goals like affordability, increased transit ridership, and climate targets.

Opponents' View#

No direct statements from critics were supplied. Possible concerns based on the item’s aims include:

  • Reducing fines could weaken deterrence, which might increase fare evasion and reduce TTC fare-related revenues.
  • The motion itself notes that parking and fare evasion are not directly comparable, which may limit how much “fine equity” can or should align amounts across different offences.
  • The item does not specify what a “fair” TTC fine level would be, leaving uncertainty about standards and outcomes.
  • It is unclear from the supplied material who has final authority to change TTC fare evasion penalties and how any change would be implemented.