The TTC board has voted to temporarily freeze rates at its commuter parking lots while staff have been directed to look at the possibility of charging higher prices to non-transit users.
The decision at Wednesday afternoon’s meeting came after Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow spoke out against a proposed plan to raise rates at certain lots.
“I think the mayor and I both realize there’s an unfairness to asking TTC commuters to subsidize parking rates for drivers, especially those that are not using the transit system,” TTC chair and councillor Jamaal Myers said.
The board voted to look at studying parking rates further while asking the heads of the Toronto Parking Authority and PRESTO (the provincial fare card system) to “explore payment options maintaining lower differential parking fees for TTC customers.” They’re looking to revisit the issue in summer 2026.
Collectively, there are 11,442 parking spaces available for use at 20 different lots. A survey cited in the report said 93 per cent of those polled said they get onto transit after parking, while seven per cent do not.
TTC staff proposed increasing daily rates to $8 as well as increasing afternoon rates to $4 at “well-utilized” parking lots (where the average daily peak occupancy is 71 to 100 per cent). The move was estimated to bring in an extra $1 million if it began at the start of 2026.
For lots that have “below-target” usage (average daily peak occupancy of 50 to 70 per cent), daily rates would have increased by 25 per cent to a maximum of $8 while there would be no change to rates at “under-utilized” lots (average daily peak occupancy of zero to 49 per cent). No-charge parking on weekends would have remained at “most lots” to “maintain accessibility to transit” for those who travel on weekends.
Officials estimated that only two per cent of the riders who get onto the subway park their vehicles at TTC commuter lots. Currently, non-drivers and City of Toronto funds are subsidizing the maintenance and leasing of several lots.
However, staff said higher rates “may impact affordability for customers with low income” who rely on the lots.
“Fares of non-drivers and City subsidies are being used to make up for the lost revenue required to maintain and lease these parking lots,” the report noted.
TTC staff said $7.7 million in revenue was collected in 2024 at the transit agency’s lots, but it cost $12.6 million to operate and maintain those same properties. Fourteen out of the 20 lots available for use are considered profitable.
They said the $4.9 million deficit could be slashed to $1.4 million in 2026 due to higher parking revenue and lower licence and realty fees if the proposal was passed.
Despite the proposed rate increases, staff noted that the daily rates are all lower than nearby parking facilities.
