TTC ranked best public transit system in Canada

Toronto has been named the best Canadian city for public transit in 2019.

While some residents (particularly transit users) may be surprised, the new ranking comes from Redfin, a tech-powered real estate brokerage.

Redfin based its first-ever Transit Score ranking on the company’s Walk Score, and rates locations based on how convenient they are to public transportation. Transit Score is calculated based on indicators showing that local public transit is both convenient, and runs frequently.

According to the company, looking at big cities with populations of over 300,000, Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal took the three top spots with Transit Score ratings of 78, 74, and 67, respectively.

“Toronto is highly populated and growing all the time,” said Blair Anderson, broker of record and market manager for Redfin in Toronto. “The influx of people from all over the world to Toronto puts a strain on all aspects of transportation in regards to road infrastructure and traffic in and out of the city, which is nothing less than gridlock.”

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Anderson also said significant growth requires major transit infrastructure, and Toronto has recognized that and is investing in transit.

“The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) operates in the city, and plans to expand the light rail and subway service. GO train, our commuter rail system, is also undergoing a significant expansion, to make it even more accessible to those living farther out,” Anderson said. “Some people moan and complain about public transit, but Toronto’s system is one of the better transit systems in the world. It’s highly ranked, runs well on a timely basis, and doesn’t have many problems. And without it, the city would shut down.”

With a score of 78, Toronto’s Transit Score holds an edge over several large US cities, according to Redfin.

It ranks higher than Boston’s 72 rating, and falls just shy of San Francisco’s score of 80, earning a comparable place among the largest cities in North America.

Here is the full ranking of the top 15 large cities (with populations of more than 300,000) in Canada for public transit in 2019:

Redfin