Staff Report #1
August 31, 2026
To All Commissioners
Re: 2026 Work Program – Second Quarter Update
Recommendation
The report be RECEIVED for information.
Background
The following report and Enclosure are provided as an update on projects as set out in the 2026 Work Program that were scheduled to commence and/or be completed in the second quarter. The status column on the Enclosure utilizes a colour scheme to identify the progress on each initiative, noting green indicates the project is on schedule, orange indicates the project is delayed but still scheduled to get underway in 2026, and red indicates the project will not meet the schedule in 2026.
1.5 Preparation for Launch of RT East Leg
As set out in Staff Report #6, dated August 31, 2026, construction continues along both the east and south rapid transit corridors.
In preparation for the start of the first leg of Rapid Transit (RT) service, Express Route service will begin using a portion of the completed centre running lane along Wellington this fall. Route 90 will operate along Wellington in the centre running lanes between Clark’s Bridge and South Street and then transition to the curbside RT lanes north of South Street.
As this will be the first time transit vehicles have been operational in a centre running lane in London an extensive Communications Campaign is being rolled out in coordination with the City of London to provide information for passengers and motorists on the use of the centre running lanes, how to access the station, etc. As more portions of the RT lanes are fully completed, the express routes use of the lanes will continue to be expanded. This will allow the opportunity to fine tune the centre lanes, including signal timing, etc. before the launch of the East London Link.
2.1 Participation on BRT Steering Committee
Administration continues to participate on the steering and technical committees responsible for the implementation of the rapid transit corridors (East and South). In addition, LTC Administration works collaboratively with civic Administration on communications relating to the project and will continue to do so going forward as elements of corridors begin to be utilized as construction wraps up.
2.2 Primary Service Provider Contract Transition
Administration continues to work closely with TOK transit on their preparedness and transition plan to ensure a smooth transition as the Primary Service Provider for the Specialized Transit System beginning in August of 2027. TOK has committed that they are on target and have full confidence that they will be ready to operate at the time of transition.
2.3 On-Demand Service Pilot
Administration has worked with Dillon Consulting to identify a location for a pilot of on-demand service. As set out in Staff Report #8, dated August 31, 2026, the areas of Fox Hollow and three areas within the Lambeth and South Byron area have been selected as Alternative Service Delivery (ASD) zones. Should the Assessment Growth Business Case be approved by the Commission, and subsequently by Council, the service could be running by late 2027. A more detailed report on the recommended approach for delivery of the on-demand service will be tabled at a future Commission meeting.
3.3 Monitoring and Reporting of On-time Performance (Conventional Service)
On a bi-weekly basis, on-time performance data is reviewed by the Operations team with support from IT. The data review results in the team identifying routes, runs and specific locations on routes where the schedules appear to either have too much or too little time allocated, making it difficult for the Operator to have success in maintaining adherence. This information is shared with the Planning department to identify possible adjustments to schedules that can be implemented to address concerns. If adjustments can be made that do not require additional service hours, they are built into the schedules being prepared for the next possible sign-up period. If the adjustments require additional service hours, they are added to the list of considerations for the next annual service planning process. September is traditionally the most challenging month in the calendar year for on-time performance with the return to school impact and people adjusting to new routines.
In addition to the regular data monitoring, customer contacts relating to on-time performance are also monitored and followed up on. A similar process is followed with respect to contacts, noting should the concern appear to be isolated to a specific Operator, follow-up will occur directly.
An acceptable on-time performance goal of 90% has been set for 2026 to match industry standards. The thresholds utilized for on-time performance reports are anything running more than five minutes later than the scheduled time and anything running earlier than the scheduled time. Based on these parameters, the average on-time performance through the second quarter for the conventional service was 78.9%. While this remains below the 90% target, year over year improvement continues. Work continues to attempt to close the remaining gap while recognizing that overall performance continues to be hampered by the difficulties experienced with ongoing construction throughout the city and the inability to add resources to address issues as the result of resource limitations.
The following chart sets out the on-time performance for 2025 as well as the first six months of 2026.
Conventional Service On-Time Performance
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2025 | 71 | 71 | 74 | 73 | 75 | 74 | 73 | 70 | 63 | 67 | 70 | 72 |
| 2026 | 74 | 82 | 82 | 80 | 79 | 77 |
3.3 Monitoring Service Performance (Specialized)
At the March 30, 2026 meeting, the Commission approved Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for 2026 for the Specialized Service. The table below provides the approved KPIs where applicable as well as the actual monthly performance in the second quarter of 2026. Trips provided stats as compared to budget are provided in the monthly Financial Update for the specialized service.
Specialized Service Performance – April to June 2026
| Trips Provided | KPI | April | May | June |
| Total Trips Provided | 33,698 | 32,465 | 32,025 | |
| Non-accommodated trips % | 0.5% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.05% |
| Trip Cancellation % | 20.0% | 20.8% | 20.7% | 25.3% |
| Trip No Show % | 1.9% | 2.2% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Service Performance | ||||
| Average Rides per revenue service hour | 1.90 | 2.03 | 1.97 | 1.91 |
| On Board time Less than 1 Hour % | 98% | 97% | 97% | 97% |
| On Time Performance within 30 minutes | 99% | 99% | 99% | 99% |
| Customer Booking Stats | ||||
| Avg wait time in phone queue | 3 min | 1.6 min | 2.2 min | 2 min |
| Avg wait time in phone queue first hour | 1.8 min | 1.4 min | 1.7 min | |
| % of Customers Utilizing the Online Portal | 20% | 24% | 27% | 28% |
The second quarter of 2026 again saw mostly positive results with respect to service performance and customer booking metrics as results were at or above established targets for phone queue wait times as well as on-time performance. Increased construction around the city is significantly impacting travel times and is anticipated to continue doing so until the large number of major projects come to an end, which negatively impacted the on-board and on-time targets, albeit only a minor variance from target.
The ongoing focus on no shows and trip cancellations is returning positive results with reductions in both categories. Specifically, trip cancelations saw improvements following a detailed review of subscription trip usage and rider performance to policy, moving results closer to expectations.
Continued effort in this regard is an ongoing priority as addressing increased trip cancellations and no shows continues to be a priority for Administration as overall service quality is directly impacted by these actions. Ongoing enhanced monitoring, followed by direct communication with customers experiencing same, coupled with general communications to all customers reinforcing the negative impacts that no shows and late trip cancellations have on the service, will continue to be a priority, with the further expectation that a reduction in each area will result in greater trip availability for all customers that use the service.
3.5 Secondary Student Bus Pass Pilot Program
Over the past several months, Administration has worked in collaboration with civic Administration and Thames Valley School Board Administration on the planning for the implementation of the Secondary Student Bus Pass Pilot Program. The multi-party agreement, which sets out the responsibilities of each of the parties has been executed.
Specific to London Transit, Administration has worked with the vendor to update the smart card system to allow for the acceptance and ridership tracking of the passes that will be issued to the grade 9 students at Clarke Road Secondary School this fall. In addition, a student handout has been prepared which outlines the expectations of students relating to their use of public transit and the pass that will be provided. This information will be shared with students in conjunction with the communications from the school board, which will require parental consent for student participation in the program. Given the requirement for parental consent, the program will not start on the first day of the new school year, rather it will be delayed until consent forms have been returned and passes have been issued.
4.4 Assessment of Policy regarding transport of packages on transit
A review of the current London Transit Policy relating to the transport of packages on public transit which included a review of customer contacts as well as an industry scan of policies in place in other peer jurisdictions was undertaken. The review findings will be shared with the Accessible Public Transit Service Advisory Committee at their September meeting, with recommendations stemming from that discussion being presented at the October 19, 2026 Commission meeting.
4.5 Bus Stop Identification for Visually Impaired Passengers & 4.8 Review and Update of Conventional Bus Stop Standards
Bus stop standards serve to establish a consistent approach to bus stop location, enhance the corporate image of the transit system ensuring the bus stop locations are clean, modern, safe and attractive with appropriate passenger amenities and features to accommodate accessible conventional transit and placement and assist with providing a safe and secure area for passengers waiting to board and alight from the bus.
London Transit has had bus stop standards and technical guidelines in place since 2003. The guidelines and standards require regular review and updating to ensure that London Transit stays up to date with industry best practices and adapting for new technologies and design standards for accessible bus stops.
A review and update of these standards is currently underway with the first round of consultation with the Accessible Public Transit Service Advisory Committee held at their meeting on June 9, 2026. Through this update, there is a focus on a more formalized hierarchy of stops with associated passenger amenities for each level as well as a focus on how to make stops more accessible for all passengers to navigate. Through the initial feedback further review is being completed with an updated report scheduled to be presented to the Committee at their September meeting. Following this, the updated bus stop standards will be brought to the Commission for approval at the October 19, 2026, meeting.
5.2 Health and Safety Work Program
Further to the Committee’s previous update, the review and update of the organization’s health and safety policies and procedures is now complete, with corresponding revisions to the Health and Safety Employee Manual, Operations Manual, Fleet and Facilities Manual, and Administration/Management Manual in effect as of June 1, 2026. Building on this work, updated health and safety onboarding was rolled out across all departments effective July 1, 2026. In addition, Fleet and Facilities safety talks were refreshed to align with updated policies and informed by a two-year review of injury statistics; the new program, complete with facilitation guides, employee handouts, and monthly internal screen displays, launched July 1, 2026.
The CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management) Program, in place since the early 2000s and last updated in 2015, has undergone a comprehensive review as part of LTC’s scheduled review cycle, confirming alignment with current best practices in workplace crisis intervention and trauma-informed support. Key enhancements include a formalized definitions section for consistent understanding across the organization; expanded mandatory training for CISM Peer Supporters to now include CPR and Psychological First Aid, ensuring they can address both physical and psychological needs during a crisis; a dedicated 30-minute peer-to-peer debriefing component built into semi-annual meetings to support the wellbeing of Peer Supporters themselves; and a new LTC CISM Employee Support Guide that provides affected employees clear, accessible information on what to expect and what resources are available following a critical incident. The updated program continues to align with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and LTC’s Workplace Violence Prevention Program.
All other initiatives in the workplan are currently on target for completion by year-end.
5.3 Participation in City of London EOCG
Operations staff continue to participate in all meetings of the Emergency Operations Centre, including regular monthly meetings, special event planning and the annual city exercise for emergency preparedness. Working alongside other city services keeps London Transit up to date with potential impacts to service for planning around special events and reacting to real time incidents in the city.
8.1 & 8.2 Participation in Ontario Public Transit Association (OPTA) and Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA)
Advocacy work has continued at both the Provincial and Federal levels through OPTA and CUTA over the past several months, with the majority of focus on the Canadian Permanent Transit Fund realignments that resulted from the recently tabled Federal budget. The Program has now been split into three categories, each of which is explained in greater detail below.
- Baseline – this funding is provided to municipalities on an allocation basis, and is tied to the 10-Year Capital Plan for public transit and active transportation projects. The program requirements have been modified to provide more flexible criteria focused on local context and project circumstances. This includes the requirement for the completion of a Housing Needs Assessment, which encourages the linking of transit and housing investments. The previous requirement for increased density around post-secondary institutions has been eliminated, and flexibility for recipients to demonstrate how they are supporting housing outcomes near higher order transit if density and parking conditions cannot be met has been added.
- Targeted – this funding stream will be application based, and will cover active transportation, rural transit, and zero-emission transit projects. Intakes for this program are anticipated to begin in late 2026.
- Strong Transit Fund – this funding stream will be allocated to Provinces and Territories based on a ridership and population formula, which will include an MOU between the parties. Provinces and Territories (P&Ts) will be responsible for the preparation of a list of projects deemed as priority, for funding consideration. The manner in which P&Ts determine the list of projects is left to their individual discretion. Projects funded under this stream will need to:
- support public transit or active transportation infrastructure,
- improve, expand, modernize, rehabilitate or replace eligible transit assets, and
- align with CPTF outcomes, primarily improved transit access, and secondary housing, climate and equity.
In addition, the MOU’s between the federal government and P&Ts will include:
- limit of 40% cost share from the federal government
- commitment to housing outcomes and principles for projects
- commitment to Buy Canadian (details of which are still be finalized)
Both associations will continue advocacy work relating to this program over the coming months, noting CUTA has a policy day scheduled in Ottawa in October, and OPTA is planning for an advocacy day later this fall.
In addition, the ongoing trade war and resulting tariffs will be the focus of discussion with both provincial and federal governments. Buy Ontario and Buy Canada legislation and/or funding requirements are likely to impact procurements and pricing of projects that have already been approved. Additionally, increased tariffs have the potential to negatively impact the bus manufacturing and parts supply industries. CUTA has an advocacy day in Ottawa planned in October and OPTA is working to schedule a day in Toronto later in the fall.
8.5 a) Launch of Corporate Instagram Account
The corporate Instagram account was launched on May 25, 2026. Since launch, posts have included a look back through the years as London Transit wrapped up its 150th year anniversary as well as service-related messaging and special initiatives such as the Free Transit day related to the soccer match against Morocco and the announcement of the partnership with Transit app. With the return to school, a ‘transit tips’ campaign will be included as part of the messaging this fall as will ongoing general transit updates. The corporate Instagram handle will be included in communications going forward in an effort to attract new followers.
8.6 Increase LTC Attendance at Community Events
London Transit staff attended community events in the second quarter of 2026 including the Westminster Fun Day and a number of Salvation Army initiatives which also continued into July and August.
Over the summer months, staff also attended many neighbourhood events such as the Oxford Park Community Association and Crouch Block Party as well as the yearly favourites such as the Touch a Truck event at Storybook Gardens and the Pride Festival.
Additionally, many of our riders saw London Transit representatives at malls and onboard buses throughout July and August partly due to the summer students who spent most of their time chatting about transit within our community and collecting participants for the new Customer Advisory Panel.
9.3 Establish a Customer Advisory Panel
A communications campaign has been launched which encourages Londoners to join the London Transit Customer Advisory Panel. Additionally, the summer students who worked through July and the first part of August shared information with the public and collected the contact information from those who expressed interest in participation on the Panel. The next step in the process will be to have all those who expressed interest complete a follow-up survey which will collect demographic data that will be utilized to ensure the Panel membership is balanced and also allow for specific targeting of panel members in situations where a survey is relating to a specific area of the city. Administration is also working with the student council representatives at Western and Fanshawe to identify the best path forward to ensure that students are proportionately represented on the Panel. Work will continue on this initiative, with the intent of achieving a Panel made up of at least 200 members. It should be noted that the makeup of the Panel is expected to fluctuate as members leave and others join. Once the initial Panel has been established, members will be asked to respond to surveys relating to public transit services. The feedback from surveys will be considered another input into decisions going forward impacting both the conventional and specialized services.
9.4 Establish Partnership with App Provider
Subsequent to Commission approval to proceed with a pilot program partnership with Transit App, Administration has executed the required agreement and has worked with the Transit App team to ensure they have access to the data they require to move forward. The official launch of the partnership occurred on August 19. A future on-board communication program will be dedicated to the launch of this partnership, and social media channels will continue to be utilized to raise awareness. Additionally, information with respect to this new partnership has been included in the handout that will be provided to all incoming students at both Western and Fanshawe.
10.2 – Facility Upgrades – Highbury & Wonderland Facilities
The upgrades included in the 2026 capital program relate to both facilities. Projects included in the facility upgrade capital program are intended to ensure the facilities are maintained in good repair and to address any issues identified by the Occupational Health and Safety Committee.
Significant projects that were completed in the second quarter include replacement of garage doors in both facilities, replacement of rear post assemblies and concrete on hoists at the Wonderland facility, solar panel repair at the Wonderland facility, and concrete/asphalt repair at both facilities. Budget performance relating to this program is set out in Staff Report #5, dated August 31, 2026.
10.3 – Shop and Garage Equipment
Projects in the Shop and Garage Equipment program which have been completed to date include the replacement of a floor scrubber for use at the Highbury facility and the ongoing replacement of tools and tool boxes for mechanics at both facilities.
10.7 Assess Options for Farebox Replacement
Administration has contracted with Left Turn Right Turn consulting to undertake a review of fare payment options going forward. This review includes the assessment of open payment options as well as application based payment methods. The options identified and selected will inform the requirements for on-board hardware relating to fare collection going forward. The final report stemming from this review is scheduled to be tabled for Commission consideration at the October 19, 2026 meeting.
10.12 Smart Card Validator Upgrade
Implementation of the replacement smart card validators began with a pilot install of five buses on July 8, with the full install commencing on July 27. All buses except those awaiting service were completed on August 21, noting work was undertaken during periods when buses were not required for service.
Over the course of the replacement, a random issue arose which resulted in some customer’s smart cards to stop working, resulting in them receiving error messages when they tapped their card on the new validators. A full analysis is being conducted to confirm the reason and although not yet confirmed, it appears as though the new validators require that the customer hold their card on the card reader slightly longer than was necessary on the previous validator. The vendor is currently working on a software update to address this issue.
In the interim, a communication program has been rolled out advising customers to leave their card on the reader until they hear a beep or see a green check mark on the validator. Administration will continue to work with Scheidt & Bachmann on this priority issue until the matter has been rectified.
10.15 Zero Emission Bus Implementation Strategy
The Request for Proposal for the turn-key electric bus pilot program has been closed and bids are now being assessed. A date for the final recommendation with respect to award will be dependent upon the number and nature of questions that arise during bid review.
As a recap, LTC’s portion of this joint procurement called for the purchase of up to 10 electric buses, 5 depot chargers and one opportunity charger. When this program was approved by municipal council, the budget estimate was $25.9 million, which was anticipated to be shared between the City of London and the Federal government (Zero Emission Transit Fund). Subsequent to that approval, the Zero Emission Transit Fund has been closed and as such, there is currently no identified source of funding for the 50% federal share. Administration will continue to work with civic administration to identify a source of funding for this project, with the alternative being a reduced pilot program which would be scaled to match the City of London funding that has been allocated for this project.
10.16 Highbury Facility Replacement
As set out in Staff Report #10, dated August 31, 2026, a contract is scheduled to be awarded for consultant services relating to the next steps in this project.
Enclosure
I – 2026 Work Program – Second Quarter Update
Recommended by:
David Butler, Director of Operations – Conventional
Shawn Wilson, Director of Operations – Specialized
Katie Burns, Director of Planning
Craig Morneau, Director of Fleet & Facilities
Mike Gregor, Director of Finance
Joanne Galloway, Director of Human Resources
Caroline Roy, Manager of Corporate Communications
Concurred in by:
Kelly S. Paleczny, General Manager