Staff Report #11 – City of London Reviews

Staff Report #11

June 29, 2026

To All Commissioners

Re: City of London Reviews

Recommendation

The Commission:

  1. DIRECT Administration to undertake the required analysis and report back at the October 19, 2026 meeting on the recommendations stemming from the London Transit Route Planning and Management Review;
  2. DIRECT Administration to undertake the required analysis and report back at the October 19, 2026 meeting on the recommendations stemming from the London Transit Commission Rapid Transit Operational Readiness Review;
  3. PROVIDE DIRECTION with respect to how Commission feedback should be gathered and reported back to Council, as it relates to the London Transit Governance Review; and
  4. RECEIVE the report for information purposes.

Background

As set out in Communications 2, 3, 4 and 5 (dated June 29, 2026), Council has received reports from the four reviews regarding London Transit and has provided direction with respect to each. The remainder of this report provides a summary of the undertakings required by the Commission with respect to Council’s direction.

London Transit Route Planning and Management Review

Council direction with respect to this review is that the Commission be directed to review the following opportunities and report back to Council on implementation, including timing, operational considerations, and resource implications, no later than Q4 2026:

  • with respect to Transit Planning and Operations, explore further route modifications and service frequency increases on rapid transit feeder routes to fully leverage rapid transit operations;
  • with respect to Transit Structure and Hierarchy, review opportunities for interim service enhancements on the North and West rapid transit corridors to develop an implementation plan for a tiered style transit map;
  • with respect to System Monitoring and Key Performance Indicators, expand performance and planning indicators and objectives, and develop transit infrastructure bus stop guidelines; and
  • with respect to Transit Progression Strategy and New Service, implement alternative service delivery models and establish clear thresholds for expanded or new transit service.

Administration will review each of these recommendations in detail, noting some elements may require follow up discussion with the consultants who assisted in the creation of the current service plan and supporting objectives, indicators and recommended changes. A report outlining the analysis of each of the opportunities including the associated timing, operational and resource implications will be tabled for Commission consideration at the October 19, 2026 meeting. Subsequent to Commission approval of the report, same will be forwarded to Council for consideration in Q4 consistent with direction.

London Transit Commission Rapid Transit Operational Readiness

Council direction with respect to this review is that the Commission be directed to review the following opportunities and report back to Council on implementation, including timing, operational considerations, and resource implications no later than Q4 2026:

  • with respect to Fare Collection and Boarding Practices, develop an expanded fare retail network and an implementation plan for all-door boarding for the Rapid Transit network;
  • with respect to Rapid Transit Vehicles, undertake discussions with New Flyer Industries Canada ULC regarding potential vehicle specification enhancements to support Rapid Transit operations, including feasibility, costs and implementation timelines;
  • with respect to Rapid Transit identity and Customer Comprehension, develop a Rapid Transit brand and identity, and associated communications and public awareness programs, to support the launch of the Rapid Transit system; and
  • with respect to Rapid Transit Stations, review and implement remaining station enhancements to support safe, accessible and efficient Rapid Transit operations.

Administration will review each of these recommendations in detail noting there may be a need for external resources to gather some of the required information within the timeframe outlined in the direction. The request for proposal for consulting services relating to future fare payment options includes an assessment of the impacts of all door boarding, noting that the report is scheduled to be tabled at the October meeting. In order to meet the timeframe, consideration will be given to a sole source award for consulting services to gather and assess the necessary data relating to the remaining recommendations in order to provide a comprehensive assessment.

Administration will table a report outlining the analysis of each of the opportunities including the associated timing, operation and resource implications of each at the Commission’s October 19, 2026 meeting. Subsequent to Commission approval of the report, same will be forwarded to Council for consideration in Q4 consistent with direction.

Subsidized Transit Programs

Council direction with respect to this review directed civic Administration to report back to the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee, prior to the next multi-year budget, with program options to consider including costing, including:

  • maintaining the current subsidized transit programs;
  • implementing limited program modifications to enhance access; and
  • implementing a universal income-based program

While the direction stemming from this review does not apply directly to the Commission, Administration will work directly with civic Administration on the assessment of the various options outlined in the direction, noting the resulting decision by Council will have an impact on the Commission’s multi-year budget with respect to ridership and revenue.

London Transit Commission Governance Review

Council direction with respect to this review included direction that the London Transit Commission review the recommendations and report back to Council on implementation, including the development of a business case for any associated resource requirements (see item 4.2 on the May 28, 2026 Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee Agenda). There is no date associated with the direction to report back to Council; however a number of the recommendations have implementation periods of less than six months, and as such, Commission feedback needs to be shared in the near term in order to be considered prior to implementation.

Each of the recommendations and implementation timeframes are set out below, followed by a list of items the Commission may wish to consider when preparing feedback to Council.

Recommendation 1 (>12 month implementation) – Enhance the Commission by adjusting member composition, incorporating additional specialized skills, and establishing subcommittees and/or advisory panels. The recommended composition comprised of a total of seven Commission members, four of which are members of Council and three of which are citizen appointees who meet the requirements associated with the specialized skills to be identified.

Issues for Commission Consideration

  • If the implementation timeframe of 12 months (or greater) is adhered to, a temporary Commission would need to be established post-election 2026, based on the current approved by-law, which calls for five members of council to be appointed. This approach would then require one of the members to step down, or for an entirely new appointment process to take place once the move to the new structure is approved.

While the organization has continued to meet established targets and work program commitments over the past two years which included a wholesale change of a Commission followed by a revised Commission size, time was lost during transition as the new Commission was brought up to speed. Continuity in board members has historically proven to be of benefit as it provided a balance of historical knowledge and understanding with new perspectives. Wholesale change in the Commission makeup in December, followed by a restructuring part way through 2027 may impact progress on initiatives on the 2027 work program as perspectives of the Commission may change through these transitions.

Municipal Council has also chosen to delay the appointment of citizens to all boards and commissions, and has extended the current citizen appointments until March 31, 2027.

Adjusting the implementation period relating to the new Commission structure to take place immediately following the election would result in greater consistency and mitigate the requirement for multiple training sessions as new members are added. Notwithstanding the delayed appointment process for citizen appointments, consideration could be given to appointing citizens to the Commission only earlier in the year.

  • Consideration should be given to the skillsets the Commission would like to see incorporated into the position descriptions for the citizen appointees. This Commission may have greater perspective as to what skillsets should be included given their tenure on the Commission and familiarity with the issues facing transit. Regardless of who ultimately creates the position descriptions, they will need to be done well in advance of the intended appointment process so they can be advertised.

In addition, this Commission previously recommended to Council an approach that would see the Commission members (Council members) undertake the interviews and recommend to Council the citizen appointees that best meet the needs of the Commission. This should be included in the feedback to Council if this continues to be the desired approach of this Commission.

Recommendation 2 (6-12 month implementation) – Clarify roles and responsibilities among Councillors, Commissioners, the City, and LTC staff through strengthened collaboration and communication.

Issues for Commission Consideration

  • Consideration should be given to areas of concern this Commission has experienced which can be shared with civic Administration for inclusion in the clarified roles and responsibilities document.
  • Administration will work to prepare a list of areas where greater clarity with respect to roles and responsibilities would be of benefit going forward. This will be shared with civic Administration as they work through this process.

Recommendation 3 (3-6 month implementation) – Improve the reporting structure and increase the reporting frequency to Council to strengthen reporting clarity, improve transparency, and enable more proactive, decision-focused oversight by Council.

Issues for Commission Consideration

  • Currently London Transit presents the Annual Report to Council, and also attends the annual budget process meetings to respond to any inquiries that may arise.
  • Commission members should consider the nature and extent of information that members of Council who are not serving on the Commission would benefit from hearing. This insight will be helpful when creating future Annual Work Programs and meeting schedules as any reports that would be formally shared with Council would first go to the Commission for review and consideration.
  • This process will need to be tied to the Roles and Responsibilities document created in Recommendation 2 so as to ensure that workflows can continue at the Commission level where authority exists, and programs within Commission authority are not held up awaiting Council discussion.

Recommendation 4 (0-3 month implementation) – Introduce a comprehensive onboarding program for all newly appointed Commissioners, supported by formalized annual governance training for all members to enable Commissioners to contribute meaningfully to discussions and effectively support strategic priorities.

Issues for Commission Consideration

  • Commission members should consider any areas of the operation they believe new Commission members would benefit from enhanced training so it can be incorporated into the training material that will be utilized with the newly appointed Commission.

Recommendation 5 (6-12 month implementation) – Enhance LTC’s current practices to ensure a balanced emphasis on long-term transit planning and day-to-day, building on the strong foundation of the 2024-2027 Business Plan.

Long Term Planning Process

The process currently followed with respect to long-term planning is to develop a four year LTC Business Plan following the completion of Council’s Strategic Plan. This approach ensures that LTC initiatives are consistent with the direction of Council as it pertains to public transit services. The LTC Business Plan is finalized subsequent to the completion of the Multi-Year Budget Process, which ensures that the initiatives included in the Business Plan have the required funding for successful implementation. The creation of the Business Plan includes the development of multi-year Service Plans for the conventional and specialized services (again, these plans are prepared based on the approved multi-year budget).

Day to Day Operations

For each year covered by the LTC Business Plan, an Annual Work Plan is prepared and approved by the Commission. The initiatives included in the Annual Work Plan provide for progress toward the Strategic Objectives of the Business Plan. The Commission receives updates on a quarterly basis with respect to the status of Work Plan initiatives, and subsequent to the end of the calendar year, an Annual Report is provided to the Commission (and then Council) which provides an overview of the progress toward the initiatives set out in the Annual Work Plan as well as a snapshot into the following year’s initiatives.

Issues for Commission Consideration

  • Commission members may want to share their perspectives on the current process, and provide any suggestions as to how these processes may be improved upon going forward based on their experience over the past year.

Recommendation 6 (> 12 month implementation) – Enhance strategic capacity within the London Transit Commission leadership structure to strengthen strategic execution and relationship management.

Issues for Commission Consideration

  • The timeline associated with this recommendation will fall during the tenure of the next Commission however, current Commission members may wish to share insights gathered during their tenure with respect to areas of the organization that would benefit from an enhanced level of resources. This input can be shared with the next Commission and incorporated into the appropriate Business Case for the next multi-year budget submission.

Summary

As discussed earlier in this report, a number of the recommendations approved by Council have timelines that will require feedback from the Commission to be gathered and shared with civic Administration in the near term.

Commission feedback with respect to Recommendation 4 should be gathered at the June meeting in order to ensure it is included for consideration.

Commission feedback with respect to Recommendations 1, 2, 3, and 5 should be gathered no later than the August meeting in order to ensure it is included for consideration. Should the Commission need Administration to gather any additional information with respect to these recommendations, direction for same should be provided at the June meeting. Commission feedback with respect to Recommendation 6 can also be gathered at the August meeting when the remainder of the recommendations are being discussed.

Recommended by:

David Butler, Director of Operations – Conventional

Shawn Wilson, Director of Operations – Specialized

Katie Burns, Director of Planning

Joanne Galloway, Director of Human Resources

Craig Morneau, Director of Fleet & Facilities

Mike Gregor, Director of Finance

Concurred in by:

Kelly S. Paleczny, General Manager