The Empire Club of Canada
Thursday, September 29, 2022
The Empire Club of Canada Presents:
Next Stop, Public Transit after COVID-19: Welcoming riders back to transit in a post-pandemic Toronto
When the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic in March of 2020, one of the hardest hit industries was public transit. As an essential service, the TTC continued to operate with reduced ridership, as many people worked from home and non-essential businesses were shuttered.
As Toronto emerges from the pandemic and public transit ridership increases, find out how the TTC has taken advantage of the period of low ridership to make improvements and advance state-of-good-repair work to benefit the customer experience.
Hear directly from TTC CEO Richard J. Leary about how the organization remained agile and managed operations through the pandemic, and how the TTC has worked with Toronto’s business community to be prepared for the return of its customers.
*The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.*
*Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*
Richard J. Leary is the CEO of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) – North America’s third largest system – delivering subway, streetcar, bus and para-transit services to Canada’s largest city. Pre-pandemic, the TTC carried over 1.7 million people a day.
Leary began his career as a subway train attendant and eventually became the Chief Operating Officer at the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA), the fifth largest and most multi-model transit system in North America. Prior to joining to the TTC in 2014 as head of service delivery, Leary served as General Manager for York Region Transit/VIVA.
Leary holds a BA with a concentration in Transportation/Logistics as well as a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Northeastern University in Boston. He is also a graduate of Harvard University’s Administration and Management graduate program.
Anita Sharma is a network news anchor and journalist with twenty years of experience delivering national and international news. She interviews newsmakers in Canada and abroad on breaking news and current affairs. Anita is part of a niche group of journalists with an expertise in business– specifically the stock market, real estate and personal finance. She also travels internationally as a public speaker and event/panel moderator.