August 7, 2026
Canada’s major cities demonstrate that higher transit ridership does not always require bigger infrastructure investments. Metro Vancouver records approximately 153 transit trips per resident, compared with 54 in Metro Boston, while Calgary records about 77 compared with approximately 21 in Denver.
In a recent conversation, Jinhua Zhao, Professor of Cities and Transportation at MIT, spoke with Jeff Busby, COO of TransLink, Josh Colle, Chief Strategy & Customer Experience Officer at the Toronto Transit Commission, and David Cooper of Leading Mobility Consulting about what Canadian cities can teach US cities about improving transit.
The discussion highlighted four key lessons:
1. Better service, not cheaper service, drives ridership
Since operating subsidies became available in the 1970s, Canadian transit agencies have generally invested in providing more service rather than simply reducing fares. This emphasis on frequency has contributed significantly to sustained ridership.
TransLink, for example, defines a frequent route as one with service every 15 minutes or better throughout the day. At this frequency, transit becomes more convenient and spontaneous, allowing riders to rely less on schedules.
TransLink also uses its Frequent Transit Network to help guide developers and land-use planners, encouraging new housing and density in areas with frequent transit service.
2. Small transit improvements can demonstrate demand before major investments
Toronto provides an example of how relatively low-cost interventions can deliver immediate benefits. On Queens Quay East, the TTC converted an underused shoulder into a bus-priority lane, reducing travel times along the corridor.
This approach, described by Josh Colle as “radical incrementalism,” demonstrates how targeted improvements such as dedicated bus lanes, parking removal, signal priority, and stop consolidation can generate meaningful benefits while building support for larger investments.
The experience of the Dufferin bus corridor, once informally known as the “Suffering Dufferin,” further illustrates how transit priority can improve the experience of riders and help buses move more efficiently through congested corridors.
3. Protecting bus speed is an important operating investment
Congestion is a significant operating cost for transit agencies. TransLink estimates that buses delayed by traffic cost the agency approximately $80 million annually, representing around 15% of its bus operating budget.
Measures such as signal priority, corridor improvements, stop consolidation, and dedicated bus lanes can recover some of this lost time. Quantifying delays in terms of person-minutes and vehicle-minutes can also help agencies identify where investments will provide the greatest returns.
A frequent bus that operates slowly still incurs the full cost of service while potentially losing riders because of unreliable or lengthy travel times.
4. Transit should be funded as regional infrastructure
Transit generates benefits beyond the people who directly use it. These include reduced congestion, improved access to employment, increased economic activity, and stronger connections between people and businesses.
TransLink’s funding model reflects several of these beneficiaries, with revenue coming from transit users, drivers, and property owners. However, capturing the broader economic benefits generated by transit remains a challenge.
The discussion highlights the importance of treating transit as regional infrastructure and developing funding mechanisms that recognize its wider economic and transportation benefits.
Listen to the full conversation
The full discussion is available on the Mobility Forum podcast, featuring Jinhua Zhao and his guests from TransLink, the Toronto Transit Commission, and Leading Mobility Consulting.
Source: Jinhua Zhao, Jinhua’s Memo, August 7, 2026.