TTC CEO departs top job two years early, amid ‘new direction’ at City Hall

The now-departed head of the TTC insists he left the transit agency on his own terms – despite collecting a severance – but acknowledges the political reality of ideological “changes” in transit visions at the top.

“There was a new mayor, a new [TTC] chair, and there’s obviously some idea of going in a new direction,” Rick Leary told CTV News Toronto on his last day in office.

“Maybe it’s time to let them bring somebody else new in. New ideas, new vision.”

Leary’s current contract was not set to expire until 2026. He declined to discuss the value or terms of his severance.

The Boston native was tapped to lead the cash-strapped transit system in 2018 during John Tory’s tenure as mayor, following four years in the role of Chief Service Officer. One of his incoming priorities, Leary recalls, was an intent focus on fleet repair and vehicle maintenance – which he considers a success of his term.

Two years later, though, the city ground to a halt under the COVID-19 pandemic, devastating both ridership and revenue without the support of the fare box. The system has only recently rebounded in ridership, to 80-85 per cent of 2019 levels, according to the TTC.

Service hours will be restored to 97 percent of pre-pandemic metrics in September.

“Customers are coming back,” Leary said, noting that the work-from-home legacy of the pandemic still nags peak-time ridership. “That’s the new normal.”

But amid broader social issues catalyzed by the pandemic, the TTC suffered a spike in violent –and in some cases, random– attacks in early 2023. Leary reached out to the police chief, who offered officers to patrol the system as the transit agency organized a broader-scale response that involved hiring more frontline staff and connecting people in crisis with social supports.

“Let me tell you, it was heartbreaking,” Leary said of the violence. “But it was running right across North America.”

“I wasn’t about to put people out in the cold.”

Leary regrets not decommissioning the Scarborough RT, which derailed in July 2023, sooner.  He had forewarned that the aging line was past its useful lifespan and had been slated to be shut down that November.

“Everybody should have realized: 13 years beyond its useful life. We have to stop pretending that we can fix it, repair it, and keep it running. Would I have loved to have closed it three months sooner? Absolutely,” he said. 

One year later, Leary cites his most recent success as the 11th-hour labour agreement with ATU Local 113 – a union that had vocally backed Olivia Chow during the mayoral by-election.

“You’ve got to be thick-skinned as a CEO of an organization like [the TTC],” Leary said of the union dynamic.

“These big cities are tough. They’re not easy jobs.”

Despite that, Leary insists he has enjoyed the politics of the post.

“I was not pushed out,” he stressed.

“It’s time.”