Category: Local Organizer
The Toronto Transit Commission is North America’s third largest transit system and has been in service for more than 100 years. The commission delivers subway, streetcar, bus and paratransit service to Canada’s largest city, and has served over 31 billion customers. It has an annual operating budget of $1.9 billion, where more than 70 per cent of that is recovered from the fare box.
Learn more about the TTC at ttc.ca, or via its social media channels.
About Us
Richard J. Leary
CEO
Richard’s extensive experience in public transit has him well-placed to oversee and lead the TTC’s recent growth. He has advanced through the ranks throughout his career, beginning as a Subway Train Attendant and eventually becoming the Chief Operating Officer at the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, the fifth largest and most multi-modal transit system in North America. Prior to joining the TTC in 2014 as Chief Service Officer, Richard served as General Manager of York Region Transit/VIVA, just north of Toronto.
Richard holds a BA with a concentration in Transportation/Logistics as well as a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Northeastern University in Boston. Richard is also a graduate of Harvard University’s Administration and Management graduate program.
Bem Case
Executive Director, Innovation and Sustainability
With over 20 years in public transit, Bem has held roles that span the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), including maintenance, engineering, capital program delivery, enterprise risk management and intergovernmental relations.
Currently, Bem is the Executive Director of TTC’s Innovation and Sustainability Program, the goal of which is to seek out and adopt the ideas that maximize the socio-economic, environmental, and health benefits of transit. Through this program, Bem is directly accountable for the stewardship of a 15-year, $10+ billion portfolio of capital programs, including the delivery of one of North America’s largest procurements of zero-emissions vehicles and related electrification infrastructure.
Participants
Peter supports the software and hardware engineering activities of rail signalling and train
control systems to ensure the smooth and safe operations of TTC’s subway lines. He is a recent
graduate from the Engineering Science program at the University of Toronto. Peter is especially
passionate about the intersection of technology and public transit, with experiences in designing
and developing innovative and intelligent technology systems for transit operations and
planning. Naturally, participating in the IYAI Challenge has been an exciting and highly
rewarding experience for Peter, where he has been learning from many perspectives and
co-creating a practical and balanced approach to tackle the complex and nuanced issue of fare evasion.
Carl is a recent graduate from the University of Toronto where he studied Electrical
Engineering, with a certificate in Artificial Intelligence. He started at the TTC in January 2024. As
a regular TTC customer, he believed it is a great opportunity to inspire change by participating
in the IYAI Challenge, and is grateful to get the chance to discuss the various viewpoints of his team members and mentors on the aspect of fare evasion and the TTC as a whole.
As a computer science student studying at the University of Waterloo, Daniel is in his fourth
year of studies. As an end user devices programmer co-op student over the winter months of
2024, Daniel was introduced to the demands and usages of technology across the Toronto
Transit Commission. Daniel loved taking on the projects and challenges which is why he jumped at the IYAI challenge. Daniel never expected to be able to see all the other different identities across the TTC through this challenge and is grateful for all the mentors that have spent their time and energy helping us develop the Fare Pay is Fair Play solution!
Huma is a recent graduate from the University of Toronto, specializing in biochemical
biophysics and double minoring in biology and philosophy. After multiple experiences as a data
analyst and business and systems analyst at various startups, Huma now works as a data
analyst and programmer at the TTC. Huma is passionate about using data to further improve
transit and enjoys coming up with innovative ways to better systems. In her free time, Huma
enjoys writing, reading, and learning.
Nicolas is a recent graduate from the University of Toronto where he studied Mechanical
Engineering. He started working at the TTC as a co-op student in 2022 and has enjoyed
working there ever since. Motivated by providing safe, accessible transit for all Nicolas works in subway infrastructure maintenance. Nicolas is interested in the intersection between policy and equity, with special emphasis on how transit agencies can ensure solutions are beneficial to the most vulnerable riders. In his free time, Nicolas enjoys biking, baking and being in nature.