The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) will review a plan to roll out free Wi-Fi to streetcars and buses to Toronto’s 31 Neighbourhood Improvement Areas (NIAS) and Higher Education Institutions in November.
The motion was put forth by TTC board members Alan Heisey and Jennifer McKelvie, who say that 24 of Toronto’s Neighbourhood Improvement Areas rely solely on buses and streetcars. Therefore, they do not have access to subway stops, which have had free Wi-Fi since 2018.
Meanwhile, Wi-Fi is provided on surface public transit in Ottawa and Vancouver, as well as U.S. municipalities like San Francisco and New York, notes the motion.
According to Heisey and McKelvie, the free Wi-Fi will help people in low-income Toronto neighbourhoods, especially post-secondary students. “Unequal access to information and resources further marginalizes low-income communities and students,” reads the motion.
To support the project, the motion calls for funding at both the provincial and federal levels.
You can read the full motion here.
Via: BlogTO
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