TTC’s Leary Stepping Down

TTC CEO Rick Leary (left) with Chair Jamaal Myers during the June 7 announcement of the TTC-ATU Local 113 tentative agreement that avoided a strike. (TTC Photograph)

Boston-native Rick Leary has announced his resignation, effective Aug. 30, as CEO of Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), after more than six years leading the Ontario, Canada, agency that has grown since 1921 to carry more than 31 billion riders through a network of subways, streetcars, buses and Wheel-Trans vehicles.

Leary took the TTC throttle in January 2018 as Acting CEO and was confirmed to the top post later that year, following the departure of Andy Byford, who became President of MTA New York City Transit and is now Senior Vice President for Amtrak’s high-speed rail program.

Byford recruited Leary to TTC in 2014, where he became Chief Service Officer for Service Delivery/Deputy CEO. Leary worked previously for Ontario’s York Region Transit as General Manager, a post that brought him to Canada in 2009 after retiring from Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).

In Leary’s June 20, 2024, statement on his resignation, he wrote, “In many ways this was a difficult decision for me. But in others it was an easy one—let me explain. As many of you know, I was recently recognized for 10 years of service here at the TTC. And what an incredible 10 years it has been—I would go as far as to say this has been the most rewarding experience in my four decades in public transit. But for many people, a decade in any job also brings with it some self-reflection when it comes to personal and professional goals and objectives. This year I turned 61, and I believe there are some new opportunities and challenges that await me before I fully retire. And that’s where I’m at today—looking at the next phase of my career.”

As to the timing of his announcement, Leary reported it was about “seeing one last major undertaking over the finish line—that being the new Collective Agreement with ATU Local 113, our largest union partner,” and “[t]hankfully, we got that agreement.”

Leary reported being “proud of this deal, just as I’m proud of the many other things we’ve accomplished in my time here.” After taking on TTC leadership, Leary said that together with the Board and staff of North America’s third-largest transit system:

• “We hired [TTC’s] first-ever Chief of Diversity and Culture and created the first-ever Action plan on Diversity and Inclusion. This was a ground-breaking and award-winning plan that ensures everyone who rides and works at the TTC feels welcome and safe.
• “We also changed recruitment processes to ensure our workforce is reflective of our customers.
• “We created the first international chapter of the Conference of Minority Transit Officials (COMTO).
• “We created the first Capital Investment Plan for the TTC that outlines where investment is needed to ensure the long-term health of our infrastructure. Through that Plan, we secured Billions of dollars for new vehicles, station upgrades and expansion. And I want to thank elected officials from all levels of government for that.
• “We created the first Data and Analytics Group and started using modern technology to improve service performance through real-time data collection.
• “We also prioritized the greening of the TTC fleet with the purchase of the first battery-electric buses with a complete conversion to zero-emissions by 2040.”

“There are plenty more [accomplishments],“ Leary added, “but I would just quickly mention managing service through the COVID-19 pandemic and the cyber security incident we experienced.”

Leary thanked the almost 17,000 TTC employees and past and present senior management team “for buying into our new vision and working tirelessly to implement it. Like me, they all understand our company is about customer service first and foremost.” He also thanked the TTC Boards and Chairs he worked with during his tenure. “I always felt like their support and their guidance was also directed to achieving the best customer experience possible,” Leary noted. “So to Josh Colle, the late Jaye Robinson, Jon Burnside and current chair, Jamaal Myers, I say thanks. Also to former Mayor John Tory and current Mayor Olivia Chow. They were both willing to have difficult discussions about ways to keep this City moving better, but they always understood and backed us in our needs.”

CBC News reported how “Leary oversaw tough times for the TTC through much of his tenure, including low ridership numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to service cuts and higher fares, and multiple incidents of public violence on transit that prompted more police presence on the TTC.” His “time as CEO also had its share of high profile incidents, including the Scarborough RT derailment, which led to the permanent closure of Line 3, and a near-miss subway collision at Osgoode Station in 2019,” the media outlet said. “More recently, a fluid spill on subway tracks in May disrupted service on Line 2 for nearly a full day, and two separate streetcar derailments this month caused major transit delays downtown”; additionally, TTC is “trying to secure funding to replace aging subway trains on Line 2.”

During a June 20 news conference, Leary said “he was stepping down ‘on his own terms,’” according to CBC News, which noted at that conference, “TTC chair Jamaal Myers thanked Leary for his work as CEO. Myers said the change will cause no disruptions to service or ongoing projects.”

CBC News also reported that “Myers was asked about an internal investigation into allegations of workplace misconduct against Leary, first reported by the Toronto Star last fall. He said he was unable to comment on board-initiated investigations. ‘We’re here to celebrate Rick,’ he said. ‘He’s leaving on a good note.’” 

Leary began his transit career in 1984 with MBTA, as a train attendant, and rose through the ranks to become Manager of Fare Collection Procurements; Director of Vehicle Engineering; and Director of Buses and Engineering. In 2005, he was elevated to Chief Operating Officer; he left that position in 2009 and moved to Canada.

“Moving here opened the door to me fulfilling a dream of becoming a Canadian Citizen—like all the hockey heroes of my childhood,” Leary reported in his resignation statement. He noted that “I hope I am leaving the organization better-positioned to continue to succeed for years to come.” Until he steps down at the end of August, Leary said, “I will continue to lead this organization with pride and with honour.”