Observed
Reported directly by a public source.
How to read the transit pulse.
Start with a civic question, understand what the information represents, and read the limits before drawing a conclusion.
Start here
Choose the question you want the evidence to answer.
No single score explains Toronto transit. Each public story uses a different combination of service, network, journey, and community evidence.
Access→
Presence→
Regularity→
Journey→
Can residents reach frequent bus service when they need it?
Scheduled service, stops, generalized walking access, and grouped population context.
Where is surface service present or uneven?
Recent bus and streetcar reports, without treating vehicle visibility as ridership.
Is service arriving when people expect it?
Frequent service is examined through spacing and waiting; scheduled service requires timetable adherence.
How dependable is a cross-city journey?
Walking, waiting, riding, and transferring kept distinct so uncertainty remains visible.
How to read each label
Each label explains what the information represents and how it should be used.
Direct evidence, but it may still be incomplete.
Estimated
Calculated from stated assumptions.
Context
Describes the surrounding network, place, or population.
Experimental
Being tested in the private Transit Lab.
Read both sides
What each result can and cannot show.
ObservedSurface movement
+
Can show Recent bus and streetcar positions reported by the public feed.
Cannot show How many people are aboard or whether every scheduled trip operated.
EstimatedSubway progress
+
Can show Movement inferred from station-level trip updates.
Cannot show Exact train coordinates or passenger conditions.
ContextScheduled access
+
Can show Planned service opportunities near grouped areas.
Cannot show Whether a particular resident made or completed a trip.
ContextCommunities and places
+
Can show Aggregated population and named places around transit.
Cannot show Personal addresses, household travel, or individual need.
Read the limits
No single result can describe the whole system.
No passenger counts
A visible vehicle does not reveal how many people are aboard.
No individual journeys
No personal movement, fare, address, or rider history is collected.
No complete service verdict
One feed cannot establish punctuality, crowding, reliability, or accessibility by itself.
No official judgement
Screening results are independent interpretations, not TTC standards or decisions.
Use this civic product to notice patterns, ask better questions, and identify where closer review may help. Use official TTC channels for trip planning and service decisions.
Explore the evidence
See how each result is prepared.
The supporting guides explain the approach behind each result, where the information comes from, and what happens before it appears in the civic product.