TTC still figuring out how to handle thousands of FIFA fans this summer

This summer, approximately 65,000 soccer fans will swarm the city’s waterfront to cheer at Toronto Stadium and the Fort York fan festival during the World Cup, but with only three months to go, the TTC has yet to paint a clear picture of how it will handle the stream of visitors.

So far, the TTC's publicly-announced plans have been limited to the introduction of transit-only lanes on Bathurst and Dufferin streets, though some details about other service adjustments were shared by a spokesperson Wednesday at the request of CBC News.

Meanwhile, across the country in Canada’s other host city, Metro Vancouver’s transit authority announced its plans weeks ago. In a March 3 new release, TransLink detailed plans for a dedicated FIFA World Cup shuttle, such as empty trains that will be waiting for spectators after matches and additional vehicles on standby to respond to crowd surges.

“There have been some generalities shared by both the city and TTC with respect to the fact that transit will be a priority,” said Coun. Josh Matlow, who sits on the TTC board. "I mean, sure, that makes sense, we all agree with that."

However, Matlow said he worries if plans are coming together close to kickoff, the TTC may need to “scramble to fix things.” He’d like to see the city and TTC be more transparent about their transportation planning, even if it means sharing work in progress.

How Toronto is preparing for heavier traffic during the FIFA World Cup

But Joe Mihevc, another member of the TTC board, said the transit agency is not behind schedule on sharing plans. He said a dedicated team has been working for months on a comprehensive plan that will be announced “very shortly.”

“The city’s bid included a transit-first way of getting to and