TTC figures show ridership is down about 70 percent amid the COVID-19 pandemic and that means a lot of lost fare revenue.
The TTC estimates it's losing $18 million a week and according to a report in the Toronto Star, it will likely need tens of millions of dollars to weather the crisis.
During a normal week, the agency would bring in about $25 million.
There are still about 500,000 people taking transit each day and the commission is said to be running at 80 percent of regular service.
A spokesperson for Ontario's transportation minister tells the Star the province is monitoring the situation and is prepared to help. It's not clear what that help might look like.
In a statement to NEWSTALK 1010, Don Peat, a spokesperson for Mayor John Tory says:
"Mayor Tory is focused on making sure we do everything possible as a municipal government to help Toronto residents and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic and after the crisis is over.
We know that during the pandemic, the TTC is losing almost $20 million a week – it is one of the costs the City is incurring as a result of the ongoing emergency.
But we also know that it is important to keep it operating for healthcare workers on the frontline of the pandemic and other essential and critical workers.
And the Mayor is focused on making sure the TTC and all aspects of the City government will recover from the pandemic.
That's why he launched the Mayor's Economic Support and Recovery Task Force – to focus on what we can do now and in the coming months to help people and rebuild the economy. It is why he is on the phone daily with federal and provincial officials to discuss the response to the pandemic but also the economic impact and how we can all work together to help people.
Make no mistake, when this is over the Mayor will be working to make sure the transit service we have built remains strong and we continue to invest in its state of good repair. And he will work with the province and the federal government to make sure we continue the transit expansion projects we had planned."