3 big challenges for the TTC's next CEO

The TTC board is getting closer to selecting a new CEO, and experts say whoever it is will have some big challenges ahead of them.

Jennifer Keesmaat, the city's former chief planner, and transit advocate Steve Munro say those tasks will include decoding the subway plans of new Ontario Premier Doug Ford, providing strong leadership at the city council level and handling all of the day-to-day issues of the TTC.

The Doug Ford factor

While transit has always been a contentious issue at the municipal level, transit advocate Steve Munro told CBC's Metro MorningMonday the new CEO will also have to deal with the newly-elected Progressive Conservative government at Queen's Park.

"We really don't know yet what Doug Ford plans to do," Munro said.

You can listen to the full conversation in the audio below.

Ford made promises to upload responsibility forthe TTC to the province during the electioncampaign. And last month Ford professed his love for subways, even vowing to extend lines to Markham and Pickering.

As a Toronto city councillor from 2010 to 2014, while his late brother Rob Ford was mayor, Ford pushed to bury the entire Eglinton Crosstownlight-rail line underground and cancel the Sheppard LRT in favour of extending the Sheppard subway line.

He alsochampioned the Scarborough subway extension, instead of a seven-stopLRTline, to replace the obsolete Scarborough RT.

And during the election campaign, Fordvowed to resurrect the three-stop version of the Scarborough subway, instead of the one-stop version that's now being designed. Ford did not say,however, how he would pay for the plan. Right now, the one-stop extension is estimated to cost $3.35 billion a price tag critics predict will climb even higher.

Standing up to council

Keesmaat, meanwhile,told Metro Morningthe TTC needs a CEO with enough savvy to navigate between two levels of government and make important decisions that will guide Toronto transit into the future.

"There needs to be somebody at the helm that can stand up and speak with authority," said Keesmaat, who witnessed plenty of hotly-contested fights over transit planning during her time at city hall.

To succeed, she said the CEO should focus on "using data and evidence and analysis to really advocate for the best interests of the transit system."

'The subway is full, the bus system is full, streetcar system is full'

Munro says the new CEO also needs to find a way to boost the transit system's capacity.

"The subway is full, the bus system is full, the streetcar system is full and we're not in a situation where that's going to be remedied anytime soon," Munro said.

Munro says this issue has plagued past administrations and they've struggled to find asolution to frustrating day-to-day challenges.

TheTTCis the third largest transit system, by ridership, in North America, next to New York City and Mexico City. However,delays and repairs are a regular occurrence, and must be dealt with swiftly in order to keep things running smoothly.

"The hardest part about running the TTC is never quite knowing what's going to happen tomorrow," he said.

The TTC'ssearch for a new leader began last year, when former CEO AndyByfordannounced he was leaving to become the president of the New York City Transit Authority.

On Tuesday, the board will hold a private meeting to agree on a preferred candidate. They'll then negotiate the details of a contract with their selection, before making an announcement in the next week or two.