Stated operating cost of TTC is over $1.5 billion - 10x higher than Missisauga Transit. Higher than STM's approx. $1.3 billion. Do people seriously think $1.5 billion is exceedingly low? It seems to me the real reason for the high cost recovery ratio is not exceedingly low costs, but exceedingly high revenue ($1.1 billion for TTC vs. $0.6 billion for STM).
Like the ~80% cost recovery for GO doesn't surprise me considering how expensive their fares are. TTC is the same. TTC doesn't offer 2 hour unlimited use like 905 systems. So no return trips within that 2 hours, or no stopovers, meaning a high price to pay for short trips. And 905 systems accept each other's fares, and TTC doesn't accept anyone's fares. TTC weekly and monthly passes are also far more expensive than the 905 systems, and far more expensive than STM as well - $141 for TTC vs. $83 for STM. Yeah, that's right. The TTC monthly pass is almost 2x more expensive than STM's.
So people should stop blaming high recovery on misleading cost numbers. It's just about the fares.
Keep in mind it was 60% before the Mike Harris Era and then rose to 80% due to massive service cuts. Do people find 60% so hard to believe also? Then stated 45% cost recovery right now for the suburban systems (Mississauga, Brampton, York) must be crazy. Maybe they are. If there was more government funding for transit, these cost recoveries would be a lot lower, and be more similar to other systems. Keep in mind, Mississauga's cost recovery was over 60% too. Government funding makes a huge difference.