We tend to focus on the big things when summing up what's wrong with the TTC. There's no funding plan for a relief line, our new streetcars are delayed, King St. is a mess for transit — you get the idea.

But sometimes it's the small things that can make big differences in our daily commute. Case in point, the TTC wants to put in place modest measures to improve subway reliability, but it was deemed that there just wasn't enough money in the 2017 budget to make that happen.

We're not talking about a lot here. A motion to to fund "13 positions for signal track and traction power reliability initiatives that will improve subway performance compliance" to the tune of $1.228 million was put forward by Councillor Mary Fragedakis at the budget meeting this week, but ultimately voted down.

It might sound like small potatoes, but the TTC claims that such measures would decrease track-level delays by as much as 30 per cent compared to 2014 levels. That's a pretty big deal when you consider the investment required.

"The bottom line was to improve customer service through increased preventative measures we undertake to address some of the root causes of delays before they happen," explains TTC spokesperson Stuart Green.

"We are still committed to achieving improvements in this area and will do so without additional bodies."

Despite boasting about the city's financial contributions to the TTC this year, John Tory was one of the votes against the initiative. Municipal money is tight, to be sure, but it's hard to swallow the idea that there wasn't a way to get the funding in place for this.

At a minimum it's worth remembering the next time you're stuck in a train delay.