The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is making it easier for commuters to quickly report safety or security concerns on the system, according to a news release on Tuesday.

The announcement follows an unprecedented wave of violence throughout Toronto's transit system, including the fatal stabbing of a woman at High Park subway station in December, and a 16-year-old stabbed on a bus at Old Mill station in January. 

In addition to the existing SafeTTC app, customers can now text 647-496-1940 to report immediate safety concerns to TTC Transit Control, or fill out the webform at ttc.ca to report a safety concern and submit any extra details or images. 

Though the TTC's safety app offers similar functionality, allowing customers to discreetly report safety concerns or other suspicious activity, it requires a download that passengers might not have the time or connectivity to make in a dangerous situation.

"These new methods provide additional options for customers to report any suspicious or concerning activity on the system," TTC Chair Jon Burnside said. 

The TTC is now offering new forms of communication for customers that need to report safety concerns.

In addition to our SafeTTC app, you can now text your concerns to 647-496-1940 or fill out the web form here: https://t.co/utGZb6zKSR

Learn more: https://t.co/Ec5HDBQzFV pic.twitter.com/WPkGDMLbiU

— TTC Customer Service (@TTChelps) March 14, 2023

"We want to ensure that anyone who witnesses, or is a victim of a security incident on the TTC has an easily accessible method to report the incident directly to our Transit Control Centre," TTC CEO Rick Leary said. 

The TTC has also announced several other safety features in the past few months following a spike in violent crimes onboard the transit system.

These include increasing the number of Streets to Home workers throughout the network, adding more station supervisors, improving and adding more cameras, and having Designated Waiting Areas (DWAs) on every subway platform. 

In January, the TTC also announced the addition of 80 police officers across the system on a daily basis with a focus on "reducing victimization, preventing crimes of opportunity and enhancing public safety." 

However, the Toronto Police Service announced on Monday that it will no longer deploy overtime officers to monitor the TTC, meaning there will not be a higher-than-normal presence of cops throughout the system. 

Officers will instead patrol the TTC during periods "that typically generate the most calls for service," and when there are many riders, according to Chief of Police Myron Demkiw.