Mandeep Lali's TTC

[nightstreak]

I'm a big believer in the success of a transit system beginning with the user experience. From transit running efficiently and on time, to the state of the stations and vehicles, to the interactions with staff, everything should stem from service to the customer. Some transit leaders focus on the system itself as their product — riders just happen to be the pawns who use it — others see the customer experience as the central goal. Andy Byford understood the latter. Rick Leary absolutely did not, and neither did "‘We wouldn’t have those crowds if we weren’t giving good service" interim CEO Greg Percy. I long for a return to Andy Byford's ideals.

From what I've read about Mandeep Lali, he's an operations guy focused on efficiency and modernization. Coming from London and New York, he has the experience with complex and mature transit systems but does he understand the importance of good customer service? What will his priorities be?

I thought I'd start a discussion like there is for municipal, provincial and federal leaders for the TTC CEO's tenure.

What do you expect to see change at the TTC immediately as Lali takes the job and in the long term as he works to mould the TTC in his vision?

 

[goodcitywhenfinished]

I just want the ceiling panels fixed man

 

[drum118]

I just want the ceiling panels fixed man

Best way to fix the ceiling panels is to remove them 100% as it is very costly to remove them, store them, clean them and then try to match what is still up. At some future date, the same thing take place when other work has to take place. They do get damage moving them as well to/from the storage area.

 

[T3G]

Doesn't a thread like this overlap rather significantly with the catch all TTC thread we already have?

 

[goodcitywhenfinished]

Best way to fix the ceiling panels is to remove them 100% as it is very costly to remove them, store them, clean them and then try to match what is still up. At some future date, the same thing take place when other work has to take place. They do get damage moving them as well to/from the storage area.

The current slat panels they have are the issue. There is too much labour involved per sqft of ceiling panel that needs to be detached and reattached.

If they went with a larger metal mesh ceiling tile like these on the Vancouver Skytrain, you could solve a lot of the issues you mentioned:

 

[RapidTransit]

Maybe rename the thread to TTC Management. We all know there's lots to discuss about them. Including the board members and board meetings.

 

[nightstreak]

Maybe rename the thread to TTC Management. We all know there's lots to discuss about them. Including the board members and board meetings.

I deliberately named the thread after the CEO because as with government leaders, he's going to mould the TTC after his policies and we'll come to remember "Lali 's TTC era" decades from now like many of us remember David Gunn's TTC or Rick Ducharme's TTC or Gary Webster's TTC. Given the example of his predecessors, he's likely to be in the position longer than some of the named politician threads. When the time comes for his successor, a new thread will be started for that new CEO and their TTC era.

I've done a little more reading today and I can see Lali becoming a driver for modernization and efficiency:

- A transition to automated subway cars to make them more efficient and predictable
- Platform edge doors to modernize stations and remove factors that cause delays like people at track level and fires
- Security and surveillance systems to improve safety
- Information systems to help riders navigate an increasingly complex transit map

In the name of transit predictability, I can see him make a push for more Transitways like King Street. Dundas makes the most sense or maybe expand King Street's transitway east to Broadview. It gets congested with mixed traffic once it converges onto Queen.

Do we know when Lali starts?

 

[allabootmatt]

It's crazy that PEDs aren't higher on the priority list, given how many track-level disruptions screw up service. They're now standard on basically every system in Asia -- either the full-height ones where they were designed in from day one, or the more chest-level variation on older lines.

 

[nightstreak]

It's crazy that PEDs aren't higher on the priority list, given how many track-level disruptions screw up service. They're now standard on basically every system in Asia -- either the full-height ones where they were designed in from day one, or the more chest-level variation on older lines.

I remember in the 90s and early 2000s when they used to be dismissed as a luxury but their importance has grown substantially in the priority hierarchy because they prevent delays in a system that simply cannot afford unexpected stoppages. Given Lali's interests in modernization and operational efficiency, I think PED's will rise to one of his top priorities.

The Bloor Station expansion and revitalization will add platform edge doors and the Ontario Line will have them from the start. I can see that getting the ball rolling with Toronto transit riders experiencing it first hand and demanding it everywhere else.

 

[Northern Light]

I deliberately named the thread after the CEO because as with government leaders, he's going to mould the TTC after his policies and we'll come to remember "Lali 's TTC era" decades from now like many of us remember David Gunn's TTC or Rick Ducharme's TTC or Gary Webster's TTC. Given the example of his predecessors, he's likely to be in the position longer than some of the named politician threads. When the time comes for his successor, a new thread will be started for that new CEO and their TTC era.

I've done a little more reading today and I can see Lali becoming a driver for modernization and efficiency:

- A transition to automated subway cars to make them more efficient and predictable
- Platform edge doors to modernize stations and remove factors that cause delays like people at track level and fires
- Security and surveillance systems to improve safety
- Information systems to help riders navigate an increasingly complex transit map

In the name of transit predictability, I can see him make a push for more Transitways like King Street. Dundas makes the most sense or maybe expand King Street's transitway east to Broadview. It gets congested with mixed traffic once it converges onto Queen.

Do we know when Lali starts?

The challenge here, assuming Lali is confirmed......is that we already have a TTC ': catch-all thread to cover non-major projects that would otherwise lack their own thread.

I'm not sure where this thread, leaves that thread.

We' have divided political office threads into terms by office holders for awhile, but we've never done this for agency heads like TTC, Mx, Police, Transportation or Parks.

I feel like @interchange42 should weigh in such that make sure we're consistent on how we format this. I'm open on the subject, I just want to have a clear idea of what goes where.

 

[Irishmonk]

Well, if most of the posts are about whether or not we should have this thread, then we probably shouldn't have this thread.