TTC: Other Items (catch all)

[Northern Light]

I feel the same about Stockholm and Oslo, and while I'd never feel that way about Paris, I definitely agree coming back to the TTC afterwards is depressing enough to wanna boycott TTC fanning entirely.

As I noted above in response to another comment; to help keep this tangent related to the TTC, it would be useful if you could tie your thoughts to specifics.

I can think of many things I like about the systems mentioned, and some others I'm less keen on; but we can't make the TTC any better on generalities.

 

[T3G]

Personally, my single biggest bug bear with the TTC is their atrocious line management. On paper, many services that the TTC runs should be very good, but the issues with line management must run deep in the institutional blood, because it's been on going for decades - surely there must have been some personnel turn over in the last 20 years - and I haven't seen it in such a large capacity in any other city I've been to. Prague's trams (apart from not being slowed down by ridiculous safety rules like they are here) run in a mix of private ROWs, mixed traffic, and pedestrian only zones, and I've never experienced anything like this there.

Also would like to see:

-better communication vis a vis delays
-all door boarding, everywhere, at all times
-for the drivers to be taught finally that they're not the stars of John Wick and to stop yelling at transit photographers

 

[81-717]

As I noted above in response to another comment; to help keep this tangent related to the TTC, it would be useful if you could tie your thoughts to specifics.

Part of it is bias due to living in Toronto (always more interesting to travel abroad), the other is that the TTC is simply boring and bland as of 11 years ago (if I lived in New York, I'd definitely prefer fanning there rather than travelling to Toronto), although some systems abroad (i.e. London or Paris) I like even less than the TTC. Lastly, the anti-Hawker conspiracy is the main reason to hate on the TTC.

 

[Northern Light]

Personally, my single biggest bug bear with the TTC is their atrocious line management. On paper, many services that the TTC runs should be very good, but the issues with line management must run deep in the institutional blood, because it's been on going for decades - surely there must have been some personnel turn over in the last 20 years - and I haven't seen it in such a large capacity in any other city I've been to. Prague's trams (apart from not being slowed down by ridiculous safety rules like they are here) run in a mix of private ROWs, mixed traffic, and pedestrian only zones, and I've never experienced anything like this there.

@smallspy might be able to add some colour on that one..........

For my part........

To my understanding field supervision used to be done at the Division level (so out of the various yards that buses/streetcars were dispatched), personnel were regularly in the field, and generally knew their routes.

A few years back now, I gather, supervisory roles were all consolidated to transit control; and in-field supervision reduced greatly.

There are definitely more issues of supervisors/control not understanding the routes they oversee (based on conversations with operators who have been told to divert down back lanes, the wrong way on one-way streets and given other questionable instructions)

Supervisors are also union now. I'm pro-labour, but find the idea of front-line management being union as rather odd.

Also would like to see:

-better communication vis a vis delays

Yes.

-all door boarding, everywhere, at all times

Agree.

-for the drivers to be taught finally that they're not the stars of John Wick and to stop yelling at transit photographers

I haven't experienced this issue w/operators.

That said, I do think TTC personnel would benefit from greater customer service training. Some of that should probably be policy.

The simple idea that an operator has a name (not just an operator ID); first-name only is fine........would do wonders...........communication can be so much friendlier with "Hi Bob, I was wondering if this bus is going to O'Connor"? Rather than 'hey you'.
I would not want operators to be pressed in to the old flight attendant 'goodbye, goodbye, goodbye etc) that has been the subject of so much comedic parody. But the idea of a single announcement when arriving or departing a station that's simple, straight-forward and friendly (comparable to a CSA on a GO Train) would be welcome.

ie. "Good Morning, everyone, this is the Victoria Park 24 bus departing for Steeles Avenue, making all-stops, I'm you're operator Bob, we'll be leaving in 30 seconds, estimated time to Steeles is 'x minutes'. Thank you for riding with the TTC today"

That might be a bit verbose, but you get the idea. It makes the operator human, friendly, etc. It also serves to fly the TTC flag (we care, thanks), and it provides as moment for anyone who may be on the wrong bus to get the @#$ off.

 

[Richard White]

The simple idea that an operator has a name (not just an operator ID); first-name only is fine........would do wonders...........communication can be so much friendlier with "Hi Bob, I was wondering if this bus is going to O'Connor"? Rather than 'hey you'.

My father as you know is a retired operator and used to use a fake name with customers.

The reason for this was because of "TTC Groupies". There are women out there that tend to leech onto male operators for potential relationships. It used to be an issue so some operators refused to give their real name to avoid people trying to find them.

Think of it like the TTC Version of Puck *****. They hang around talking to operators thinking they can get something from them given their somewhat oversized wages.

 

[Northern Light]

My father as you know is a retired operator and used to use a fake name with customers.

The reason for this was because of "TTC Groupies". There are women out there that tend to leech onto male operators for potential relationships. It used to be an issue so some operators refused to give their real name to avoid people trying to find them.

Think of it like the TTC Version of Puck *****. They hang around talking to operators thinking they can get something from them given their somewhat oversized wages.

I've worked in customer service oriented, public settings in my life and always used my real name, which was on a name tag.

I have difficulty believing this was ever a pressing issue. But if 'Bob' or 'Sue' wants to use their middle name........sure, whatever.

***

Further, when I was a kid and riding transit on my own from the age of 10, I knew the name of almost every (weekday) driver on my route.........and the operators of the most frequent Line 2 Trains I would catch in the morning, back when it was common for operators to leave their cab door open (and customers still had access to the opposing seating area).

 

[turbanplanner]

That would take a while! 14 lines criscrossing an area much smaller than the City of Toronto. Frequent service on all of them, even on weekends. Regional trains that come every 8 minutes.

Everything was spotless and shiny, no doubt thanks to the Olympics. Nobody sleeping, smoking or doing drugs on trains. (There were no homeless people anywhere in the city, also no doubt due to the Olympics.)

The kid got his first ride on a high speed train, from Paris to Lyon, and loved it.

I haven't been to paris in over 10 years but last I was there the lack of AC on some trains made the smell disgusting, so at least the TTC never really has AC issues minus that 1 summer

 

[smallspy]

What I don't understand is why a traffic light was never put in at the entrance to the bus platforms to assist with access for buses. I have a feeling that when they see how much of a mess things become they will put in a temporary light.

Too close to the signalized intersection at St Clair.

Dan

 

[Richard White]

Too close to the signalized intersection at St Clair.

Dan

Oof.

 

[JSF-1]

So for routes like the 102 which stop on the street, do they just run through the bus loop and then turn back onto Warden to serve their stop? I wonder why the TTC didn't build something bigger so all routes could stop at the temp terminal instead of on street. Is it because they didn't want to take up any more parking lot space and risk exiling drivers to northern parking lot?

 

[T3G]

I haven't experienced this issue w/operators.

I wouldn't be able to say how much % of the workforce is like this. And it must be said, in all fairness, that there's a lot of friendly operators out there who have been receptive to me and friends of mine when we've taken photos of their vehicle. But, going back to 2012 and continuing right through to the present day, I've had a not insignificant amount of hostile interactions, ranging from ops who thought I was trying to get them in trouble while they do their job, through to them calling the police on me.

Both variants seem utterly baffling to me. I doubt that head on confrontations with people you think are doing something wrong is part of the TTC training policy, because that seems like a great way for people to put themselves in danger. (And I don't think it's a photography thing alone - I think there was something on here a few months ago about ops confronting people who walk in through the bus platforms without paying? Also doesn't seem smart).

And confronting someone you think is trying to dig up dirt on you, though an understandable natural reaction, is surely self defeating if you're going into the interaction with a hostile tone. It's playing right into their hands. If I was a management plant trying to crucify said op, or a member of the public trying to do the same, they're giving me loads of ammo to work with.

It is probably my biggest customer service issue with the TTC. I don't really mind, personally if an op ignores me when I greet them (of course, a friendly greeting returned is always superior), but the half-flinch every time I press my shutter... well, luckily the sidewalks outside of the stations are usually better spots for photos, anyway. But sometimes circumstances dictate otherwise, and you don't know who it is you're dealing with. The first hostile confrontation I had with a bus driver was when I was only 14. Guy at Wilson told me I wasn't allowed to take photos and threatened to call the police on me and my mother, who was accompanying me. He walked away and we tried to board a bus to go away, but he came out of the station building and started pounding on the doors of the bus right after they had closed. I don't know what happened for him to think that was an acceptable reaction.

Now, all that being said, I'm not sure how much I like the idea of the op name being used instead of a "hey you". It's a subjective thing, but in my years of working retail I always found it to be unsettling when a customer tried to be all buddy buddy with me like they weren't a stranger.

 

[Richard White]

So for routes like the 102 which stop on the street, do they just run through the bus loop and then turn back onto Warden to serve their stop? I wonder why the TTC didn't build something bigger so all routes could stop at the temp terminal instead of on street. Is it because they didn't want to take up any more parking lot space and risk exiling drivers to northern parking lot?

They did not build something bigger due to a last minute pivot to create a new PPDUO area.

The original idea was to use the entire south parking lot as a temporary terminal however they could not find a viable way to utilize the existing PPUDO without rolling closures. That led to the creation of the temporary PPDUO area in the parking lot to avoid the need for passenger drop offs on St Clair Avenue East or Warden Avenue.

As the new PPUDO area was an urgent last minute addition, I doubt much thought was given to what would happen if they did it.

 

[PinkLucy]

Just spent most of the last two weeks in Paris, and man is it depressing to come back to the TTC.

I felt this after coming back from Munich where the old subway cars were so clean. The TTC cars not so much.

 

[81-717]

I felt this after coming back from Munich where the old subway cars were so clean. The TTC cars not so much.

Ironically Munich is the closest analogy to the TTC, where the old cars are in married pairs and the new cars are 6-car sets with open gangways.

 

[chrisw]

Adding to the

California recently declared these types of vehicles were not e-bikes and need to follow scooter/motorcycle rules: ebikes have a 20mph maximum speed (by design, not a trivial to remove governor), 750 watt maximum output, 120kg maximum weight (both bike and battery), and no throttle switch (must use pedals).

They also banned e-bike use for those under 12 years of age. I guess they were being used as dirt-bike alternative which also has a minimum age.

Though there are many pedal assisted e-bikes with throttles. And they have some helpfulness to kickstart the bike.

In the UK throttles can only assist up to a speed limit of 6 km/h.