TTC: Other Items (catch all)

[jje1000]

An amusing little quip by Tory regarding Byford's departure.

“Mr. Byford has been no less than superb when it comes to taking the tens of millions of additional dollars city council has given the TTC under my leadership and that of TTC Chair Josh Colle, and investing this new money quickly and wisely in restoring services previously cut and adding new service,” Tory said.

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/tr...andy-byford-stepping-down-as-head-of-ttc.html

 

[Amare]

At least Tory is finally being honest about how much money he's put into the TTC since the start of his term.

 

[kotsy]

"I can't even" deal with all the tools on Facebook responding to the news stories saying that Byford ruined TTC

 

[jje1000]

Finally, from the NYT:

Amid Crisis, Toronto Transit Chief Is Named to Run New York Subway

With New York’s century-old subway system facing a crisis, transportation officials on Tuesday turned to a veteran transit leader, Andrew Byford, credited with turning around Toronto’s once beleaguered system to take over the city’s buses and subways.

During a news conference in Toronto, Mr. Byford called his new posting “arguably the toughest job in transit right now.”

Mr. Byford will take control of an agency that has often proved intransigent and opaque and dominated by a political dynamic in which elected officials have often used the transportation authority to serve their political priorities at the expense of investing sufficiently on the nuts and bolts that could have averted the crisis that has engulfed the transit system.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/21/...-new-yorks-troubled-subway.html?smid=tw-share

Not a bad headline! Andy Byford, off to save yet another transit system.

An interesting comment:

Let's be honest. It's not about him having the political power bestowed to him to make change. It's about whether he can create and wield his own political capital gathered through the media and the public's desires to create change. Looks like he did it Toronto. Sitting in the middle as potshots are taken by the mayor and the governor in their constant fray may be something else entirely than he's used to. Godspeed.

 

[Amare]

"I can't even" deal with all the tools on Facebook responding to the news stories saying that Byford ruined TTC

Dont mind them, those are probably the same people who vote for people like Ford and say he would do an amazing job improving the TTC since there would be more subways and less streetcars and buses. Mind you, there would definitely be less streetcars and buses for sure.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Dont mind them, those are probably the same people who vote for people like Ford and say he would do an amazing job improving the TTC since there would be more subways and less streetcars and buses. Mind you, there would definitely be less streetcars and buses for sure.

I'm assuming that Doug Ford did not give Andy Byford any letter of recommendation. Got the new job, likely at more pay, with any help from Ford Nation.

 

[Richard White]

Dont mind them, those are probably the same people who vote for people like Ford and say he would do an amazing job improving the TTC since there would be more subways and less streetcars and buses. Mind you, there would definitely be less streetcars and buses for sure.

Don't worry. Doug Ford has pledged to kill off undisclosed streetcar routes if he is elected Mayor next year. The kooks have yet to come out of the woodwork.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I'm assuming that Doug Ford did not give Andy Byford any letter of recommendation. Got the new job, likely at more pay, with any help from Ford Nation.

Not that he would need that letter. Besides, he is trying to run MTA, not CTA.

AoD

 

[Johnny Au]

I hope all goes well for Byford, managing North America's largest subway system, which is over a century old.

The New York City subway needs significant work (and that's from my own personal observations when I was there).

 

[Northern Light]

I think Byford deserves all the credit in the world for dramatically improving the organization (TTC) in both substance and style.

I am disappointed to see him go so soon when I feel there are important projects he's overseen or envisioned that are not yet realized.

That said, I can understand his temptation to tackle new and greater challenges; and I wish him well.

My deep concern is whether his successor will sustain the momentum. Time will tell.

 

[Richard White]

I am disappointed to see him go so soon when I feel there are important projects he's overseen or envisioned that are not yet realized.

As Royson James of the Toronto Star said he left at an opportune time on his own terms. Yes the DRL and SSE are not even started yet BUT at least he was not forced out like Webster amongst others. He left on good terms and that will only help his career in the long run.

I would love to have seen him stay but I can see why he would want to head to Waterloo... er... New York.

 

[WislaHD]

A little more amusing post.

The phallic TTC sign lives on at their corporate headquarters - Spotted on CTV News

 

[smallspy]

"I can't even" deal with all the tools on Facebook responding to the news stories saying that Byford ruined TTC

I suspect a lot of them are operators. He's never been particularly well liked at the ground level.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[Richard White]

I suspect a lot of them are operators. He's never been particularly well liked at the ground level.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

Not entirely true. I know more than a few operators who like how he is running things but I suspect you are right.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

"I can't even" deal with all the tools on Facebook responding to the news stories saying that Byford ruined TTC

Maybe some of them didn't like to have to get their piss tested and the cushy kickback scheme with the "orthopaedic supplier" aired out to dry.

AoD