By Torontoist

Have questions about the TTC? Rocket Talk is a regular Torontoist column, featuring TTC Chair Adam Giambrone and Director of Communications Brad Ross’s answers to Torontoist readers’ questions. Submit your questions to rockettalk@torontoist.com!

Photo by spotmaticfanatic from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.

Reader Paul Hirst asks:

The subway has significant delays or issues from time to time, whether technical, human, or weather related. I can see the screens or hear the PA while I wait on the platform. But riders already on the trains rarely get announcements about problems on the other line, which makes it frustrating to arrive at Yonge/Bloor or St. George to discover that platforms are packed, trains are turning back a few stations away, or running fifteen minutes apart. Why can’t the TTC make effective system-wide announcements so commuters know whether to switch to a bus or streetcar to en route, or continue to another crossover station?

TTC Director of Communications Brad Ross says:

Transit delays—be it subway, bus, or streetcar—are incredibly frustrating for TTC customers. They want to get from A to B in a timely and reliable way. When delays occur, they want the best information available about why, where, and how long. We recognize that. As such, the TTC is embarking on a number of initiatives to better communicate with customers when delays do occur.
In January, the TTC launched the first phase of its e-alert system. When a delay on the subway occurs that requires shuttle buses, the TTC issues an e-alert to those who subscribe to the service, notifying them of the delay. That was our starting point.
This month, the e-alert will enter a new phase. Delays—be it subway, bus, or streetcar—will have more information to help customers make decisions about their travel plans. Does this delay affect me? Should I wait it out, or take an alternate route?
People have told me, not infrequently (and in rather colourful language I might add), that there seem to be a lot more delays these days on the subway. What’s going on, they ask? Actually, delays are not on the rise. I suspect, however, that the introduction of e-alerts has caused many to conclude there is an increase in delays because they’re now reading about them on their BlackBerry or Twitter.
So, how do we help everyone better understand what is happening in the system? Adding the “why” to the e-alert equation will help. What is causing a delay is important for customers to understand. Knowing why you’re delayed—whether on the TTC, the 401, or the gate at Pearson—goes a long way to alleviating the frustration of a delay.
E-alerts for the subway will only be issued when a disruption is expected to be greater than thirty minutes. A fifteen-minute delay, while certainly frustrating, is unlikely to make someone change their travel plans. E-alerts are designed to notify customers of significant problems before embarking on a trip, not to advise people when there’s a minor problem that will clear relatively quickly. Public address announcements deal with those issues, and I’ll elaborate on those in a moment.
The other piece of important information that’s needed, both via e-alerts and through public address announcements, is the anticipated length of a delay. Answering that question is, admittedly, a difficult one, depending on the nature of the problem. But we will have the capability of issuing updated e-alerts if a delay becomes prolonged.
Finally, e-alerts will now be issued when significant surface route diversions occur for whatever reason—fire, accident, or other road closures.
And, yes, all-clear alerts will be issued as soon as a problem has been resolved and regular service has resumed.
The TTC is also working on a means to get better information about delays to our bus and streetcar operators, as well as station collectors, so those employees can help better explain the nature of a problem to passengers and what their alternatives may be regarding subway or surface routes.
As I said, e-alerts are designed to notify people of problems on the system before they embark on their trip. But what about those already in the system, either in a tunnel or waiting on a platform?
When an incident occurs, Transit Control Centre staff focus their energy and expertise on resolving the problem. They are professional, knowledgeable men and women trained to deal with subway crises. In the midst of dealing with a crisis, they have the added responsibility of updating passengers via the PA system about what is going on. Some announcements are excellent, some not so much.
Two corporate communications staff (my colleagues) are now at Transit Control from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Friday. In addition to providing live updates to media during peak periods, they will soon begin communicating system delays to passengers on trains and in stations, leaving the Transit Control Centre staff to do what they do best during a crisis.
This change will ensure consistent messages are communicated across the entire subway system, including suggested alternate routing where appropriate. Communications staff will be responsible for making live announcements using the best microphone technology available. We will closely monitor the quality of the audio and make adjustments where necessary. We’ll also fine-tune the messages themselves to ensure customers have as much information as possible to help ease the frustration of a delay.
Transit delays happen for a host of reasons and happen on every transit system around the world. Our customers are not unreasonable: they understand that. But they rightly expect the TTC to be clearer in its communications during delays—why, where, how long. That’s our expectation, too. Making the TTC experience a better one for everybody is our goal.