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Sparkly New Toilets for the TTC
Customer service hits the crapper. And that's a good thing.
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The TTC may be in the toilet, but at least it’s now a shiny one.
TTC Chair Karen Stintz and new Chief Executive Officer Andy Byford were on hand at Finch subway station late this morning to unveil newly upgraded, spic-and-span washroom facilities—part of an ongoing subway station toilet revamp that is set to continue until June.
In addition to renovations that include new tiles, hand dryers, urinals, lighting, floors, partitions, ventilation, and signage for all TTC washrooms, the commission is promising that these facilities will be cleaned at regular intervals throughout the day.
“We have recognized over time that [customer service] is not just about running busses and trains up and down,” says Byford. “You’ve got to get the qualitative aspects right as well, which does mean the way we interact with customers and basics like keeping toilets and washrooms clean.”
While initial revamps are one thing, the TTC’s ability to keep up with the ongoing maintenance of its squeaky-clean washroom initiative may prove the greater long-term challenge. Byford says the approximately $1 million in annual costs for the project’s ongoing upkeep have already been allocated within the TTC’s existing budget—in part by reducing the office cleaning schedule for TTC employees, like Byford himself.
“We are determined that we will give greater priority to the fare-paying customer,” he says. “And that’s a deliberate strategy.”
Washrooms at Bloor, Kennedy, Downsview, Wilson, Warden, Sheppard and Don Mills stations are scheduled to undergo renovations between now and the end of June.
