“Our budgeting and estimating has to get exponentially better if we are to change our reputation… It’s not all about new equipment and flashy new lines. Our processes and systems are archaic, and our procedures impede progress in customer service. A major part of our plan will address people performance and cultural transformation. Decades’ old practices need to be swept away.”

—TTC CEO Andy Byford, in a lunchtime speech to the Empire Club today. Byford was there to lay out his five-year strategy for reforming the transit commission. The first year of his tenure, he said, was about “challenging mediocrity”; the next four years will see the implementation of a series of key objectives including a new safety management plan; a “customer-focused station business model”; a review of training programs “to ensure customer service and customer thinking runs throughout”; and perhaps most ambitiously, a program of “proactive service management…procedures that are customer-led rather than production led.” Byford said that he “will not accept that bunching of vehicles is inevitable, that the short-turning of vehicles is inevitable.” His goal, he went on, is that by the end of the five years people will say “we didn’t believe it would happen but the TTC has definitely changed.”

The full text of his speech follows…

Byford and Upfold face the people. Photo courtesy of Ken Tang/TTC Riders.

People who ride the TTC regularly during rush hour might sometimes look around at their frowny, presumably gassy, generally beleaguered fellow passengers, pressed into each other’s armpit crevices, and wonder why there aren’t more emotional outbursts.

Town hall–style meetings, on the other hand, are usually not devoid of emotional outbursts, especially when they try to tackle issues as contentious as transit. But a town hall hosted by advocacy group TTCriders on Wednesday night was congenial, as two head honchos of the TTC—CEO Andy Byford and Chris Upfold, chief customer service officer—fielded questions from the approximately 50 people gathered in a Metro Hall meeting room, as well as from Twitter and email.

Before Upfold and Byford sat down for the 90-minute question-and-answer session, they circulated through the crowd, shaking hands and chatting with attendees. Throughout the evening they expressed their desire to overhaul the culture of Toronto’s transit in order to make it friendlier and more customer-service oriented. It was apparent that they’re serious.

Byford said this culture change is one of three main policy planks the TTC is focusing on, along with updating equipment and updating processes. He admitted that the commission has a long way to go.

This is where TTCriders comes in. The advocacy group wants passengers to have more say in transit decisions. As member and event organizer Luca De Franco told us, “These are the conversations that need to happen with the TTC brass so that they’re accountable to the public. And the public can feel like their opinion has a tangible influence.”

Upfold mentioned groups similar to TTCriders, like the Straphangers in New York City, which have helped transit agencies focus on customer needs. Both he and Byford touted the benefits of having more voices involved when it comes to changing how things are done, whether that means broader public consultation before rearranging streetcar stops to accommodate the TTC’s next-generation vehicles, or louder advocacy for federal transit funding.

Byford said more than once that he’d like to put the TTC in order so he can spend more time lobbying at Queen’s Park and in Ottawa for long-term, stable funding to improve transit.

Accessibility was another popular topic. There were questions about adding occasional buses to streetcar lines to accommodate users with accessibility needs (this is something the TTC won’t do, Upfold said, since that bus would better serve the system elsewhere). Another attendee asked what progress has been made in making stations more accessible (answer: Byford hopes the entire system will be fully accessible by 2025, with at least Pape Station ready this year).

On most issues, Byford and Upfold were direct and sympathetic. Byford agreed with an attendee who commented that any problems with front line staff being rude originate with management, something the CEO says he’s working hard to change. “The default message to staff should be to cherish them, believe them, and develop them. If you do the right thing, we’ll defend you the hilt. But if you’re reckless—we’re all adults here—we have to put you out.” Byford says this approach is something the unions agree with, too.

Almost every question got a nod or a thank you from the TTC bosses, and after the event Byford told the gathered press that he would take all the night’s questions and concerns back to his staff, so they could draw up an action plan.

TTCriders hopes to host three more town halls in Scarborough, Etobicoke, and North York.

Rob and Doug Ford in the studio. Photo courtesy of Newstalk 1010.

What will The City address today? How will our contemporary fireside chat move the public discourse forward in a way that unites our city in finding solutions and building a better future? For that, let’s turn to Councillors Doug Ford (Ward 2, Etobicoke North) and Frances Nunziata (Ward 11, York South-Weston)!

1:08: Rob’s not hosting the show today, as he’s at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. But he calls in to chat with brother Doug and Councillor Frances Nunziata. They say it’s a day when we’re all Irish and should drink green beer. As someone who is Irish, I say drinking green beer isn’t a good idea, but to each their own.

1:10: Nunziata is Italian, and Doug says the Italians and Irish have a special connection. Presumably Doug recently saw Gangs of New York.

1:16: TTC CEO Andy Byford joins the show, and they’re talking about automated train control. Doug gets really excited by this, because it combines his two favourite things: Andy Byford and shiny technology.

1:19: Doug repeatedly asks whether the rest of the world has this and we don’t. Behind the tiring question of whether Toronto is or isn’t world class, there’s an important point: the TTC’s dated infrastructure makes it lag in technology improvements that would enhance capacity and the customer experience.

1:30: Doug Ford continues his bromance with Andy Byford: “[Andy], you’re the greatest thing since sliced bread.”

1:35: As a way of introducing recently hired Transportation Services General Manager Stephen Buckley, Doug praises the new managers his brother’s administration has brought on. He goes on to say that the administration is changing the culture among all the old managers. Clearly, there is no better way to do this than by denigrating the work of your most loyal employees.

1:40: Now we partake in the time-tested tradition of people calling into talk radio to complain about local road conditions. Caller number one hates Lawrence Avenue East, and we hear murmurs of agreement. Yes, gridlock is bad.

1:42: Doug from North York asks what was going on with the snowstorm in January, as it was tough to make right turns at some corners because of how the snow was piled. Really? Of all the problems highlighted by the snowstorm—the City’s failure to declare an emergency, the problems with homeless shelters, and cars blocking streetcar tracks—there are greater priorities than tough right turns. Let’s have some perspective, folks.

1:44: Not to be outdone, Nunziata complains that some windrows (snow that spills off plows and lines driveways) weren’t cleared.

1:57: Doug Ford is reading statistics about garbage collection. He is literally talking trash and making it as boring as possible. This is not a good radio show.

2:06: Doug thanks the show’s producers for picking great tunes for the intro and outro music; they really are the best parts of the show.

2:06: Doug says one of his favourite words, tickety-boo. Other Ford-favoured words include ‘donnybrook,’ which, as NOW’s Jonathan Goldsbie tweets, makes them like Mr. Burns in language as well as policy.

2:09: Nunziata complains about her garbage and recycling lids being left open after collection and how they then collect rainwater and snow. Look, the little things matter, but only in the context of larger issues and policy solutions. Complaining about having to empty water from your recycling (the lids, it turns out, are left open so a supervisor can easily check that all recycling is cleared) is nuisance politics. One of the chief failures of the Ford mayoralty is its tunnel vision on these minor issues to the detriment of pressing priorities. It’s populism at its worst.

2:30: The show, which has been mind-numbingly boring up to this point, will now discuss a possible Toronto casino. Hopefully The City will finally deal excitement.

2:36: Doug says his number-one concern with a casino is Woodbine (which is in his ward), but he’s confident the Etobicoke racetrack will get what it’s seeking, and he explains why. “This is about jobs, folks. Jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs.” You know he really means this one, because he said jobs four times rather than three.

2:38: Doug, who frequently has small-stakes bets with Rob on the radio show, says he’s not a gambler. He also says that we don’t want Markham to get the $150 million from a casino rather than Toronto. This has a few things wrong with it, as the Globe and Mail reports that Toronto is more likely to get $20 million from a casino, and Markham’s city council has voted against a casino.

2:41: Perennial Ward 19 (Trinity-Spadina) candidate George Sawision calls in, and says that Ward 19 councillor Mike Layton is saying the opposite of what MGM is, so he wonders who is lying. Whatever your political persuasion, I’d suggest listening to international casino operators with a healthy amount of scepticism.

2:43: A caller admonishes Doug for just focusing on best-case scenarios, and points out that some casinos have been going bankrupt, like in Atlantic City. It’s unusual for the show to have critical phone calls, so this stands out.

2:47: Dave from Vaughan calls in and says he likes the show because they talk good common sense. But he’s concerned about what the average wage at a potential casino would be, and says he doesn’t trust the numbers. Doug says he understands, and handles the criticism well.

2:50: A caller argues that MGM and the other big casinos aren’t interested in Markham or Vaughan, so the argument that they’ll set up shop there rather than downtown doesn’t hold water. He goes on to say that he’s done his homework looking at both sides of the issue, and he just can’t believe what the casinos are promising. Although the caller doesn’t specify what he’s referring to, Nunziata tells him that what he’s reading isn’t true. Okay then.

2:52: Sean from Richmond Hill calls in and tells Doug to stop exaggerating his numbers. Waitresses will not be earning $60,000 a year, and Toronto will not be getting $150 million a year. Doug continues to take this in stride.

2:54: Adam from Rexdale calls in and talks about how Woodbine Live! and Woodbine Centre are falling apart and retailers are leaving. He bemoans the attention the casino issue has received while this has been neglected. Doug cuts to commercial.

2:58: Doug says that even though Woodbine Live! fell apart because of US-based developer Cordish, it will come back. “Mark my words,” Doug says, “in a few years Rexdale will be booming.” Of note: In 2007, then-councillor Rob Ford declared Woodbine Live! would “make Rexdale the new Rosedale.”

3:00: The show ends, and Doug gives his customary “God bless Ford Nation” sign-off.

For 90 minutes, this was one of the most boring episodes of The City since it first aired, which is an extraordinarily low bar. There was no reference to Sarah Thomson’s unsubstantiated allegations of the mayor’s cocaine use, although we did get callers (whereas we didn’t last week, when Buttgate was top of mind).

Unexpectedly, this episode was saved by the callers, who usually provide Toronto Sun online comment board–level analysis. They largely didn’t like the idea of a casino and were very sceptical of what Las Vegas is offering. If even Ford Nation’s chosen people don’t believe the covenant being offered, can Rob and Doug deliver their promised casino?

As always, God bless you for reading, Raccoon Nation.

Two out of five shiny lights.

The TTC is still replacing a bunch of aging signals and relays on the University subway line (which turned 50 last week). And so, just like last weekend, there will be an interruption in subway service. Everything between St. George and Union stations will be shut down, starting Saturday at midnight. Service will resume on Monday, at 6 a.m. (Last weekend’s closure was for both Saturday and Sunday.)

Embedded above is a handy explanatory video, in which TTC CEO Andy Byford and Corporate Communications Executive Director Brad Ross try to make viewers feel like this isn’t that big a deal. Which, really, it isn’t, because the Yonge subway line will still be running normally, and shuttle buses will be stopping at all the closed stations.

The TTC expects to close the University line for two more weekends after this one while they complete their signal work. For more details, you can take a look at their press release.

Christina Petrowska Quilico paints the music she's inspired by, and plays it tonight at Glenn Gould Studio. Painting by Christina Petrowska Quilico.

ART: Indulge your eyes and ears tonight as pianist/painter Christina Petrowska Quilico and composer Constantine Caravassilis launch their new dual album, Visions: Rhapsodies & Fantasias. Petrowska Quilico will perform a selection of Caravassilis’s pieces for solo piano, and she’ll also be showcasing over 100 of her paintings, all of them inspired by the music. Glenn Gould Studio (250 Front Street West), 7:30 p.m., $20, $15 for students and seniors.

MUSIC: No one in their right mind would want to repeat a Monday, except maybe for a special edition of Elvis Monday, Toronto’s longest running indie showcase. Tonight, join guest curator Dorian Wolf of Austra as he celebrates his birthday with Dusted, DIANA, Omhouse, and Dwayne Gretzky, who promise to play long into the night. Drake Underground (1150 Queen Street West), 9 p.m., FREE.

Urban Planner is Torontoist‘s guide to what’s on in Toronto, published every weekday morning, and in a weekend edition Friday afternoons. If you have an event you’d like considered, email all of its details—as well as images, if you’ve got any—to events@torontoist.com.

Finch bus photo by {a href=http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashtonpal/4577922071/}AshtonPal{/a} from the {a href=http://www.flickr.com/groups/torontoist/}Torontoit Flickr Pool{/a}.

The Toronto Police Service and the TTC both provided updates on the latest mayoral controversy this afternoon, in the hopes of clearing up lingering questions as to why two buses were pulled off their routes and sent to pick up the Don Bosco Eagles, the football team coached by Rob Ford.

Superintendent Ron Taverner outlined the chain of events that led up to that decision at a press conference. As he described it, there were existing tensions between Don Bosco and the opposing team from Henry Carr. Those tensions flared up in a verbal exchange at last week’s game, but “no physical confrontation took place.” (One Henry Carr player told the Star that the only person whose temper “slipped” was actually their coach, but that players were calm.)

A total of five officers were on scene at the time: two School Resource Officers (one from each school), plus two neighbourhood safety officers and their sergeant. After speaking with the administration of both schools, “out of caution for something happening and community safety” the sergeant on scene decided to call the TTC to request a shelter bus. “At no time was the mayor involved in any of the decision-making with regard to a bus being called. It was our officer, our sergeant, who made that decision,” Taverner said. As the bus pulled away with the Don Bosco players “the field was calm,” he went on, “and we feel that a situation was diffused.”

When the story first broke, one police spokesperson cited the cold, rainy weather as the explanation for why a bus was called. (The game was called early, which meant the football team would have had to wait about 45 minutes for their scheduled bus to arrive.) Today, Taverner said that wasn’t the primary consideration, however: the weather “plays a very small piece of what we’re talking about here.”

As for the mayor’s involvement in the matter, Taverner conceded that his position as a volunteer coach with Don Bosco creates interest in the situation (“I don’t think we’d all be here right now if it wasn’t the mayor’s team.”), but repeated several times that he had spoken to the officer who took the call, and that Ford played no role in getting the bus on scene.

Meanwhile, TTC CEO Andy Byford has conducted a review of the commission’s shelter bus policy, and its application to the incident last week. That policy allows police, fire, or emergency services to call the TTC and ask for a bus to be sent to particular locations in emergency situations. With regards to the Don Bosco game, Byford writes that the reason a full Finch 36 bus was told to offload its passengers and go to the football field was because it was the nearest one available. (None were in the garage or at the ends of their routes, which are the TTC’s first choices in fulfilling shelter bus requests.)

Byford then addressed the voicemail message Rob Ford left him, asking why the bus hadn’t arrived yet:

The buses, we now know, was having difficulty finding the school. At the time of the call to me from the mayor, I was unaware of the police request. Upon hearing the voicemail, I called the Transit Control Centre to inquire about whether they had received a request for a bus. Staff confirmed a shelter bus was requested and advised that it would arrive within five minutes. At no time was the mayor’s name invoked.

After reviewing the shelter bus policy, Byford has concluded that “The TTC does not have the expertise to determine what constitutes an emergency and, therefore, the need for a shelter bus. The TTC must rely on our emergency services to make these decisions on behalf of the public. To change, alter or add a layer of oversight to shelter bus requests could, unwittingly, cause harm to those most in need of a shelter bus.”

The full text of Byford’s report—

TTC Shelter Bus Policy Review

As has been widely reported, last week a TTC bus was requested by police to pick up the players of the Don Bosco football team—whose coach, famously, is Mayor Rob Ford. It’s not entirely clear why officers judged the special-order bus to be necessary: various spokespeople have alluded to tensions between players at the game, and also to inclement weather.

It is not, says the TTC, unusual for various emergency services to ask the transit provider for what is known as a “shelter bus.” What is less common is unloading passengers from a bus already on the road to fulfill such a request, as happened here—a situation considerably complicated by the fact that when a bus didn’t arrive, Ford called TTC CEO Andy Byford to inquire about its whereabouts.

Below is the full text of a just-released TTC statement on the incident, summarizing remarks they have already made and attempting to allay concerns that the mayor unduly influenced operational decisions.

Last Thursday, November 1, the Toronto Transit Commission’s Transit Control Centre received a call from the Toronto Police Service requesting a shelter bus. The TTC took immediate action to accommodate the request, dispatching an in-service bus from the 36 Finch West bus route. The bus operator was having difficulty finding the location it was asked to attend. After further inquiries by police to the control centre about the whereabouts of the bus, staff dispatched a second bus, this one from the 46 Martin Grove route, also in service. Eventually, the 36 Finch West bus operator found the school and the 46 Martin Grove bus was returned to service.

At no time did TTC CEO Andy Byford order a second bus or give direction to TTC staff. And at no time were TTC frontline personnel aware of why a shelter bus was required, a request the TTC receives, on average twice a week, from police and Toronto Fire. Typically, the TTC tries to send shelter buses from a terminal location (subway station) or bus garage, minimizing the impact on customers. Given the urgency of the police request, operations personnel at the TTC made the decision to utilize buses from nearby routes to meet the request as quickly as possible.

Since this incident, a number of questions about the need for a shelter bus on this occasion have arisen, as well as the reasons why fare-paying customers were displaced from two in-service buses to accommodate the request.

Below is the text of an email sent by Mr. Byford to all TTC Commissioners on the morning of Nov. 3 in response to questions from them about this incident, including whether or not TTC policies and protocols should be changed and/or reviewed.

TTC staff will report to the Commission, and the public, once it determines whether its protocols need to change or if they require strengthening. The TTC will not be providing further comment on this matter until that time.

-30-

Commissioners,

I will dig out the policy and, if you would like, make a proposal to strengthen it.

(Legitimate) requests come in at any time, often at extreme times of the day. As such, operational staff are best placed to handle them. More senior (TTC staff) oversight/approval may be needed though.

The most unfortunate thing about this episode is the damage done to our reputation after more than a year of careful, painstaking steps to improve it. I am not happy about that and I am certainly not happy that fare paying customers were inconvenienced under these circumstances.

For the record: I had no idea that two buses were used nor that customers were inconvenienced.

Rest assured that I am following this up with TPS and the Mayor’s Office.

Regards

Andy

Andy Byford
Chief Executive Officer

Photo by {a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonalmotion/2859141199/"}tonalmotion{/a} from the {a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/torontoist"}Torontoist Flickr Pool{/a}.

If TTC commissioners have their way we’ll be paying a bit more to ride the rocket next year: yesterday they endorsed in principle a five-cent fare hike. They also—in the face of much shouting by TTC workers, who came out in force to observe the meeting—decided to outsource some cleaning services to a private contractor, another element of the overall 2013 budget strategy.

TTC CEO Andy Byford laid that strategy out early on in the meeting, giving us a good sense of how the TTC budget debate will shape up over the coming months.

In his presentation, Byford said the TTC budget was primarily influenced by four key elements:

Ridership levels.

Every TTC budget includes a projection for the number of riders who will take transit in the coming year. The TTC is projecting some ridership growth, based on expected growth in Toronto’s economy, employment, and overall population.

Service levels.

In order to maintain current service levels for the projected larger ridership, the TTC will need to spend more money. With more riders, vehicles would get more crowded and move more slowly. Therefore, to maintain the current wait times and crowding levels on the current number of routes, the TTC is going to need to put more vehicles on the road and pay more drivers to operate them. Byford has decided, as his starting position, to create a budget that maintains current service levels.

Costs.

The TTC budget presented yesterday includes several cost-containment measures, the most controversial of which is outsourcing some cleaning services. There are also some costs the TTC cannot control, for in addition to inflation, labour costs go up every year. (The arbitrated agreement with unionized workers—a result of city council’s and the province’s decision to make the TTC an essential service—calls for a 2 per cent wage increase. The TTC also decided to give a corresponding 2 per cent increase to non-union staff and to managers.)

Operating subsidy.

Every year the TTC collects money from fares, and also generates revenue via things like advertising, but this does not cover all the costs of operating the system. In order to make up the difference, City Hall also puts money towards TTC operations. This is not a situation that is unique to the TTC: it is true of every public transit system. In 2011, the TTC got 70 per cent of its operating budget from revenue. This is remarkably (some say scarily) high: according to data provided by the TTC, in New York that figure is 57 per cent, in Boston it is 38 per cent, and in Chicago it is 44 per cent. Which is to say: in every other major North American city, the transit system relies substantially less on fares and substantially more on taxes than in Toronto.

Councillors will decide how much money to give the TTC when they debate the overall budget over the coming months, but a while ago Rob Ford told every agency, board, commission, and City department to assume that their budget would be flatlined—that they would get the same in 2013 as they did in 2012. Byford made his second major choice by going along with that. He could have tried to rebel by offering a budget that said “we need additional funds from the City”—as, for instance, the police did last year. He decided not to.

In effect, Byford’s strategy is to present city council with the following proposition: if you want to keep service levels the same, and if you don’t want to give us any more money, given that we’re already looking for every possible efficiency, the TTC is going to need to get the money from riders.

By explicitly linking the elements of the budget together in this way, Byford is publicly putting the onus on city council to decide what it really wants. If the most important goal, as the mayor directed, is not to give the TTC any more money, councillors will need to bite the bullet (and face potential voter ire) and accept a fare hike. If council is uncomfortable with the fare hike but still doesn’t want to cough up any more cash, the consequence will be diminished service. And the reason those are the choices council is faced with is because the TTC is making a demonstrable effort to curb costs by taking on politically controversial and potentially disruptive things like outsourcing. (Bob Kinnear, who heads up the transit workers union, called TTC management’s budget numbers “bullshit” and said the TTC board was “declaring war” on its own front line workers.)

At least, that’s the argument. Whether council will buy it is yet to be seen.

The most likely political scenario as the broader budget debate unfolds is that councillors allied with the mayor will dispute the claim that the TTC is as efficient as possible, and councillors on the left will reject a fare hike and call for a greater operating subsidy. At this point, given the public’s overall level of frustration with the quality of transit in the city, it’s doubtful that anyone will go out on a limb and suggest more service cuts—the mayor and his allies tried that during the last budget, and were squelched by a centre-left coalition of councillors. Whether another coalition will form, perhaps reluctantly, and support Byford and the TTC board’s attempt at balancing all these elements as a compromise, is so far unclear.

The TTC’s proposed operating budget isn’t balanced yet—it is $10 million short. Byford said after the meeting that TTC staff are still figuring out how to make up that difference. The fare increase is projected to bring in $18 million; should council reject it, that will add to the budget gap that has yet to close.

Peter Pavlovski, the TTC worker who died early last Friday morning after being struck by a maintenance train outside Yorkdale subway station, will have his funeral service on Wednesday, at 10 a.m. It will take place at St. Clement of Ohrid Macedonian Cathedral, at 76 Overlea Boulevard. An open visitation period will happen later that day in a funeral home at 50 Overlea Boulevard, between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m.

In a letter to TTC employees released yesterday evening, CEO Andy Byford wrote that the TTC has established a trust for Pavlovski’s children. It is open to donations.

Byford’s note contains an update on the conditions of two other workers injured at the same time as Pavlovski. “Both are expected to make a full recovery from their injuries, which is very fortunate,” he wrote, “but the trauma of such an incident can be long term. Our ongoing thoughts and prayers are with them and their families, and I have been in touch with both employees to offer them every support.”

The note also mentions that three concurrent investigations by the TTC and the Ministry of Labour are in the process of figuring out exactly what went wrong on Friday.

The full text of Byford’s note is after the jump. It contains more details on donating to Pavlovski’s trust, for those who may be interested.

Dear Colleagues,

We lost one of our family members on Friday when Peter Pavlovski was tragically killed on the subway tracks just north of Yorkdale Station.

Peter was a husband, father, son, brother and uncle; he was a family man. Yesterday, Peter’s family issued a public statement thanking all who have provided comfort and support to them during this unbelievably difficult time. I want to echo that thanks to those who have reached out to Peter’s family. Many of you knew Peter and have spoken very highly of him in conversations I’ve had with many of you.

Funeral arrangements are as follows: a visitation tomorrow from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Heritage Funeral Centre (50 Overlea Blvd.). The funeral service is this Wednesday at St. Clement of Ohrid Macedonian Cathedral (76 Overlea Blvd.) at 10 a.m.

A trust fund has been established for Peter’s children. Donations can be made at any branch of the CIBC in the Greater Toronto Area in the name of ‘Toronto Transit Commission – In Trust For Peter Pavlovski.’ When making donations, advise the branch it’s a third party deposit (or donation) to account no. 00212/70-35519.

Support

As you know, two other employees were injured on Friday. Both are expected to make a full recovery from their injuries, which is very fortunate, but the trauma of such an incident can be long term. Our ongoing thoughts and prayers are with them and their families, and I have been in touch with both employees to offer them every support.

The TTC is making available any and all counseling needed to Peter’s family, as well as to Peter’s co-workers and their families through our Employee and Family Assistance Program. I would encourage anyone who has been touched by this tragedy to avail themselves of this service. You may not need it today, but know it’s always available to you if, and when, you would like to talk to someone.

Investigation

The TTC will leave no stone unturned in understanding what happened last Friday. There are three investigations occurring: a Joint Health and Safety Committee investigation as mandated by legislation; a Ministry of Labour investigation; and an internal TTC investigation. It will be several months before we know the results of any of these investigations. While we are all anxious to understand what happened that led to this tragedy, it’s important that we await their findings and not speculate. We must all learn from this, and we will.

The TTC, of course, will co-operate with these investigations. It is paramount that we, as a company, understand what happened to ensure it never happens again.

Safety

I want to stress to each of you – and your families – the absolute importance the TTC places on safety, for both the public and its customers, but also for you. Workplace fatalities are extremely rare at the TTC, but when tragedy strikes we make all resources available to understand the cause and what we need to do to ensure such a tragedy never happens again.

Our Work Safe-Home Safe program was, and is, designed to send you home in the same condition in which you reported for work: healthy. When that doesn’t happen, regardless of the circumstances, we need to understand why. The TTC has a number of workplaces practices and protocols in place to protect employees. Track level can be a dangerous place in which to work, and that is why we have such strict rules in place to protect us.

A Sincere Thanks

I visited Peter’s family on Saturday and did so again today. A senior staff member was at Peter’s house on Friday and throughout the weekend. As I said, we will provide the help they need to help get through this very difficult time.

I want to sincerely thank those of you who were involved in, and responded to, the incident last Friday. Rail Infrastructure employees, Transit Control Centre employees, and all of our frontline were either on scene or worked to ensure our customers were kept informed and got to where they needed to go.

I will keep you apprised as the investigations progress and get accurate information to you in a timely way; that is my commitment to you. Thank you all for your professionalism throughout this difficult period. Certainly, Peter’s family appreciates the support you’ve provided them, as do I and everyone who knew and worked with Peter.

Andy Byford

September 17, 2012

Andy Byford, the TTC chief installed after the ouster of Chief General Manager Gary Webster in February, is now beginning to wade into some of the more mundane aspects of his role as one of the commission’s public faces. For example: containing damage from the continual stream of news reports about cellphone pictures of TTC employees engaging in inattentive or risky behaviour on the job. (In fact, we posted a video of a subway driver doing something irresponsible just a few days ago.)

This morning, the TTC released a memo from Byford, addressed to all commission staff. It’s a strongly worded rebuke to all employees who tarnish the dignity of the eggplant-coloured jacket. We have the full text after the jump.

Or you could just read the memo Gary Webster released in 2010, after a photograph of a TTC collector asleep at his post became citywide news. The sentiment is identical, and we’d even go so far as to say that the prose is better. But then again, Webster had spent his entire career at the TTC and probably had lots of invective saved up. Byford—a Brit who came to the TTC from RailCorp, in Sydney, Australia—is new to Toronto. He’ll learn.

Dear Colleagues,

As you know, the TTC’s image and by extension, our reputation as TTC employees, is once again the subject of intense scrutiny and severe criticism by the media and the traveling public.

To be frank, we can’t complain. In recent days, photos and videos have emerged of staff asleep on the job, texting or appearing to read a newspaper while operating a vehicle, and parking illegally to get a snack. As your CEO, I cannot and will not defend such incidents. Such behaviours are not only unacceptable, they lead to even more scrutiny and potential for assault.

In my time here, I have gone on record as saying how much I respect what front line staff do and how 99 per cent of you do a great job. That remains the case and I will continue to publicly back you.

But a small minority of staff continue to wreck all of our reputations. To them I say: I will not back you, in fact I will expect you to face the consequences of your actions, especially if you put customers’ safety at risk.

Between us, we can transform our company’s reputation and stop this ongoing criticism of what we do. But we can only do this if everyone does their job professionally.

So I have given my managers clear direction: back staff to the hilt that do the right thing or who make an honest mistake. But to those few that choose to ignore safety rules or who recklessly make things worse for their colleagues by their actions, expect to be held to account.

I am convinced we can change this situation and transform everyone’s perceptions of the TTC. Please heed this advice.

Andy Byford
Chief Executive Officer

Photo by {a href=http://www.flickr.com/photos/karonliu/4083647203/sizes/z/in/photostream/}karon.liu{/a} from the {a href=http://www.flickr.com/groups/torontoist/}Torontoist Flickr Pool{/a}

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.

Last night, news broke that the TTC had decided to skip a prolonged search for a new chief general manager, and instead cut to the chase and appoint the guy they had already lined up for the job: Andy Byford. Byford joined the TTC late last year as chief operating officer; he was also pegged by the now-ousted former manager, Gary Webster, as his successor. Byford was given the post on an interim basis after the TTC board decided to fire Webster without cause last month; today’s formal announcement makes that promotion permanent.

The full text of the welcome note he sent to TTC staff:

Dear Colleagues,

I am honoured to share with you the news that I have been offered, and accepted, the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Toronto Transit Commission, subject to ratification at the next Commission meeting on March 30.

The CEO heads up the TTC on behalf of the Chair and Commissioners in a role that was previously titled Chief General Manager. I specifically asked for the title change to reflect my desire to work with you to completely modernize the look and feel of our great company.

The TTC has served the people of Toronto since 1921 and has developed a reputation for innovation, safety and service. We continue to operate the third largest transit network in North America, day in, day out to an ever increasing number of customers and in an increasingly tough operating environment. The time has come to overhaul our procedures and practices to meet these new challenges.

I want to build on the wonderful legacy and successes of your work to date to now take the TTC to the next level. Customers, taxpayers and the public rightly expect the TTC to deliver higher standards of service, safety, customer satisfaction and value for money and we need to look at every aspect of our operation to ensure that we are meeting those expectations. To that end, I have worked with the senior management team in recent months to ensure that we have mechanisms that hold us accountable for our performance, that we have clear goals to achieve, and that we aim for continuous improvement in the service that we provide.

Under my leadership, you can expect the executive team to be highly visible, supportive and fair in the way that we manage. You can expect me to provide clear direction and to speak up for the company and its employees. In return, I need every TTC employee to do their job to the very best of their ability every day, never forgetting that it is the customer and taxpayer that pay our wages. I want us to recognize good performance, but also to challenge mediocrity at all levels.

In my time here so far, I have met a lot of you and visited a great many locations. I have been hugely impressed by the commitment and professionalism of TTC staff across the organization. There are lots of positive developments on the horizon including new vehicles, fare systems and services. But if we are to transform our image and our customers’ experience, it is just as important that we focus on what we do and how we do it so our current work on improving customer service can continue.

In assuming the role of CEO, I will continue to focus on operational performance and safety and on delivery of immediate customer service improvements. The debate about transit expansion and policy will continue and I will contribute to those discussions. My former job of Chief Operating Officer will be covered on an interim basis by Dave Dixon and I will provide details of further organizational changes in due course.

In closing, I always wanted to work for the TTC, so I am very excited to be given this opportunity to serve the people of Toronto in such a critical role.

Best wishes,

Andy Byford
Chief Executive Officer
Toronto Transit Commission