Rocket Talk: Parlez-Vous Français?

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 [email protected]!

Photo by spotmaticfanatic from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.

Reader Mark Sherman asks:

Why are TTC stop announcements only in English, not bilingual?

TTC Director of Communications Brad Ross says:

Toronto is rich with diversity. On that, there is universal agreement. The Toronto Transit Commission is proud to be part of that diversity. Our frontline workforce, for example, is increasingly representative of the people and city we serve each day.
The City government, including the TTC, uses English for official business. Services, however, are offered in many languages. Publications are translated, and interpretation services are used to ensure residents and visitors have equal access to core services.
The challenge the TTC would likely face with a decision to adopt bilingual stop announcements, as suggested here, is what’s the second language we adopt?
While Canada is officially bilingual, does the linguistic make-up of Toronto reflect a need for French language announcements? If stop announcements are to be bilingual, should we not consider Mandarin or Cantonese? What about Italian or Urdu or Vietnamese?
And while stop announcements are automated, should they fail on a train or vehicle for whatever reason, TTC operators are obligated to make the announcements in their stead. There’s no guarantee, then, that the operator can speak the second language used.
Finally, city street names used by our GPS for stop announcements on bus and streetcar routes are only in English, i.e. Yonge “Street,” Bayview “Avenue.” As well, TTC route maps, system maps, and signage in subway stations are all published in English (unless a universal pictogram is used). A massive—and potentially costly—translation and reprinting exercise would be required to ensure consistency in all of our communications. What about e-alerts and public address announcements? Shouldn’t they be bilingual, too?
A policy decision can certainly be made on all of this. The real question, in the end, is if bilingual stop announcements are to be introduced, what’s the other language we use?