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Newsstand: June 17, 2015
In the news: there's going to be an announcement today about something that will make the TTC riding experience better for us, its customers! That glimmer of hope comes amidst some damning information about Bombardier's ability to meet its commitments with regard to the TTC's new streetcar fleet. Also: did you know students actually like getting report cards? They do.
Following student protests outside Hodgson Senior Public School yesterday over a Toronto District School Board decision to hold off on issuing report cards for the end of this school year, the TDSB has announced that year-end marks will now be mailed home to students the week of July 13. The report card hold was initially staged as part of elementary teachers’ ongoing work-to-rule action.
Only three of the 204 new Bombardier streetcars ordered by the TTC last year were operational by year’s end. Now, a new report released in advance of next week’s TTC board meeting suggests that it’s unlikely that Bombardier will be able to meet its revised deadline for releasing the complete streetcar fleet by 2019. TTC chief Andy Byford has made pretty clear that he won’t budge on the new deadline, telling the Globe: “No, I think customers have waited long enough for these new streetcars.” And it’s true! We have!
In happier TTC news, an announcement will be made by Mayor John Tory and TTC chair Josh Colle later this morning about improvements to the “customer experience” on board the TTC. The people who place bets on this sort of thing are fairly certain the announcement will be about expanded Wi-Fi in subway stations but, as always, stay tuned.