TTC: Other Items (catch all)

[mistersg1]

One said that 40,000 students are in French schools in Toronto alone, how many students are NOT in French schools.

So the subway must be bilingual you say, let’s not take this a step further, how about a bilingual PATH (which I admit has more generally avoided directions recently and uses control points) Or how about all our streets being bilingual, could you imagine the silliness of having to write our Yonge-Dundas Square in French?

The whole thing reeks of appeasement, tell me how much signage in STM is bilingual if you are crying for national unity. When they start doing it, along with Transports Quebec with displaying English on their VMSs (Variable Message Signs) then we can have this discussion.

Does this demand a TTC operator now to be bilingual if the next stop announcement system fails on the buses? Really, these are the can of worms you open with this.

Announcing a problem on the TTC, can the operator convey that in French over the PA system on the subway? If everything else is in French like signage, it should be assumed that this will be needed as well.

French is an official language of Canada but in this city, it’s probably closer to 15th most spoken.

 

[Northern Light]

One said that 40,000 students are in French schools in Toronto alone, how many students are NOT in French schools.

So the subway must be bilingual you say, let’s not take this a step further, how about a bilingual PATH (which I admit has more generally avoided directions recently and uses control points) Or how about all our streets being bilingual, could you imagine the silliness of having to write our Yonge-Dundas Square in French?

The whole thing reeks of appeasement, tell me how much signage in STM is bilingual if you are crying for national unity. When they start doing it, along with Transports Quebec with displaying English on their VMSs (Variable Message Signs) then we can have this discussion.

Does this demand a TTC operator now to be bilingual if the next stop announcement system fails on the buses? Really, these are the can of worms you open with this.

Announcing a problem on the TTC, can the operator convey that in French over the PA system on the subway? If everything else is in French like signage, it should be assumed that this will be needed as well.

French is an official language of Canada but in this city, it’s probably closer to 15th most spoken.

Frankly, you're being silly and over-reaching the logical extreme here.

This is low-cost; and its covered by a bill, the French Services Act which applies to French services in Ontario, and has for many, many years.

The Act doesn't apply to the TTC per se; but rather the Metrolinx owned lines (being provincial); and the question is merely one of having different signage on City-owned vs Provincial owned portions of the network. Its sensible to have a harmonized look.

Your use of the word appeasement is too much. There is no mass lobby effort here by anyone, certainly not the province of Quebec. Your anger here is too much; and more your issue than province's or the TTC's.

 

[nfitz]

So is the Broadway Subway in Vancouver not a subway cause they are SkyTrains?

I'm confused. I keep arguing that we should use local branding.

As Translink themselves are branding it as a subway, them how is it not a subway?

 

[nfitz]

It's supposed to be a general indicator of where the train is going, it is not necessary nor possible to account for every turn and squiggle in the line map. If you go from Downsview Sheppard West to Vaughan, you are still travelling north, and this is all that the traveller needs to know.

I don't think the rebranding has much to do with just Line 1 - which we've lived with like this for over 60 years now.

What about Line 3 if they do extend it to TTC Kipling via Pearson (not that I have much hope that Metrolinx won't break TTC signage standards).

How are they going to sign Line 7, if they build the spur to Sheppard East station (or heck, the one they've talked about for Meadowvale)!

 

[T3G]

What about Line 3 if they do extend it to TTC Kipling via Pearson (not that I have much hope that Metrolinx won't break TTC signage standards).

Do you mean the westward extension of the Eglinton Crosstown?

It's still westbound, not unlike the 300 bus.

How are they going to sign Line 7, if they build the spur to Sheppard East station (or heck, the one they've talked about for Meadowvale)!

Line 7 would be a bit more complicated, but as it would spend most of its time heading in a generally northeastward fashion, that would be the logical choice, in my book.

"7, Northeast to Malvern"
"7B, Northeast to Sheppard East Station"

The fact that the potential 7B (potential doing a lot of the heavy lifting, given the state of transit in Scarborough) would double back on itself to head west doesn't really seem that significant to me. No one is confused by the 504/505 meandering northwards at either end, or the 73 heading northwest towards Claireport. It's just another tool in the navigation toolkit. Having more info, rather than less, is always helpful.

Like I said before, the whole thing strikes me as being a solution in search of a problem. Who was confused by knowing that Line 2 goes eastbound towards Kennedy?

 

[DSCToronto]

I think it is not only people at the TTC who might have better things to do with their time! :->

 

[Bordercollie]

I think it is Covid related cutbacks to the shelter system and City of Toronto staffing issues along with far too many "bleeding hearts" and liability concerns.

Since the start of the pandemic I have noticed an uptick of homeless on the TTC and in Union Station. They sleep on the trains, talk to themselves while begging in the stations and so forth. My understanding is that TTC Special Constables and Staff do not want to engage the homeless.

Just over a year ago, I was on a line 2 train at Kennedy Station where a homeless individual was camping out on the train. He smelled like he crapped his pants several times, had all his belongings and took up several seats. The individual was incredibly offensive smelling and noticeably homeless. There was a 10 foot radius around him where people would be unable to inhabit while you could smell him throughout the car.

In the above instance, the TTC supervisor at Kennedy said there was nothing they could do as he was not doing anything particularly wrong. This despite the person being a health and safety hazard.

Recently, I was sitting on a Line 2 train heading to work beside the cab end of a car. A homeless individual walked through between the cars into mine, stopped and asked me for money. He then blocked me from exiting the seat until I gave him money. I would have been a sitting duck if he became violent.

Those who frequent Yonge Station know how many homeless people inhabit the station on a regular basis (though that number has decreased since the recent incident). It is not uncommon to come down the escalators and find people begging for money on the platform. I recall seeing 4 homeless people down there recently.

I understand, I get it the homeless are just that, homeless. The TTC and Union Station however are not homeless shelters. I, like others pay to ride the TTC and I do not enjoy having a row of seats taken up by a homeless person who likely did not pay to ride the system. I enjoy being able to sit on the train after a long day at work and quite frankly something needs to be done.

You would not believe how many times I have watched homeless people just walk onto a bus or streetcar without paying. I have even seen them push through Presto gates on the subway in front of TTC staff (including fare inspectors) and not be stopped. If that was me not paying or smelling like I crapped myself I would be stopped and asked to leave the system.

Something needs to be done. I feel for them, I really truly do but there needs to be enforcement on the TTC.

Press the yellow strip

 

[DSCToronto]

Press the yellow strip

I think this is probably NOT a good idea. Better tell a TTC person at station. Someone being smelly is not an emergency and with the 'new trains' one can move away.

The Emergency Alarm (EA) is a long yellow bar located above the windows of a subway train, along the wheelchair positions and at each end of the subway cars, as well as near the doors of the trains.
The Emergency Alarm should only be used if a customer needs emergency medical, police or fire services.

When the Emergency Alarm is activated, the train proceeds to the next station. Transit Control is made aware of the alarm and notifies 9-1-1.

Whenever an Emergency Alarm is activated, service will be delayed anywhere from two to 20 minutes, depending on the nature or urgency of the incident.

Misuse of the Emergency Alarm can result in a significant fine.

 

[JasonParis]

French is an official language of Canada but in this city, it’s probably closer to 15th most spoken.

It's the law and it's not about national unity. It's about serving Ontario's historic francophone population. And I'm always amazed that this somehow bothers people.

 

[JasonParis]

Can't say I agree. The only real example I can think of is maybe the SSE and OL, but those are a decade away, and when the time comes we can worry about them.

They've already told us signs will only be replaced as part of regular maintenance, so by the time the Line 2 extension and Line 3 (OL) open it should be just about universal on the system.

 

[mistersg1]

It's the law and it's not about national unity. It's about serving Ontario's historic francophone population. And I'm always amazed that this somehow bothers people.

Not entirely true, while I’m not exactly sure what the requirements are for the MTO to designate an area as bilingual in terms of signage, the MTO does not have bilingual signs throughout the province.

While Toronto and Peel have bilingual signs on MTO maintained roads, Halton, York, and Durham do not. There may be outliers here or there, but those areas are not designated bilingual and thus don’t serve Ontario’s francophone population.


Again, I point to my previous post about the Pandora’s box you potentially open with bilingual signage. Will signage in Dundas Station when pointing towards the now named Toronto Metropolitan University also have to read “Université métropolitaine de Toronto” as well?

 

[Northern Light]

Not entirely true, while I’m not exactly sure what the requirements are for the MTO to designate an area as bilingual in terms of signage, the MTO does not have bilingual signs throughout the province.

While Toronto and Peel have bilingual signs on MTO maintained roads, Halton, York, and Durham do not.

Right, the TTC is in Toronto where these rules have always applied. I can look up the criteria (I don't tonight) but its some measure of either absolute or relative population size of French-speakers....

Again, I point to my previous post about the Pandora’s box you potentially open with bilingual signage. Will signage in Dundas Station when pointing towards the now named Toronto Metropolitan University also have to read “Université métropolitaine de Toronto” as well?

Again.......AND? So what? Why is this a concern? If and when the signs are replaced, including some additional French text is not a material cost, and it doesn't remove the English name....shrug. What is really going on here does not bear any relationship to the mythical Pandora's Box.

 

[mistersg1]

Right, the TTC is in Toronto where these rules have always applied. I can look up the criteria (I don't tonight) but its some measure of either absolute or relative population size of French-speakers....



Again.......AND? So what? Why is this a concern? If and when the signs are replaced, including some additional French text is not a material cost, and it doesn't remove the English name....shrug. What is really going on here does not bear any relationship to the mythical Pandora's Box.

Because at what point, do we demand TTC employees to be fully bilingual to work for them like how it is with Via Rail. Providing next station announcements in French would have to be mean you also have to provide service announcements in French as well.

 

[Undead]

I think people get annoyed at the French language kow-towing because as we've all seen, given an inch, activism of any stripe will take a mile. People aren't upset with the French, per se, but the toxic activist culture and way of doing things to which it's adjacent.

 

[nfitz]

Line 7 would be a bit more complicated, but as it would spend most of its time heading in a generally northeastward fashion, that would be the logical choice, in my book.

"7, Northeast to Malvern"
"7B, Northeast to Sheppard East Station"

That kind of proves the point though ... won't both of those be northwest? Wouldn't 7Z to Meadowvale northeast?

Or would that be 7, East by Northeast.

Do you mean the westward extension of the Eglinton Crosstown?

No, Ontario line extension north of Eglinton to Richmond Hill, Pearson Airport, and then on to Kipling TTC/GO station (Kipling and Dundas).

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-transit-30-year-plan-1.6379824

Project 30 in the Ontario Government's February 2022 Greater Golden Horseshoe Transportation Plan