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Heavy tokens force hires
Peter Kuitenbrouwer
National Post
Saturday, March 24, 2007
The TTC proposes this year to increase spending by 5% and its workforce by 5%, or 583 new employees.
The Toronto Transit Commission likes to call itself a lean, mean transit machine, with one of the lowest government subsidies in the Western world. But today's TTC is not quite as lean as it once was.
This year, it wants to hire four more people to pick up bags of tokens from subway stations and bus and streetcar depots --and deliver them back again -- because its new token weighs more than the previous coin. Already, 103 people work in TTC "revenue operations."
"We go out over time and do ergonomic studies of the weight of a bag of coins," Mike Roche, the TTC's chief financial officer, said in an interview this week. "They're picking up sacks that can weigh 60, up to 80 lbs."
And that's not all the new hiring the TTC wants to do. In fact, its budget this year is proposing a bit of a spree, with 5% more spending and 5% more staff -- to a whopping 11,466 employees.
Fewer than half of the new hires -- 241 out of 583 -- will be drivers. Meanwhile, the budget of the office of Gary Webster, acting chief general manager, will go up 7%. Council begins studying the TTC budget on Monday.
In 2004, 95 TTC employees earned more than $100,000; that number jumped to 133 in 2005. Numbers for 2006 are not out yet.
Lately, as I ride squished up against my fellow passengers on crammed streetcars, buses and subways, I've been wondering about the TTC's finances. In the 1990s, Mike Harris, who was then premier, stopped provincial funding to transit altogether. Dalton McGuinty's Liberals turned the taps back on, giving us 2? of the provincial gas tax for transit, which adds up to $91-million budgeted for the TTC in 2007. The feds are also giving us gas tax cash. Plus, we weathered two 25? fare increases in Mayor David Miller's first term.
So why is it, then, that the TTC service doesn't appear to be getting any better?
Looking at the numbers, it appears the TTCis finding lots of ways to spend money that don't add to the amount of service on our streets and subway tunnels.
For example, even though the TTC has recently replaced much of its fleet with new low-floor buses (we're getting another 100 Orion VII diesel buses this year), which are wheelchair accessible, and is putting in 15 more elevators in subway stations this year, so wheelchair users can get on, the TTC this year proposes to hire 43 more people for Wheel-Trans: 40 new drivers, two coach technicians and a new dispatcher/reservationist.
(The new low-floor buses, by the way, hold only 78 people "crush-loaded" compared with 90 passengers on the old ones, which means we need more buses and drivers to provide the same service.)
The TTC also wants 37 more people for safety-security related programs, along with two people to see if those who enter the Queen streetcar by the rear doors (the only line on the honour system) have a valid pass or transfer.
Peter Milczyn, a TTC commissioner, wonders whether they need to hire all these people.
"They want to extend the Special Constable division of the TTC," he said. "Should we be doing that?
"The tokens are heavier. Now they're telling us we have to hire more people. Is there a better way of doing it? Maybe buy them carts or something. And then they want to hire people to do the proof of payment on the Queen car. But if we're hiring special constables, why don't they do that job?"
Right now the TTC has presented a budget with a shortfall that Mr. Roche puts at about $25-million. He said he does not know whether the TTC will push for another fare hike, but Mr. Milczyn thinks the TTC can avoid one.
"The current state of thinking at the TTCis that we're going to figure out a way to balance the budget without a hike," he said. "We're scrutinizing the new initiatives other than hiring new drivers."
There is good news at the TTC: ridership was up by 18 million people in 2006, putting the TTC at 454 million rides. Thanks to all those riders, passenger revenue rose by $31-million.
The TTC "is, to the best of my knowledge, being run as efficiently as possible," says Mr. Roche. "You could try to cut corners, but do our riders want to stand there like penguins?" he asks, doing an imitation of a penguin standing rigid, arms at the side.
Unfortunately, we already are. If I'm going to pay more for transit, whether through the fare box or taxes, I'd like a bit more elbow room.
- - -
THE TTC BY THE NUMBERS
444 million Number of riders in 2006. The TTC is, by riders, the third-largest public transit system in North America, behind Mexico City and New York City.
199.3 million Kilometres of bus, streetcar and subway
1,543 Number of TTC buses. It also has 248 streetcars, 678 subway cars and 28 Scarborough RT cars.
583 Proposed new hires this year, for a total workforce of 11,466. Of those, 241 will be new drivers.
1.05 billion Amount the TTC spent in 2006 -- 75% went to salaries, 11% to supplies and services, 9% to vehicle energy, 2% to insurance and 2% to utilities.
3.25 Percentage wage hike for unionized staff that takes effect on April 1.
738-million Amount collected in passenger fares in 2006, accounting for 95% of its revenues.
155-million Amount of operating subsidy from the city in 2006. The province gave $91-million.
82 Percentage of TTC operating costs recovered from the fare box in 2001.
75 Percentage of TTC operating costs recovered from the fare box in 2006. Source: Toronto Transit Commission
Heavy tokens force hires
Peter Kuitenbrouwer
National Post
Saturday, March 24, 2007
The TTC proposes this year to increase spending by 5% and its workforce by 5%, or 583 new employees.
The Toronto Transit Commission likes to call itself a lean, mean transit machine, with one of the lowest government subsidies in the Western world. But today's TTC is not quite as lean as it once was.
This year, it wants to hire four more people to pick up bags of tokens from subway stations and bus and streetcar depots --and deliver them back again -- because its new token weighs more than the previous coin. Already, 103 people work in TTC "revenue operations."
"We go out over time and do ergonomic studies of the weight of a bag of coins," Mike Roche, the TTC's chief financial officer, said in an interview this week. "They're picking up sacks that can weigh 60, up to 80 lbs."
And that's not all the new hiring the TTC wants to do. In fact, its budget this year is proposing a bit of a spree, with 5% more spending and 5% more staff -- to a whopping 11,466 employees.
Fewer than half of the new hires -- 241 out of 583 -- will be drivers. Meanwhile, the budget of the office of Gary Webster, acting chief general manager, will go up 7%. Council begins studying the TTC budget on Monday.
In 2004, 95 TTC employees earned more than $100,000; that number jumped to 133 in 2005. Numbers for 2006 are not out yet.
Lately, as I ride squished up against my fellow passengers on crammed streetcars, buses and subways, I've been wondering about the TTC's finances. In the 1990s, Mike Harris, who was then premier, stopped provincial funding to transit altogether. Dalton McGuinty's Liberals turned the taps back on, giving us 2? of the provincial gas tax for transit, which adds up to $91-million budgeted for the TTC in 2007. The feds are also giving us gas tax cash. Plus, we weathered two 25? fare increases in Mayor David Miller's first term.
So why is it, then, that the TTC service doesn't appear to be getting any better?
Looking at the numbers, it appears the TTCis finding lots of ways to spend money that don't add to the amount of service on our streets and subway tunnels.
For example, even though the TTC has recently replaced much of its fleet with new low-floor buses (we're getting another 100 Orion VII diesel buses this year), which are wheelchair accessible, and is putting in 15 more elevators in subway stations this year, so wheelchair users can get on, the TTC this year proposes to hire 43 more people for Wheel-Trans: 40 new drivers, two coach technicians and a new dispatcher/reservationist.
(The new low-floor buses, by the way, hold only 78 people "crush-loaded" compared with 90 passengers on the old ones, which means we need more buses and drivers to provide the same service.)
The TTC also wants 37 more people for safety-security related programs, along with two people to see if those who enter the Queen streetcar by the rear doors (the only line on the honour system) have a valid pass or transfer.
Peter Milczyn, a TTC commissioner, wonders whether they need to hire all these people.
"They want to extend the Special Constable division of the TTC," he said. "Should we be doing that?
"The tokens are heavier. Now they're telling us we have to hire more people. Is there a better way of doing it? Maybe buy them carts or something. And then they want to hire people to do the proof of payment on the Queen car. But if we're hiring special constables, why don't they do that job?"
Right now the TTC has presented a budget with a shortfall that Mr. Roche puts at about $25-million. He said he does not know whether the TTC will push for another fare hike, but Mr. Milczyn thinks the TTC can avoid one.
"The current state of thinking at the TTCis that we're going to figure out a way to balance the budget without a hike," he said. "We're scrutinizing the new initiatives other than hiring new drivers."
There is good news at the TTC: ridership was up by 18 million people in 2006, putting the TTC at 454 million rides. Thanks to all those riders, passenger revenue rose by $31-million.
The TTC "is, to the best of my knowledge, being run as efficiently as possible," says Mr. Roche. "You could try to cut corners, but do our riders want to stand there like penguins?" he asks, doing an imitation of a penguin standing rigid, arms at the side.
Unfortunately, we already are. If I'm going to pay more for transit, whether through the fare box or taxes, I'd like a bit more elbow room.
- - -
THE TTC BY THE NUMBERS
444 million Number of riders in 2006. The TTC is, by riders, the third-largest public transit system in North America, behind Mexico City and New York City.
199.3 million Kilometres of bus, streetcar and subway
1,543 Number of TTC buses. It also has 248 streetcars, 678 subway cars and 28 Scarborough RT cars.
583 Proposed new hires this year, for a total workforce of 11,466. Of those, 241 will be new drivers.
1.05 billion Amount the TTC spent in 2006 -- 75% went to salaries, 11% to supplies and services, 9% to vehicle energy, 2% to insurance and 2% to utilities.
3.25 Percentage wage hike for unionized staff that takes effect on April 1.
738-million Amount collected in passenger fares in 2006, accounting for 95% of its revenues.
155-million Amount of operating subsidy from the city in 2006. The province gave $91-million.
82 Percentage of TTC operating costs recovered from the fare box in 2001.
75 Percentage of TTC operating costs recovered from the fare box in 2006. Source: Toronto Transit Commission