TTC: Other Items (catch all)

[rbt]

I think there would be a couple of counter arguments to that.

1) Stand up to the politicians and tell them they can't have the 'nice to haves' because you have to ensure safety and that is your highest priority.

That would be nice, though we haven't had a TTC CEO successful at reducing the SOGR backlog for a couple decades so I'm inclined to believe this isn't possible for the TTC CEO (or General Manager before that title) to do. Byford achieved more with the same money (by blowing through a warehouse of spare parts; so you can only do that once) but still saw the maintenance deficit grow during his oversight.

Even Miller as mayor struggled to reduce the SOGR gap and that was with larger than typical tax increases and adding significantly to borrowing space (by increasing amortization length; again a one-time option).

2) If you go and read the investigative reports into what happened with the SRT, its clear that many people performing the inspection of track/systems did not know what to look for (loose bolt on reaction rail) and didn't understand the relative importance when they did find it, not catergorizing it as the highest priority of repair.

Indeed. Those come down entirely to funding as well. If it was considered a critical system, we would have been sending inspection and maintenance staff to Vancouver for training.

I don't mean Leary was particularly good at the job. I wanted to point out the job is not as easy or straight forward as it should be. It's less "fix near-broken things" and more "which of the near-broken things matters today and which can be deferred 12 months", and that's on council who take directions from voters (bumping taxes 20% is a non-starter; we'd vote in a Ford equivalent shortly after who reduces them again).

 

[T3G]

So, now that we have done a little venting, what's the balanced view? Leary's top five successes? His top five failures?

- Paul

To be honest, I can't think of anything at all that could qualify as a success. The completion of the historical GM bus was a triumph, and it was done under his watch, but it was not his skill that ensured the project was successfully executed. Can we give him credit for not sending every single CLRV to the junk yard?

Top failures...SRT, ATC near miss, the perpetual slowing of the streetcar network (especially the Flexity doors), come to.mind as a top 3.

 

[smallspy]

To be honest, I can't think of anything at all that could qualify as a success. The completion of the historical GM bus was a triumph, and it was done under his watch, but it was not his skill that ensured the project was successfully executed. Can we give him credit for not sending every single CLRV to the junk yard?

The historical GM bus rebuild was done in spite of Leary, not because of him.

The cost to rent a TTC vehicle has skyrocketed far, far higher than inflation under his watch, so he's of no use to foamers, either.

Dan

 

[DSC]

To be honest, I can't think of anything at all that could qualify as a success. The completion of the historical GM bus was a triumph, and it was done under his watch, but it was not his skill that ensured the project was successfully executed. Can we give him credit for not sending every single CLRV to the junk yard?

Top failures...SRT, ATC near miss, the perpetual slowing of the streetcar network (especially the Flexity doors), come to.mind as a top 3.

Though I have no personal knowledge, I understand that his greatest failure was his inability to work with staff which lead to a steady stream of experienced managers leaving the TTC and the huge loss of 'institutional memory". "My way or the Highway" is generally NOT a good management style and it can take a decade or more for a large organisation like the TTC to return to proper consultative, open and honest management.

 

[Northern Light]

That would be nice, though we haven't had a TTC CEO successful at reducing the SOGR backlog for a couple decades so I'm inclined to believe this isn't possible for the TTC CEO (or General Manager before that title) to do. Byford achieved more with the same money (by blowing through a warehouse of spare parts; so you can only do that once) but still saw the maintenance deficit grow during his oversight.

I don't doubt your statements above, though I'd like to track that, I think that would be an interesting point of conversation.

I read the Capital budget every year, but I don't believe there is a specific SOGR backlog in every budget, unless I missed it. (there is a funding request for SOGR).

I would note, of course, that one would expect SOGR held constant to rise in $ due to inflation.

At any rate, if you could pull any of that info, it would be much appreciated.

Indeed. Those come down entirely to funding as well. If it was considered a critical system, we would have been sending inspection and maintenance staff to Vancouver for training.

The TTC has been maintaining this tech as long as Vancouver. Same tech, both began operation in 1985. Surely we had people who knew what they were doing somewhere along the line.

I don't mean Leary was particularly good at the job. I wanted to point out the job is not as easy or straight forward as it should be. It's less "fix near-broken things" and more "which of the near-broken things matters today and which can be deferred 12 months", and that's on council who take directions from voters (bumping taxes 20% is a non-starter; we'd vote in a Ford equivalent shortly after who reduces them again).

There's an element of that.

But remember Leary was linked to a serious safety incident in Boston, one in which he suddenly retired ahead of a public inquiry which he declined to participate in..........he then was tied to hiding a serious near collision of trains from the Board.

Leary has a long track record of avoiding accountability.

 

[turbanplanner]

Personally, I can't imagine how difficult that task must be as they only receive enough money from the city to repair about half the things on the list. How do you choose which half of the soon-to-be-broken things to repair? SRT components definitely were not at the top of the list.

If you see the inspection report even absolutely basic and effectively free maintenance like spraying the top of the reactor rail guard to see if it had made contact and inspections by supervisors were stopped or greatly reduced

 

[Northern Light]

Switching subjects here..........the TTC gets funds for some overdue station SOGR works pending approval of a Member Motion at next week's Council Meeting.

Cllr. Saxe is moving to have long dormant S.37 monies reallocated to installed indigenous themed public art in the Spadina Station walkway (the importance here is the poor condition of the existing tile work, if we can get something nice here, that will be a real positive.). Additionally, money will be available to repair/replace tile at Dupont Station which has both missing sections of tile and some severely deteriorated due to efflorescence and/or cracking.

Motion Link: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/mm/bgrd/backgroundfile-246849.pdf

From the above:

 

[Mind_the_gap]

^ I hope they retain the "Please Hold Handrail" tiles for where the moving sidewalk existed!

Source

 

[Amare]

Switching subjects here..........the TTC gets funds for some overdue station SOGR works pending approval of a Member Motion at next week's Council Meeting.

Cllr. Saxe is moving to have long dormant S.37 monies reallocated to installed indigenous themed public art in the Spadina Station walkway (the importance here is the poor condition of the existing tile work, if we can get something nice here, that will be a real positive.). Additionally, money will be available to repair/replace tile at Dupont Station which has both missing sections of tile and some severely deteriorated due to efflorescence and/or cracking.

Motion Link: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/mm/bgrd/backgroundfile-246849.pdf

From the above:

View attachment 574285
View attachment 574286

View attachment 574287
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It's good to see something finally being done for Dupont, the state of the crumbling tile work there is just sad.

However after seeing this my question is, why were the funds not released to the TTC for 20+ years?

 

[Northern Light]

It's good to see something finally being done for Dupont, the state of the crumbling tile work there is just sad.

However after seeing this my question is, why were the funds not released to the TTC for 20+ years?

By all accounts with changes in staff and councillors over the years, they literally forgot the money was there.

It took Councillor Saxe getting her staff to go over every dormant S.37 account she could find. A few other councillors should probably do the same.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Shows you how broken the Section 37 system really was before it was overhauled.

 

[turini2]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1803914880610906120

Presented without comment.

 

[Richard White]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1803914880610906120

Presented without comment.

Really?

I get that he is the head of the TTC but commuting from Aurora to Midtown is not exactly easy by transit. Cut the man some slack.

 

[urbancog]

Really?

 

[Northern Light]

Really?

I get that he is the head of the TTC but commuting from Aurora to Midtown is not exactly easy by transit. Cut the man some slack.

Ummm, you do realize he had a choice where to buy or rent a home. He's is/was a rather well paid guy 360k last year.

Andy Byford lived in the City and didn't own a car. I'm not sure why someone should be cut a break for choosing to buy a home that far from work.

Really?
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On the other side of the argument, I will not accept 1hr 15m as a reasonable commute time. I know too many people do spend that long getting to/from work, but that's 2.5 hours of one's day on top of the 8-hour or more work day. Hard pass.

Rick should still take it on the chin though for a host of reasons, but in this context for where he chose to live.