What would you change if you were the chairman of the TTC?

[Long Island Mike]

TTC "Guides" uniforms...80s era...

MetroMan: That was quite interesting-the red on the uniform is correct worn with a matching blouse or shirt but I believe the hat was different with a TTC pin or logo which the women wore with their hair up.
I now recall that the TTC referred to them as "Guides" and that again these ladies worked at busy TTC Subway stations. I remember these ladies also were quite attractive but were businesslike and did not flirt with male customers...Observations from LI MIKE

 

[Komiksulo]

I seem to recall seeing a picture from the 1950s of that 'transferway' from the Yonge subway to the Bloor streetcars, and there were TTC guides in their Nifty Fifties uniforms helping out.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Nope. Sales or income taxes are reserved for the province.

Jeez... can you imagine if Miller had that power. He'd be taxing us even more madly.

 

[MetroMan]

Reading in the PRESTO thread that the TTC agreed to adopt the new GTA fare card (with conditions).

Once implemented, this will allow for the TTC booth person to simply be a watch guard to insure nobody misuses the system (i.e. jumps turnstiles, allows more than one person through, etc).

Sale of tokens (if they're still in use with PRESTO) and charging your PRESTO card can be done on self serve machines or via the internet on your phone or at home/work.

So the grumpy old men, incapacitated to drive a bus/streetcar/subway can remain in their glass cubicles without interaction with the public. Great!

 

[MetroMan]

Jeez... can you imagine if Miller had that power. He'd be taxing us even more madly.

I disagree. I think that would be the single best way to raise money for cities. It's a method that grows with the economy and you only pay it if you make purchases. The richer pay more, the poorer pay less.

A 1% municipal tax added into the HST would be a consistent form of income for cities without having to raise property taxes above inflation or install tolls on roads.

 

[kEiThZ]

I think that would be the single best way to raise money for cities. It's a method that grows with the economy and you only pay it if you make purchases.

It's also a method that shrinks with the economy. To see the impact of this, look at the many cities in the US that are now struggling for relying on income taxes. This is the last thing the TTC needs.

The richer pay more, the poorer pay less.

It's the same for property taxes that are based on value assessments, in a way. If the house is worth more, you pay more.

A 1% municipal tax added into the HST would be a consistent form of income for cities without having to raise property taxes above inflation or install tolls on roads.

That's a pipe dream. Nothing will kill the HST faster than coupling it with a tax increase....especially while the Opposition is running around calling the HST a tax grab as it is.

 

[EnviroTO]

My wife just took the Spadina streetcar and gave me an earful when she got back. Based on her experience I would levy a 5 cent charge against TTC staff every time they are rude. This money could cover a 1km subway extension every 6 or 7 days.

 

[MetroMan]

Good thing the new streetcars will have enclosed driver cabins. The driver can be grumpy in his own cubicle without affecting the passengers.

 

[ITcomputer]

My wife just took the Spadina streetcar and gave me an earful when she got back. Based on her experience I would levy a 5 cent charge against TTC staff every time they are rude. This money could cover a 1km subway extension every 6 or 7 days.

was your wife mad about the rudeness or the pathetic crawl of the Spadina streetcar?

 

[junctionist]

The basic checklist:

-attain an agreement for stable funding of the system from higher levels of goverment
-continuous subway expansion
-focus on implementing e-fares and fare integration
-eliminate random pauses in subway service at stations for crew changes in the middle of the line
-eliminate excessive brake screech, especially the kind that makes you worried about your long term hearing
-restore Spadina line stations including Yorkdale and Glencairn's beautiful architectural artwork that was removed, renovate and enhance B-D and Yonge line with independent architects and designers
-emphasize higher aesthetic standards for the system; listen to Joe Clark more often
-contract out and automate wherever possible
-have an arm of the organization developing property efficiently

 

[EnviroTO]

was your wife mad about the rudeness or the pathetic crawl of the Spadina streetcar?

Just the rudeness. It would be nice if they would eliminate the mid-block stops and fix the stoplights to give priority at locations where there aren't streetcars on the cross street though. Harbord, College, Dundas, Queen, King, Front, Bremner, QQ-Spadina, Simcoe, QQ-Ferry Docks, and Union is all that is required. A little further walk for people, and the two stops I use most eliminated, but worth it.

 

[W. K. Lis]

The TTC guides were women who sold tickets, gave information, and controlled crowds. They would cut off crowds boarding streetcars, so the streetcars could move on. They would have the operators open the rear doors, to allow passengers with transfers to board. Maybe its time to bring them back.

I would guess instead of calling them guides, these days they could be men and women, and be called TTC Attendants. They could handle crowds on subway platforms and at bus and streetcar stops. Wouldn't have to use people who have the special bus and streetcar driver licences either.

 

[Admiral Beez]

The TTC Chair announced recently that a fare increase was necessary because ridership has grown, resulting in a need to operate more trains, buses and streetcars, which has increased costs above whatever additional revenue the increased ridership has achieved.

So, the solution to this problem seems obvious. Increase fares to reduce ridership while increasing revenues on remaining riders to the point where the system is back in the black. The TTC's mandate shouldn't be to increase ridership at the cost of being financially viable, but instead should be to find the balance between ridership, cost and revenue.

 

[Komiksulo]

I would guess instead of calling them guides, these days they could be men and women, and be called TTC Attendants. They could handle crowds on subway platforms and at bus and streetcar stops. Wouldn't have to use people who have the special bus and streetcar driver licences either.

No, I think they should still be called Guides. Their biggest duty would be guiding people: giving directions, showing what way to go, aiding the flow of the crowd... they'd be on their feet a lot, moving, assisting, watching. 'Attendant' doesn't sound active enough.

And 'Guide' is gender-neutral. If they were Girl Guides, that would be something different.

 

[sungs]

First of all, I'd make everyone wear those "Hello My Name is" name tags. I can imagine if some had the tag on and they scribbled the name "Bob" on it.

Me: Hey Bob, good morning!
Bob: Sungs, go @$## yourself.
Me: It takes two to @#$# buddy.
Bob: I'm not your buddy guy.
Me: I'm not your guy friend.
Bpb: hahah Sungs, you're a good guy, so how about those Leafs?
Me: @$## yourself.
Bob: What the hell Sungs, I was trying to be friendly.
Me: I have season tickets.
Bob: ahhhhh, gotcha man.
Me: Oh great, we're approaching Keele station, why does the train slow down when its approaching Keele station...every damn time!
Bob: Perhaps they want us to look at the filthy grafitti in slow motion. Pure garbage, I dont know what these punks see in that "art form" (makes the quote unquote motion with his fingers when he says "art form")
Me: I happen to like that stuff. I like pictures. And all of the last best selling novels I've read lately are pop up books.
Bob: To each their own Sungs, to each their own.
Me: Oh great, here comes that guy every morning like clockwork that sits beside me and smells like a gym member at a slaughter house.
Bob: That's why I always sit on that solo seat beside the conductor, its great. Sure you look like a recluse, but you're a recluse in style. Unless someone is sitting directly in front of you. In which case I make contact with their knee caps. Unless they're wearing a skirt. I don't want to seem like a pervert.
Me: ya, but I'm kind of claustrophic. And I like looking out the window to my right.
Bob: I hear you Sungs. So what do you do for a living?
Me: Who wants to know?
Bob: Bob does. Bob wants to know.
Me: Oh I just ride subways, generating random conversations with people that wear "Hello, My Name is..." stickers.
Bob: Well here's a secret Sungs, my first name is actually Adam...Adam Gi...
Me: Wait, stop!
Bob: What?
Me: My name is actually David. David Mi...
Bob: Stop! Lets get off at the next stop, the camera guys are gone, no more photo ops.
Me: Oh, I thought we were still being recorded, kind of like that tv show with the Go Trains or something like that where...
Bob: ya ya, shutup. Lets take my Hummer. Its much more efficient.
Me: Oh, it gets a lot of mileage? Faster? Isn't held back by delays? And the Hummer never goes on strike or make grouchy faces?
Bob: no, but its fun to feed it baby seals and do wheelies.
Me: @%%% YEAH!
Bob: You're alright Sungs, you're alright!
Me: Posse out.