You may have noticed… we’ve got lots to report these days in the world of Toronto transit.
In fact, so much is going on that we’re beginning to lose track and to miss posting news that we should be.
For the next few weeks, we’re going to play catch-up by posting older news that’s still relevant to readers.
We’re also going to look ahead by describing some of the multitude of transit proposals that are currently on the political agenda. These posts will form a starting point for future posts that will describe the various stages of each proposal — from public consultation, through construction to operation.
This is another of those posts.
Last month, the TTC today unveiled its 2016 Customer Charter with 35 commitments that include better accessibility, service reliability and customer service. Each year, the TTC’s Customer Charter allows you to track what the TTC has promised to do to benefit customers, while holding it accountable for those promises. TTC staff report their progress against these commitments to the Toronto Transit Commission — the TTC’s board of directors — every quarter.
In this year’s charter, the TTC has committed to:
- operating only low-floor, accessible Toronto Flexity streetcars along the 510 Spadina, 509 Harbourfront and 511 Bathurst routes by the end of the third quarter (September);
- making WiFi available at 32 more stations;
- making Ossington Station accessible by installing two new elevators;
- enabling the entire TTC system to accept PRESTO fare payments;
- allowing passengers to pay by Apple Pay at collectors booths in all rapid transit stations;
- further decreasing the number of short-turns on streetcar routes by 20 per cent by the end of the first quarter (March);
- improving bike parking and increase the number of bike-repair stations at subway stations.
- operating Toronto Rocket trains along the 4 Sheppard subway line;
- introducing new streetcar service along Cherry Street to serve the West Donlands and Distillery District;
- improving transit-stop markers; and
- reducing delays on the subway by 10 per cent.
The TTC will continue to deliver on the positive initiatives that it started with the first Customer Charter in 2013:
- organizing at least three “Meet-the-Manager” sessions each quarter;
- holding an annual Customer Town Hall and an annual Public Forum on Accessible Transit;
- posting the statistics documenting the reliability of all bus and streetcar route on its website, so you can know how vehicles serving your route are performing;
- conducting customer satisfaction surveys and mystery shopper surveys each quarter to better understand how TTC staff are performing.
You can read the details and all 35 promises in the TTC’s 2016 Customer Charter here.
The TTC launched its first annual customer charter Friday, February 28, 2013.
It unveiled its second charter Friday, February 14, 2014.
Its third charter appeared Friday, January 23, 2015.