Year in review 2001
January 16: Transit information on the TTC’s 393-INFO line became available in nine additional languages. That doubled to 18 languages by April.
March 11: Eight employees were inducted into the Employee Suggestion Hall of Fame for their cost-saving ideas. They were: Patricia Drake, Tony Vaccaro, Vaughn Zinn, Vince Galati, George Gavrilov, David Kalka, Victor Gallo and George Young.
April: Coupler celebrated its 75th year in print. Coupler’s first-ever edition appeared in April 1926. To preserve the history of the TTC, all 75 volumes were introduced on a CD-ROM.
April 5: Birchmount Operator Lois Barratt was selected as the 2000 Transit Community Watcher of the Year. The TTC’s eighth annual winner found a lost boy in a blizzard.
May 30: National Transportation Week honoured two TTC employees: Danforth Operator Joanne Carmichael with an Award of Valour and Route Management Superintendent Steve Perron with the Passenger Transportation Employee of the Year Award.
June 3: TTC fares rose for the first time in two years. The TTC introduced a standard 10-cent fare increase with a 25-cent hike on the $2 cash fare and proportionate hikes to all other fare media.
June 10: 30th Annual Roadeo results: Arrow Road Operator Bill White won his fifth consecutive (seventh of his career) Bus Roadeo Grand Championship. Maintenance Driver Ray Tonna won his seventh Grand Championship trophy. Operator Rick Cyncora was Wheel-Trans’ Grand Champion and Rookie of the Year. Duncan Shops’ Walter Perera and Jim Tanti were Grand Champions in the Maintenance Team event. Duncan Shops’ Denis Adams was Grand Champion in the Special Group.
June 15: A newly renovated Birchmount Garage opened its doors to neighbourhood residents. New features include a special cleaning line for fuelling, new wash racks and indoor storage for 84 buses.
July 17: City Councillors, local MPPs and members of the media took a progress tour of Sheppard Subway when Sheppard-Yonge and Don Mills Stations were opened for a preview for the first time.
August 13: The TTC launches a major poster campaign aimed at informing riders that a lot of money is needed to buy replacement vehicles in order to keep transit service at current levels. The Heading Our Way campaign outlines the more than $1.5 billion in capital funding required over the next decade.
September 1: The TTC celebrated the 80th anniversary of public transit in Toronto. On Sept. 1, 1921, the Toronto Transportation Commission took over a mix of private and municipal street railways. The TTC held a mass celebration and Parade of Vehicles at City Hall on Sept. 6. Since 1921, the TTC has carried more than 23 billion riders.
September 11: The TTC Emergency Command Centre at Head Office was fully operational within 20 minutes of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York City. Its top priority was to prepare the system for an early rush hour, which began at about noon hour.
September 27: Ontario Premier Mike Harris announced that the province would invest $3 billion over the next decade to renew and expand transit. The Premier’s transit plan will see the provincial government contribute $1.1 billion directly to the TTC over the next 10 years. Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman made an announcement to match those funds shortly after.
November 2: A dozen TTC war veterans helped launch the annual Toronto Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Campaign at Davisville Station.
November 6: The TTC set up a special World Youth Days Office at 951 Wilson Ave. to co-ordinate transit planning for the Pope’s visit next summer.
November 9: The Commission officially accepted the last two T-1 cars (5370 and 5371) from Bombardier Inc. at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Davisville Carhouse. The two cars were delivered to Greenwood on Nov. 6.