TTC unveils its group of six

The TTC officially welcomed its new Group Station Managers (GSM) at Victoria Park Station on April 18.

TTC Chair Karen Stintz and CEO Andy Byford introduced the group of six and the group of stations that each will be responsible for:

• Bo Koch – Bloor-Danforth West (Bathurst to Kipling).
• Cameron Penman – Central (Castle Frank to Spadina).
• Shelley Pickford – Bloor-Danforth East/SRT (Broadview to McCowan).
• Michael Sosedov – North Yonge/Sheppard (Finch to St Clair; Sheppard line).
• Ellen Stassen – University-Spadina (Downsview to Osgoode).
• Eve Wiggins – Downtown Yonge (St Andrew to Summerhill).

“A key part of transforming the TTC is to get our station management right,” Byford said. “It’s to provide single-point accountability to make sure that someone is obsessing about the detail of every aspect of our station operation, which is the shop window for our customers who use our subway.”

Byford added that the GSMs had to meet two key criteria: a proven excellence in people management and a proven passion for customer service.

“These six women and men were able to demonstrate that they are business managers; that they know how to manage people; and that they know what customer-service excellence looks like.”

The announcement not only marks a new position in the organization, it also meets an important Customer Charter commitment, said Acting Chief Service Officer Chris Upfold.

“The GSMs have been with us for several weeks working hard to understand our business and how the system works, and that will continue over the summer months,” he said. “The big change will start to happen in September when we move Collectors and janitorial staff under the direct control of the GSMs and begin to deliver real change.”

All nine of quarter-one commitments have been achieved and the quarterly progress report was posted on ttc.ca yesterday. They are:

• Informative: Pilot newly designed bus stop poles and shelter maps.
• Responsive: Equip all buses on the 192 Airport Rocket route with luggage racks.
• Responsive: Name six new Group Station Managers.
• Responsive: List performance of individual bus and streetcar routes on ttc.ca.
• Responsive: Conduct five Meet the Managers sessions. Conduct four Town Hall meetings by year end.
• Renewal: Pilot exterior door chimes and low-ceiling hand holds on the Toronto Rocket trains.
• Renewal: Accept delivery of five new Toronto Rocket trains.
• Renewal: Begin testing of new streetcars.
• Cleanliness: Wash light fixtures and replace lights (as necessary) at 16 stations.