TTC Board Meeting Highlights

September 25, 2013 Meeting

Scarborough Subway Options Report

The Board approved its support for the Scarborough subway alignment along the McCowan Road corridor, through Scarborough City Centre and north to Sheppard Avenue East as previously approved by City Council at its July 17, 2013 meeting.

Board Members also approved the following motions by TTC Chair Karen Stintz:

• That the TTC Board acknowledge and convey its thanks for the Province’s substantial financial contribution to the construction of new transit in Toronto, including the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension and the Eglinton-Crosstown LRT.
• That the TTC Board reaffirm its support for the alignment of the Eglinton-Crosstown LRT, Sheppard East LRT and Finch West LRT, as agreed to in the Master Agreement signed by Metrolinx, City of Toronto and the Toronto Transit Commission, and as approved in the Transit Project Assessments.
• That the TTC Board request that the Metrolinx Board of Directors, at its next board meeting, separate from and in parallel with the consideration of the Scarborough Subway Options Report: a) publicly reaffirm its full financial and technical support of its Eglinton-Crosstown LRT, Sheppard East LRT and Finch West LRT, as per the Master Agreement, and as approved in the Transit Project Assessments; and b) publicly commit to the project known as the Relief Line (also known as the Downtown Relief Line) as Metrolinx’s next heavy rail priority for the city of Toronto.

The report will be forwarded to the City Manager for inclusion in the City Manager’s report to City Council at its October 8 meeting. The Board also approved that the TTC Chair write to the Chair of the Board of Metrolinx (subsequent to the October 8 Council meeting) proposing a joint meeting of the two boards to consider the options and determine if a consensus is possible after receiving presentations from TTC and Metrolinx staff.

Customer Satisfaction Survey

The Board received a presentation by TTC staff indicating overall customer satisfaction has improved to 79 per cent in the second quarter of 2013 compared to 72 per cent in the fourth quarter of last year. Areas of highest satisfaction include personal safety while travelling on the TTC and the length of time a subway or bus trip took. Areas of lowest satisfaction include the clarity of subway delay announcements as well as TTC maps and information on buses and streetcars.

Special Constable designation for Transit Enforcement Officers

The Board approved the TTC’s business plan for Special Constable status for TTC Transit Enforcement Officers. The business case will be forwarded to the Toronto Police Services Board to initiate a new agreement between the TTC and Toronto Police. The proposed limited powers and authorities are designed to support the enforcement of fares and TTC By-law No. 1, and to protect the health and safety of the transit officers when situations unexpectedly escalate or in the public’s interest when it is neither reasonable nor practical to await the arrival of the police.

Supporting City’s Working As One Strategy

The Board endorsed the TTC’s proposal that supports and incorporates the City of Toronto’s Working as One program into its hiring practices. The TTC has made a commitment to partner with Toronto Employment and Social Services to look at hiring strategies to connect unemployed residents to current and future TTC construction and development jobs.

TTC Audit Committee appointees

The Board appointed the following members to the TTC Audit Committee: Maureen Adamson, Alan Heisey and John Parker, who returns as Chair.

Commission Meeting schedule for 2014

Board Members approved the 2014 schedule of board meetings at Toronto City Hall as follows (held at 1 p.m. unless otherwise indicated): Tuesday, January 28; Monday, February 24; Wednesday, March 26; Wednesday, April 30; Wednesday, May 28; Tuesday, June 24; Wednesday, July 23; Tuesday, August 19; and Tuesday, December 9. No meetings are scheduled for September, October and November due to the 2014 municipal election, which will be held on October 27, 2014.