TTC Board Meeting Highlights (October 2015)

CEO video message – Nov. 5, 2015

TTC Board Meeting Highlights October 28, 2015

TTC Board response to new streetcar delays

In response to information staff received from Bombardier Transportation on Oct. 15, 2015, which indicated production issues and further delays to new streetcar deliveries, the TTC Board unanimously approved the following motions:

• Authorize the TTC General Counsel to immediately commence a claim or legal action against Bombardier for all damages sustained by the TTC relating to or arising from the schedule delays in the delivery of the streetcars and any other non-performance-related issues.
• Direct the Chair to write to the CEO Bombardier requesting he appear before the Board at its November Commission meeting to explain Bombardier’s failure to meet past deadlines and its delivery commitments for streetcars going forward.
• Request TTC management to consult with alternative suppliers for delivery of the remaining TTC streetcars, should Bombardier be unable for whatever reason to fulfill this order within contractual timelines.
• Request TTC staff to report back on the financial and operational impacts on the TTC should Bombardier not be able to fulfill their contractual obligations to deliver streetcars.
• Request TTC staff to seek advice of an outside business analyst to present to the Board on their assessment of Bombardier’s corporate outlook.
• Request TTC staff, in any negotiations on damages, liquidated or otherwise, to consider as a priority additional LRVs as compensation.
• Direct the Chair to write to the Premier of Ontario requesting the Province’s support in facilitating the completion of the City of Toronto’s order for streetcars from Bombardier.

TTC Bus Fleet Plan

The TTC Board received a comprehensive presentation from TTC staff on the 2016-2025 Bus Fleet and Facility Plan. The plan addresses the TTC’s service maintenance and facility requirements, and proposes to improve vehicle reliability and customer service. The plan is developed annually in conjunction with service planning and ridership requirements, which allow operations staff to determine bus fleet size, future procurement requirements and overall vehicle availability.

Key proposals in the plan include: moving to a steady-state procurement practice; increasing the bus spare ratio to 18 per cent from 12 per cent in 2016; starting the early retirement of 255 hybrid buses; re-aligning the diesel bus overhaul schedule; improving bus reliability via a reliability-centred maintenance program; adjusting the current bus life policy; and addressing over-capacity issues at garages.

The TTC runs close to 1,600 buses in service during peak times, operates over 134 million kilometres annually and averages more than 440 million bus boardings per year. A total of 60 per cent of customers use a bus as part of their daily trip.

Customer satisfaction hits record levels

Board members received a presentation from TTC staff indicating customer satisfaction has risen to an all-time high of 81 per cent. The Q3 Customer Satisfaction Survey results revealed overall satisfaction continues to show a positive trend, improving from a 79-per-cent rating in the second quarter of this year, and compared to a 74-per-cent rating that was reached in the third quarter of 2014.

The Q3 results (July to September) capture the TTC’s exceptional planning and service performance during the summer’s Pan Am/Parapan Am Games, which featured additional bus, streetcar and subway service, earlier-than-normal subway opening on Sundays and special cleanings at designated transit hubs.

The survey results indicate increasing satisfaction across all modes of transportation – bus, streetcar and subway – all of which scored a good/excellent rating of 80 per cent or better. Also pointing to a sustained upward trend is the fact that the increase in overall satisfaction is being driven by frequent riders, who are the most likely customers to experience service disruptions.

TTC Board Meeting schedule for 2016

Commissioners approved the 2016 schedule of Board meetings at Toronto City Hall as follows (held at 1 p.m. unless otherwise indicated): Thursday, January 21; Thursday, February 25; Wednesday, March 23; Thursday, April 7 (Special Board Strategy); Wednesday, April 27; Tuesday, May 31; Wednesday, June 29; Wednesday, July 27; Wednesday, September 28; Thursday, October 27; Wednesday, November 30; and Tuesday, December 20.

The Board also approved the schedule of meetings for the TTC Audit and Risk Management Committee: Wednesday, February 10; Wednesday, May 25; Wednesday, July 20; and Wednesday, October 19; and the schedule of meetings for the TTC Budget Committee: Monday, January 11, Tuesday, April 19; Thursday, June 16; and Tuesday, September 6; and the schedule of meetings for the TTC Human Resources and Labour Relations Committee: Thursday, March 3, Wednesday, June 1; and Thursday, November 17.

Upcoming Board Meetings

The next scheduled regular TTC Board meeting will be on Monday, November 23 at Toronto City Hall, Council Chamber, starting at 10 a.m., with the public session starting at 1 p.m.