[M II A II R II K]

TTC operations are next stop on city's cost-cutting route


Jul. 20, 2011

By ELIZABETH CHURCH

Read More: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...n-citys-cost-cutting-route/article2103062/?ut


Scrapping night buses, privatizing routes and contracting out cleaning and maintenance jobs will be some of the cost-cutting measures on the table when consultants hired to find savings at city hall turn their attention to the always contentious topic of Toronto’s transit system. The TTC options are part of an extensive KPMG review of more than 150 services provided by the city and will be released Thursday. A source familiar with the study outlined the findings to The Globe and Mail, saying it zeroes in on a handful of operational changes, including the late-night service.

The Toronto Transit Commission is one of the final stops for the city’s core service review, part of an effort by Mayor Rob Ford to find gravy in Toronto’s operations and close an estimated $774-million funding gap in next year’s budget. Rather than gravy, the consultant’s report, released in stages over two weeks, has classified most city services as essential. Even so, the review has generated a long list of penny-pinching proposals including selling old-age homes, slashing daycare spaces and taking fluoride out of tap water. The report’s last and likely most contentious menu of options will come Thursday when consultants focus on the city’s agencies, boards and commissions, which include the TTC as well as police – two services many regard as being at the heart of what the city does.

Ending the TTC’s “Blue Night Network” bus service that kicks in during the wee hours when subway lines stop, is likely to provoke outrage from the public. As well as revellers and other nighthawks, the all-night routes are a mainstay for shift workers in marginal jobs who cannot afford cars or cab fare. “That service is really there for the most vulnerable,” the source explained. Earlier this year, TTC commissioners learned firsthand what a hot political potato cutting bus service can be. As part of this year’s budget review, late-night and weekend service cuts were proposed on 48 little-used routes. Faced with public outcry, commissioners settled on a compromise that rolled back the planned service reductions. The KPMG report classifies the barriers to cutting the overnight routes as “low,” but estimates savings will be small, as well.

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[drum118]

As some of the big boys in the USA have said, "has KPMG got any track record on transit to say this the way to go as it not in our books?" "they are off the wall"

It clearly shows and say that if you don't own a car, you cannot work at night, have a social life and you are 3rd class that don't count.

I guess if everyone one stop working at 5 pm who don't own a car, lets see how well business can operate as well hearing the cry for someone to get them a drink for these fools as well food.

 

[Still Waters]

No, KPMG does not know the first thing about transit. How much did we pay them to tell us that:
a) You can contract out some functions, e.g. maintenance (already in the works)
b) You can contract out some routes (has been looked at before)
c) You can merge some admin functions with the City (been looked at many times before)
c) You can save money by cutting service (see service cuts earlier this year)?

This is nothing more than the Fords trying to legitimize their agenda by having a consultant tell them what they want to hear. Funny how late night transit service can be cut to save money, but they didn't say anything at all about closing down the Gardiner Expressway at night to save wear and tear and maintenance costs on the road. What brainiacs advise cutting back on service when ridership during all periods is growing and hitting record levels? Other cities dream of being in this situation, and here we have Mayors who are trying their best to gut the system until it can no longer function, so they can do what they've wanted to all along -- sell off the profitable parts and dissolve the rest.

 

[Jonny5]

I think it is important right now to give a different perspective on a budget strapped TTC.
This may be old news to many posters, but I suspect many people have no idea this ever happened. IT WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF CUTTING THE THE BUDGET. Thankfully we had a level headed, intelligent CGM at the time. But even with Gunn, he still had to deal with the slash in provincial subsidies.

For those unfamilliar with this incident, *LEARN ABOUT IT*: IMAGINE A 50 DEGREE DAY, LIKE YESTERDAY, ONLY EVEN HOTTER AS YOU'RE STUCK IN A TUNNEL WITH NO CIRCULATION. I don't want Toronto to experience this HELL again.

[video=youtube;FApkQLNB30c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FApkQLNB30c[/video]

 

[GenerationW]

Funny how late night transit service can be cut to save money, but they didn't say anything at all about closing down the Gardiner Expressway at night to save wear and tear and maintenance costs on the road.

Cutting late night service would be dumb. And though I wouldn't be opposed, would any appreciable savings be realized by closing the Gardiner every night?

 

[js97]

55k plus benefits to start as a cashier/ticket collector . way overpaid.. how about starting them more like market rates? most of these guys don't even live in the city! (another big no no)

The TTC is so inflated that it's really tough to cut any real 'fat'... pay reductions would be the first way to go. But the union has the city by the 'balls'. Short of a 6 months transit stoppage to bring salaries/pensions back to reality...

 

[spider]

Existing service can be maintained for less cost if some attention were paid to operations. You don't have to go out looking for evidence of wasteful operations, just recently I have noticed:

5 Dufferin busses in a row uninterrupted by cars southbound at St. Clair on a Saturday pm
2 ALRV`s sitting in the Neville loop and another one parked on the street waiting to get into the loop on a week day pm.
Stopped at the Victoria Park and Finch intersection I can see 10 busses at 9:15 am.
Empty is the default load for the bus that coasts through my suburban neighbourhood as often as every 15 minutes, 18 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Obviously no effort is made to manage this system and this lack of effort seems to be just fine with everyone all the way up the line. This has to stop before the public can possibly take any complaints from the TTC seriously.

 

[Mapleson]

KPMG was the one behind the Harris era report that suggested amalgamation would cure Toronto's budget woes.

A decade ago KPMG was suggesting staff cuts, the contracting out of more road maintenance and snow removal, as well as privatizing waste-water treatment facilities and outsourcing garbage collection. Sounds familar doesn't it?

 

[Thanos]

In other news, Japan is looking into an IPO in its 53% stake in Tokyo Metro.
While here in Toronto, we are still debating silly issues such as increased ad revenue, naming rights and government funding..
And everyone wonders why TTC is behind the times.

 

[Mapleson]

In other news, Japan is looking into an IPO in its 53% stake in Tokyo Metro.
While here in Toronto, we are still debating silly issues such as increased ad revenue, naming rights and government funding..
And everyone wonders why TTC is behind the times.

Maybe because Tokyo has 5 times the population and 50% denser? Tokyo is 10% of Japan's population and Metro Tokyo is 28% of the population. Toronto is 7% of Canada's population and the GTA is 14%. They are completely different transit contexts.

 

[Thanos]

Maybe because Tokyo has 5 times the population and 50% denser? Tokyo is 10% of Japan's population and Metro Tokyo is 28% of the population. Toronto is 7% of Canada's population and the GTA is 14%. They are completely different transit contexts.

What does that have to do with anything?
Smaller cities are not allowed to entertain partnerships with private companies?
Toronto is terrible at getting the private industry involved with transit.

 

[k10ery]

In other news, Japan is looking into an IPO in its 53% stake in Tokyo Metro.
While here in Toronto, we are still debating silly issues such as increased ad revenue, naming rights and government funding..
And everyone wonders why TTC is behind the times.

If Tokyo jumped off a bridge, would you want to do that too?

No one is being clear about what this private involvement is going to bring us. It's NOT money - the prodvincial government is an expert at borrowing money, and they do not need the private sector to raise capital for them at double the cost.

One problem with private competition is always the interconnection charges. If a passenger starts on a private Eglinton line and switches to a public Yonge line to go a final destination downtown, which company gets the fare revenue? It would make no sense to split it 50-50 -- the Eglinton line would be a money-losing line to nowhere without the existing TTC network to transfer into.

How is that handled for the Canada Line? Or in London?

 

[Thanos]

If Tokyo jumped off a bridge, would you want to do that too?

Any more childish remarks you wanna throw my way?
Tokyo Metro is regarded as one of the best transit agencies in the world and has been working with private businesses for a long time.
But you are absolutely right, we should not look at other bigger and more efficient agencies on how they do business because that would mean we would have to jump off a bridge if they ever decided to do so as well.
I love these arguments.
People who argue that the naming rights and getting private enterprises involved assume that we will all one day turn into zombies. They are no better then the Ford Nation scare mongers.

 

[44 North]

It's beyond comprehension that TTC operations are proposed for reduction, while the Sheppard Subway is hands-down the largest drain on the system.

Factoring in the interest on its capital debt, as well as the non-recoverable operating costs: each rider on the Sheppard Subway costs just under $4.00!

Hypothetically if Sheppard were extended at a cost of $5 Billion, and ridership instantly increased by a generous (very generous) 50%; how much would each rider cost the system? $8.00? $10.00?

So while the mayor is out scrounging for cash, his team is ignoring the large white elephant known as the Sheppard Subway. Furthermore, they actually want to toss in a few more white elephants by extending the line.

 

[doady]

It's beyond comprehension that TTC operations are proposed for reduction, while the Sheppard Subway is hands-down the largest drain on the system.

Factoring in the capital debt costs of its initial construction (~$1 Billion), as well as the non-recoverable operating costs: each rider on the Sheppard Subway costs just under $4.00!

Hypothetically if Sheppard were extended at a cost of $5 Billion, and ridership instantly increased by a generous (very generous) 50%; how much would each rider cost the system? $8.00? $10.00?

So while the mayor is out scrounging for cash, his team is ignoring the large white elephant known as the Sheppard Subway. Furthermore, they actually want to toss in a few more white elephants by extending the line.

Factoring in the initial capital costs of the Sheppard Subway to prove that it is a drain on the TTC's operating budget is just dumb.