TTC board approves mayor's 10-point plan to improve service after last month's chaotic commute

The TTC board gaveits stamp of approval Thursday to Mayor John Tory's 10-point plan to make sure Jan. 30 doesn't happen again.

The transit chaos began that day at 5:21 a.m. when a buildup of ice caused a signal malfunctionat Wilson station As that was being remedied, there was a switch failure at the Wilson Yard, also due to ice.

Ice was also to blame for signal failures nearDavisvillestation that caused sporadicthree-minute delays for each train passing though.

Between 7 a.m. and 9:15 a.m. the emergency alarm was activated seven times, including once for a fire atEglintonstation, three false alarms and once for a fight between two customers on the platform atMuseum station

That fight was "likely exacerbated by overcrowding," TTCspokesperson Brad Ross said.

All that crowding nearly forced the TTCto shut down and evacuate Bloor/Yonge station the country's busiest transit hub.

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Tory's $3million planto relieve overcrowdingis divided into initiatives that can be implementedimmediately and for future roll-out.

The TTCwilldo the following right away:

• Addtwo trains to Line 1, allowing the TTCto move 2,400 more people.
• Makeadjustments to overnight maintenance schedules.
• Do more proactive checks on operating equipment, especially during periods of extreme cold.
• Add more platform staff at Yonge/Bloorand St.George stations to manage crowding.
• Improvethe monitoring system at the Transit Operations centre allowing staff to react faster to problems.

In the coming weeks and beyond:

• Enhancecommunications with riders via system-wide announcements.
• Studypossible options for lower fares during off-peak hours.
• Use "enhanced" expressbus service to relieve overcrowding on the YongeLine during peak hours.
• Mayor Torywill meet with the minister of transportation and the premier onhow they can helpease overcrowding.
• Tory will chair monthly meetings with senior city, TTCand Metrolinxofficials to check in on transit expansion projects such as the Downtown Relief Line

Shelagh Pizey-Allen ofthe group TTCRiders considers this plansmoke and mirrors, sayingsome of the items were already included in the 2018 budget.

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"What we need is for all three levels of government to commit to funding the relief line as soon as possible," she told reporters outside the committee meeting Thursday.

Subway platform safetya top concern

With the completion of the relief line over a decade away,Pizey-Allenworries about commuter safety in the short term.

"It's not just January 30th. There was a man who broke his elbow a couple weeks ago at St.George station."

TTC board member Coun. Mary Fragadakisalso worries about the safety ofcrowded platforms.

"Bloorand Yonge station has a platform that's not that big and when there's a lot of people on it. I know I get frightened that I might fall into the track," she said.

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TTCChair Josh Colleis hopeful thatbetween now and the day the relief line gets built, the switch toautomatic train control,along with the addition of expressbuses, will help relieve overcrowding.

Colle says he realizes it annoys peoplewhen subway linesclose on a weekend forsignal work and other improvements, but it's all in a good cause.

"They're going to have a more reliable ride and certainly days like we experienced a few weeks ago should be less frequent than they are."