Thousands of TTC stops could use a transit shelter. So why does this neighbourhood have seven not being used?
The T-Tracks, located in a residential neighbourhood in Scarborough, Ontario, are about to get a major facelift. A new platform is slated for construction in 2017, and the TTC and city would like to add more shelters on the existing platforms.
It’s not that the TTC is short on shelters for the T-Tracks. There are 22 on the system right now.
But the decision to leave this seven stops off its list isn’t because these stations are too close to residential zones or are under a parking requirement. It’s because the TTC doesn’t want to use the shelters that it has.
TTC spokesperson Brad Ross said that the agency is using two criteria with its shelter allocation process. “We really look at both shelter availability and the level of service that it provides.”
This means that shelters are considered to be available when they’re open. And if they provide sufficient levels of service, the agency will use them.
So that leaves seven stops on its list of not currently being utilised.
So, what gives?
There isn’t a clear answer. Ross said the reasons for this aren’t something he could discuss. But they were listed on the TTC website. When I asked him why, he said it would be like disclosing a government secrets.
However, the answers can be found in a document released by the TTC to the media yesterday, and which I obtained from the TTC’s website. Here’s what it says:
The TTC has a policy where if we do not have a shelter in the station, then we stop using the stations. So when we are not using the shelter, we are not making the station available to the public and we don’t run into the policy.