TTC board member looks to Calgary model for better bus service
Alan Heisey wants the TTC to consider something along the lines of Calgary's community engagement bus to solicit rider opinions where they live.

thestar.com
Dec. 8, 2014
By Tess Kalinowski

One of the TTC's citizen board members thinks it might be time for transit officials to follow Calgary’s lead and talk to fellow riders on the bus.

Alan Heisey is asking the TTC to think about putting transit officials, including board members, on city buses to gather riders' comments and complaints on their regular routes.

The idea comes from Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, who mentioned it in a Toronto speech in October.

Nenshi was referring to a community engagement bus developed in 2012 as a way for Calgary Transit to gather public input on its 30-year strategic plan, RouteAhead.

For four months the bus travelled to festivals and community events and also on regular routes, where commuters could ride for free in exchange for their ideas on the future of public transit.

Riders were given dinner-plate-sized stickers and pens to write down their wishes. They stuck those desires - things like beefed-up regional service and air conditioning - right on the bus.

The 10-year-old bus was retrofitted with a TV screen and a new seating design to make it easier to circulate.

“Public input was important, but we didn't want to do it in the traditional style... The main premise was, we'll come to where you are,” Calgary Transit's manager of strategic planning, Chris Jordan, told the Star.

It was important for riders to see transit officials and councillors riding routes they use, and the politicians got to hear about a lot of issues besides transit, said Jordan.

“Even when it was running in service, it was a great way to catch the people and get their thoughts on the future of public transit in Calgary. We would tweet where the bus was,” he said.

Heisey thinks there's something in the idea that could be a great addition to the TTC's “meet the manager” events that are held about every 10 days. That's where the system's executives make themselves available to riders at select subway stations during rush hours.

The Calgary bus continues to serve the city even though the public engagement exercise for which it was designed is over, said Jordan. As a low-floor, accessible vehicle, it acts as a mobile polling station in elections and can be used for other community events.

The cost of refurbishing the bus: $80,000.

The civic engagement: Priceless.