TTCriders is a grassroots, membership-based transit advocacy organization with a focus on better public transit service in Toronto. Its stated mission is "to build a TTC that works with and for transit riders". It was founded in 2010 by a coalition of organizations, including the

Toronto Environmental Alliance The Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) is a Canadian non-profit environmental organization. Formed in 1988, TEA provides an activist voice on environmental issues affecting Toronto, Ontario. Mandate Since 1989, the Toronto Environmental Allianc ...

, Social Planning Toronto, Toronto & York Region Labour Council, ACORN, and the

Canadian Federation of Students The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) is the largest student organization in Canada, representing over 530,000 students from across Canada. Formed in 1981, the stated goal of the Federation is to represent the collective voice of Canadian st ...

. The organization employs a combination of online campaigns, transit debates and workshops to encourage political action on local transit issues. Since October 2013, the group has lobbied the Ontario provincial government to provide increased and sustained funding for the TTC.

Activities

Transit Talks

On May 15, 2013, the group hosted Transit Talks, a discussion series that introduced riders to then-incoming TTC CEO,

Andy Byford Andy Byford (born 1965) is a British transport executive who has held several management-level positions in transport authorities around the world, such as the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authori ...

Online campaigns

In May 2014, the group launched #TTCSardines, a social media campaign where users could submit pictures of themselves on crowded subways. The campaign culminated with a march on Queen's Park, in which approximately 100 protestors wore silver headpieces resembling the head of a sardine. In January 2015, the group launched #grumpyrider, an online selfie campaign modeled on the viral success of

Grumpy Cat Tardar Sauce (April 4, 2012 – May 14, 2019), nicknamed Grumpy Cat, was an American Internet celebrity cat. She was known for her permanently "grumpy" facial appearance, which was caused by an underbite and feline dwarfism. She came to promi ...

Political debates

On September 15, 2014, TTCriders partnered with the Ryerson Students Union to host a transit-focused mayoral debate between candidates

Doug Ford Douglas Robert Ford Jr. (born November 20, 1964) is a Canadian politician and businessman who has served as the 26th and current premier of Ontario since June 2018 and leader of the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party since March 2018. He ...

Olivia Chow Olivia Chow (; born March 24, 1957) is a Canadian retired politician who was a federal New Democratic Party (NDP) member of Parliament (MP) representing Trinity—Spadina from 2006 to 2014. Chow ran in the 2014 Toronto mayoral election, placin ...

and

John Tory John Howard Tory (born May 28, 1954) is a Canadian politician who has served as the 65th and current mayor of Toronto since 2014. After a career as a lawyer, political strategist and businessman, Tory ran as a mayoral candidate in the 200 ...

. Tory originally accepted but withdrew less than four hours before the debate was to start.

References

{{reflist, refs= {{cite web, url=http://www.ttcriders.ca/about/ , title=About Us , publisher=TTCriders.ca , accessdate=February 24, 2015 {{cite web, url=http://www.yongestreetmedia.ca/civicimpact/ttcriderslaunchcampaign10092013.aspx , title=TTCriders union launches campaign for provincial funding , publisher=Yonge Street Media , accessdate=February 24, 2015 {{cite web, url=http://www.ttc.ca/Customer_Service/Transit_Talk-By_TTC_Riders.jsp , title=Transit Talk – By TTCriders , publisher=ttc.ca , accessdate=February 24, 2015 {{cite web, url=http://www.680news.com/2014/02/26/ttcsardines-campaign-launched-by-transit-advocacy-group/ , title=#TTCsardines campaign launched by transit advocacy group , publisher=680news.com , accessdate=February 24, 2015 {{cite web, url=http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ttcsardines-frustrated-commuters-call-for-lower-fares-better-service-1.1807671 , title=#TTCSardines: Frustrated commuters call for lower fares, better service, publisher=ctvnews.ca, accessdate=February 24, 2015

External links