Next Stop, Service Design

Michael Piamonte-Talley
Nov 2 · 5 min read

Week 9- Service design by Michael Piamonte-Talley

https://www.cp24.com/news/use-of-gap-trains-on-line-1-has-absolutely-improved-service-ttc-1.4168967

Chances are if you or someone you know lives in the GTA, the TTC has made an impactful part of your everyday life. Wether it be the use of buses, trains, streetcars or rapid-transit let's look in depth at how their system design has earned Toronto recognition as the top Public Transit System of 2017 in North America.

The Toronto Transit Commission, formerly known as the Toronto Transportation Commission was established in 1920 replacing the Toronto Railway Company taking over the operation of municipal transit service.

In 1921 the TTC began their operation and started by taking over the areas owned by various railway companies. By taking ownership over a larger area of the city, the 9 previous individually set transit fairs were replaced by one universal TTC fair and the process to improve and add to existing streetcar routes began to spread across Metropolitan Toronto.

What Inspired Public Transit/Subway systems?

The first instance of public transportation was initiated by a man named Blaise Pascal and was recorded in Paris, 1662. Pascal introduced a series of routes using horse-drawn carriages that could carry up to 8 passengers along the city streets, however the service was quite costly for the time and only the wealthy were able to afford it. Unfortunately for Pascal the public appeal started to die down and the idea of public transportation was temporarily sidelined.

It wasn’t until the 1800’s where public transportation began to gain popularity in major cities originating in Paris, with the introduction of the omni-bus, a horse-drawn car that could carry upwards of 10 people at a time, unfortunately this method of transportation was said to be very uncomfortable as roads were not often paved and the seats were unpadded.

Illustration of an Omnibus https://www.magnoliabox.com/products/horse-drawn-omnibus-42-53454988

In 1826, New York created their own omnibus lines along with other major cities across North America and Europe and the new method of public transportation began to associate amongst the middle-class.

With new methods of transportation making way for new innovations in urban areas (cable/streetcars, subways, buses, etc) the way people were able to interact with the area they live in began to change drastically. As cities began to increase in size, citizens were able to compensate for the longer travel distances. In turn cities had to design their infrastructure around effective means of public transportation, this would affect the whole layout of urban areas.

How does the TTC and Public Transit relate to the Reading of the Week?

In week 9 based on the text ‘The Nature of Service Design’ and ‘Service Design 101’ we learn about what differentiates a service from a product and how service design is an integral factor for the success and level of value held by customers using the service.

What determines the success of a service has a majority to due with how well it can connect and appeal to its customers values. Anyone can have a service that uses the most advanced or intuitive technology and material but that doesn't determine how well it connects with the people that use it. A company needs to give the customers a positive service experience that makes it feel like the outcome is worth the money invested in order for customers to come back in the future. In order for companies to design their service appeal to its users, they need to rely on the three Core Service Values:

  • Care
  • Access
  • and Response

The TTC covers these values very well in my opinion and in 2018 they started a campaign to promote six of their own values to the service. They include:

- Respect one another
- Value each other’s time
- Tell people what’s happening
- Stay safe
- Mind your space
- Help others out

With my many years of experience using the TTC on a regular basis, I can say that their service has been reliable and provides a fairly informative ride experience. Im always able to find my destination easily using the multiple bus and subway route maps along the voice alerts for stops to allow for quick reference as to where my stop is without having to search the route online. One of their core values to let its users know whats happening at all times is very effective letting the user know when to compensate for longer travel times before hand. In response to route delays/construction alerts, the TTC always provides the estimated travel times and shuttle bus replacements online providing its users with adequate information to find alternate travel methods to get to their destinations.

Shuttle Bus https://www.blogto.com/city/2017/01/ttc-scheduled-subway-closures-toronto-2017/

What can we learn from this particular product or service? What are the potential design implications and opportunities?

With the success of the TTC as a public transit service, we can learn service design as a whole has been increasingly focused on appealing to the needs and values of the user. Their approach to Care, Access, and Response has been represented thoroughly with their continuous additions to their systems to make their service as efficient and convenient as possible for the user. In conclusion with the ever evolving industry of service design there will always be room for new innovations as the needs and values of users may change in the future. However there is also a chance for design implications as it is impossible to tell as to what degree the level of service design we have today will compare or be relevant to the needs in the future.

Questions for Discussion

Do you think the TTC offers sufficient alternatives in the event of a system delay and have they supplied an adequate level of service in such events?

Do you think TTC’s service design is more catered towards the user experience/comfort or time and travel efficiency?

Sources

Preece, Rogers, and Sharp. 2015. Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction. West Sussex, UK: Wiley.

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