Fortunately, as a team of students we were still able to complete a placement with TTCriders. We were drawn to this placement for various reasons, including our interest in equity- and transit-related issues, community engagement opportunities, a chance to gain experience with a grassroots organization, and more!
Being part of TTCriders was not only informative and educational, but also explorative. We were encouraged to branch out and try things outside of our comfort zone. The TTCriders team supported us in our learning endeavours and always found ways to foster the skill sets that we deemed important for our own professional and educational success. Here are some key experiences from our time at TTCriders.
-- 2020-21 TTCriders student team: Selam Eyob, Jasmine Mohamed, Chinoye Sunny, Saja Elshaikh, Lindsay Blainey, and Daria Jaczy.
Facilitating online events
Through our placement with TTCriders, we gained a range of practical skills that are easily transferable into our professional and educational fields. We hosted deputation training sessions which aimed to equip transit users to speak at online meetings at City Hall, lead webinars, and hosted story circles. These opportunities played a critical role in developing our skills in public speaking, community outreach, and digital event planning. These skills have contributed to our knowledge of how to navigate and create a productive and engaging online environment. Developing these alternative online solutions is a very valuable skill and we’re grateful for the opportunity to have been able to take a lead in facilitating these events.
Opportunities to network
At a time when in-person connecting was difficult, TTCriders provided us with unique opportunities to network with a range of organizations and people that we otherwise may not have had the opportunity to engage with during a global pandemic. For example, we participated in meetings with City Councillors, gave class talks to fellow students, and met with organizations, such as a group of educators in the York region. Placement students were also included in meetings with the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC), which helped inform the OHRC’s letter calling on the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and Metrolinx to adopt a human rights-centred approach to fare payment technology. The online setting fostered a new networking environment, allowing us to work on our public speaking skills since it is only possible for one person to speak at a time in order to be understood.
Community mobilization
When the Toronto Star reported that applications to the Fair Pass low income discount had been paused during the pandemic, the student team contributed to advocacy initiatives to mobilize public support to restart the program. We also supported advocacy to keep the Scarborough RT corridor for rapid transit and extend the Wheel-Trans suspension of inactive accounts from 12 to 24 months. In the process of addressing transit inequities, we enhanced our graphic design skills, conducted policy research, and actively engaged with transit users who are affected by ever-changing TTC policies.
Shaping transit policy
Through TTCriders, we were able to gain hands-on experiences and contributed to making real change in Toronto. We helped design TTCriders’ engagement work with transit users as they seek to shape the TTC’s 5-Year Fare Plan and policy review. As community organizers, part of our job was understanding the needs of community members and figuring out the best way to get important messages across. We created a transit survey for TTC users to share their insights and concerns, and organized numerous Transit Story Circles to gather qualitative data that will inform TTCriders’ demands and be shared with the TTC. We organized successful outreach initiatives, created social media content, handed out flyers, developed surveys and presentations, and engaged with local community organizations.
Get involved
If you are interested in civic engagement and building better cities, TTCriders is a grassroots group you should be a part of. You’ll learn skills like how to make a deputation and become involved in decision-making processes about important policies such as the barriers to accessing Presto in suburban areas and the existing barriers to accessing and using the Fair Pass program.
Often, people and the community are considered last when it comes to development and design. As a transit organization, TTCriders campaigns tirelessly to ensure that transit users have a voice. As a student team we’ve had the pleasure of being exposed to what true advocacy and people-centred approaches resemble.
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Get involved with TTCriders by signing up as a volunteer or member. If you need to complete a volunteer placement as part of a course, contact Shelagh ([email protected]) to apply to complete your hours with TTCriders! To join our summer cohort, please apply by May 15, 2021.
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About the authors
Lindsay Blainey is an undergraduate candidate at the University of Toronto, double majoring in urban studies and political science graduating in June 2021. She will be attending the University of Westminster for a masters degree in international planning and sustainable development beginning in September 2021. She is passionate about issues of equity and sustainability in urban areas, she hopes to use an international lens to solve some of the most pressing local issues.
Saja Elshaikh is a MES-Urban planning graduate candidate from the Environmental Studies and Urban Change program at York University. She is passionate about creating sustainable communities that are equitable and inclusive to all members of society. Her interests include transportation planning, community-led planning and housing policy design.
Selam Eyob is an MES-Urban Planning graduate candidate with the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change at York University. Her interests are within equity and community planning with a focus on social, historic and cultural conservation, as well as ethical and community-centered revitalization. She works at the intersection of public health, placemaking and urban planning.
Daria Jaczy is an undergraduate candidate at the University of Toronto, double majoring in urban and environmental studies, with a minor in environmental geography graduating in June 2021. She is passionate about building sustainable cities, and seeing how we can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining our current quality of life.
Jasmine Mohamed is an emerging planner completing a Masters in Environmental Studies and Urban Change (MES) - Planning at York University. She is a lifelong learner that is passionate about transforming cities, with key focus areas in equity, placemaking and transportation.
Chinoye Sunny is an MES-Urban Planning graduate candidate at York University. Her interests include land use and community planning, particularly focusing on strategic initiatives to provide adaptable and accessible communities within cities. She hopes to implement policies that caters to providing strategic growth mechanisms that fosters placemaking for the betterment of communities.
