This post was written by TTCriders Campaigns Committee member, Bill Worrell.
I distributed postcards at the picnic at Lotherton Summer Festival, 100 Lotherton Pathway, Lotherton Green Space (new Caledonia and Lawrence West) on August 20. It is an area of high-rise buildings where we just walked around, with no table. The event was organized by the North York Community House. There was food, music, bouncy castle, and information booths, etc. It was a real family event.
I found the discussion to be very enjoyable. The event was full of families. Talking to folks was easy, people are relaxed and have lots of time and are very open to our campaigns. I basically opened with something like “Hi I’m from TTCriders, we are an organization of people who ride the TTC. We think that the TTC is too expensive and too inconvenient/inefficient/slow" or "we want lower fares and better service".
Almost everybody I spoke to was receptive, and I heard many stories, about long commutes, breakdowns, and high costs. Generally, I found that it was definitely less rushed than speaking to riders on a subway platform or at a TTC stop. People were relaxed and had time to chat. Revealing the realities of Toronto funding as compared to North American cities was news to many folks. It was empowering for some, knowing that there are alternatives out there. For those that did recognize us, they saw us as a small organization, which tells me that this grassroots work is important!