Tag: Toronto Transit Commission

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Ontario sees a $14.6 million investment made to explore electric and TTC innovations

The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), the City of Toronto and PowerON are collectively investing $4.3 million in electric transit innovations.

IESO is investing $4.3 million, while the remaining parties are contributing $10.3 million. The collected sum will be used on two projects that aim to “explore innovative ways that large batteries can help subways and electric buses. The projects hope to reduce peak demands and strain on the electricity system.”

According to the IESO, Ontario’s electric transportation sector may grow 20 percent each year. This projection is “for the foreseeable future.” As a result, there’s an increase in electricity demand. Because of this, the investment hopes to seek ways batteries can store energy during low-demand periods and supply it during peak hours.

The two projects attached to the $14.6 million investment include supplying electric buses with battery storage capabilities. Additionally, TTC subway trains are to make use of regenerative braking.

PowerON is deploying a smart charging management system and batteries to minimize how much battery-electric buses charge during peak hours at TTC’s Birchmount and Malvern garages. These batteries are also to assist grid services to the provincial electric market.

Further, TTC subway trains are to utilize the regenerative braking system. It will allow the TTC to use energy that is otherwise burned off as heat. Currently, the braking system captures a portion of kinetic energy and transfers it to other trains to assist in acceleration.

“As we look to advance the electrification of all vehicles to meet our climate goals, these projects will help us make the TTC transit system more sustainable and efficient, and most importantly it will contribute to a cleaner, greener city,” Toronto mayor John Tory said in a statement.

The TTC currently has the largest fleet of battery-electric buses across North America. By 2040, the City of Toronto aims to achieve net-zero emissions.

Source: Independent Electricity System Operator

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Several TTC services are still down following ransomware attack

After being targeted by a ransomware attack on Thursday, October 28th, the Toronto Transit Commission’s (TTC) Wheel-Trans online booking site, trip-planning applications, and other communications services are still offline.

According to a statement released Saturday evening, the TTC first realized that its services are under attack on Thursday night when an IT employee discovered “unusual network activity.” According to the TTC, the attack initially had a “minimal” impact but got worse by mid-Friday.

The attack knocked out the TTC’s Vision System, which is used to communicate with vehicle operators. As of now, the TTC is using radio backup to communicate with its employees. The ‘Next Vehicle Information System’ on station screens, the TTC website, and the TTC’s internal email service are among the other services that have also been compromised.

“So if you’re trying to use one of the apps on your phone, and you’re waiting at a bus stop you will not see the next vehicle arriving or you may see something but it won’t be accurate, as well as the internal emails that are down so we have no network service,” said Stuart Green, TTC Spokesperson in a statement given to CP24.

The transit agency is working with law enforcement and cybersecurity professionals, including the City of Toronto’s IT department and Darktrace to resolve the problem and figure out what caused the assault. “As transit systems bounce back from the massive lull in ridership during the pandemic, they become an enticing target for ransomware actors,” said Darktrace’s director of strategic threat, Marcus Fowler in a statement given to MobileSyrup. ”

Anytime a ransomware attack can create a real-world impact, such as long lines or service disruption, cyber-criminals will likely demand higher ransom, with the expectation that victims will pay quickly. For the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), thankfully, they reported no significant transit service disruption.”

Via: CP24

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TTC is updating its website to offer a ‘mobile-first, responsive design’

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has announced that its outdated website is scheduled for an upgrade this week.

The website, which currently resembles eBay’s early 2010 look, will offer “a seamless, responsive and much more accessible user experience” post-upgrade, allowing users to better navigate the site.

The current version of the website, which is not mobile-friendly, was promised to be updated back in 2018. However, the company in charge of creating the new website shut down, causing an almost three-year delay.

That said, the new website will go live this week with changes “based on feedback from users of the current website.”

According to TTC, the new website will include:

  • A mobile-first, responsive design
  • Simplified content and user experience
  • Status dashboards for subway lines, surface routes, elevators and escalators
  • Live service alerts widget

Additionally, the TTC intends to launch another new feature later this fall — bus time integration. “This will allow customers to see in real-time exactly where the buses are in relation to the stop,” reads TTC’s website.

Source: TTC