A lot of people have been talking about what the TTC needs to do increase ridership and fix itself up. Though I think James Bow probably knows what he’s talking about more than us, I made my own little wishlist for the TTC:

• Power sockets on subway cars.  I know the subway runs on electricity, so letting me plug in my notebook computer to finish my homework on the way to school shouldn’t be too hard to implement.  If they want to throw in wi-fi access, that would be even better.
• Mobile phone reception.  I know that this is probably more dependant on the cellular network carriers than the TTC, but I hate leaving the station to make an important call.
• Student fares applying to all students.  Since when are high-school students the only people worth acknowledging?  University and college students have more financial constraints, so selling them a metropass at a student rate makes more sense.
• Subway displays that work.  In DC and some parts of Montreal, the displays tell you how long until the next train is supposed to arrive, which would help me to decide whether or not I had the time to run up to the Gateway Newstand and buy that bottle of water.
• TTC Memorabilia.  Sure I’m broke, but those spacing.ca subway buttons were too cute to resist.  Sell them everywhere, and you’ll have a dedicated fan base.
• Better advertising.  I know this falls into the hands of some external company (Urban Outdoor Trans-Ad, maybe?) but if you’re going to plaster every empty space with ads, at least try and make sure they’re interesting, or at least visually appealing.
• Bathrooms. Sometimes, you’re stuck on the subway at Dundas West and have to go.  The bathrooms at Kipling and Yonge are too far away (and too disgusting to use in the first place).  What’s a man to do?

That’s just a start.  I know I’m asking too much, and maybe I was spoiled by DC’s ultra-efficient subway system (though their bus system was horrible).  But in all honesty, if Toronto’s going to be a world-class city, we need a transit system that can support the people who use it.