TTC's Upfold honored for transit leadership

The Canadian Urban Transit Association last week presented Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) Deputy Chief Executive Officer Chris Upfold with the individual leadership award of excellence.

Upfold, who also serves as the agency's chief customer officer, received the award for his "exceptional work" leading the TTC's transit plan for this year's Pan Am and Parapan Am Games, the world's third largest multi-sport event, agency officials said.

TTC helped accommodate more than 250,000 attendees, in addition to facilitating its usual 1.5 million daily trips, according to the agency.

Under Upfold's leadership, more than 1,600 TTC staff were trained and deployed as "games ambassadors" at 28 transit hubs, helping customers and spectators traveling through some of the busiest transit areas.

The award of excellence recognizes a single major contribution by an individual that has resulted in the betterment of a public transit initiative on behalf of their organization, TTC officials said.