The New TTC Train - An Encounter!

It somehow managed to escape us once before - rocketing through the subway tunnel at full speed, offering us only a glimpse.

But on Tuesday, August 30, 2011, the goddess of transit finally smiled kindly on us. Not only did we get to see the sparkling, brand-spanking new TTC train - we got to ride inside of it, too - if only for a few stops.

Enjoy the blurry, but genuine, photographic evidence of this underground legend!

Jarvis & King- A #TransitHubbing Encounter at Buskerfest

At the Buskerfest (@BuskerFestTO) street performance festival near the Jarvis & King Hub in Toronto, we had a spontaneous #TransitHubbing Encounter with a Latin-inspired band called DrumHand, a group of sugar-powered children, and a unicyclist horseman gone wild...

TransitHub: A Vision for Success...

One of the first questions that every Startup Team (as well as every business, period) should ask themselves upon beginning their journey as a Startup: "What does success look like?"

Defining what each team member sees as a successful goal for 2 - 5 years down the road not only serves as a beacon on the horizon for everyone to aim for, but as a motivating force that lets everyone know: we're thinking big.

In mid-June, after the adrenaline of our amazing Startup Weekend Toronto experience had finished rushing through our veins, the TransitHub Team got together to map out our very own "Vision for Success". Here's what we came up with...

Spadina & Queen - "TransitHub Thursdays" @ Hotel Ocho, a #TransitHubbing Adventure

Spadina and Queen is a lively Toronto Hub that runs round-the-clock. At the intersection of the Entertainment District, the Queen St. shopping strip, and China Town, you'd expect nothing less! But there's a little-known fact about this Hub that has so far remained a secret... until now. every Thursday evening, Spadina and Queen is the meeting place of your very own team of TransitHubbers, working hard to deliver TransitHub to you and your friends. :) Where do we meet, exactly? At a relatively undiscovered cafe/bar called Hotel Ocho, for a weekly  #TransitHubbing Adventure...

Lower Simcoe & Queens Quay - A #TransitHubbing Adventure

Lower Simcoe and Queens Quay doesn't seem like your typical Hub, off by the waterfront and away from the city proper. And the harbourfront strip itself may not be many local Torontonian's first choice when it comes to spending a lazy summer weekend - it's too touristy, you might say; been there, done that, you might think to yourself. But the truth, my dear TransitHubber, is that this lakeside Hub is one of the best places to spend a beautiful summer afternoon. With the bustling new Harbourfront Centre, there will always be a festival or two to enjoy, a food tent to peruse, and some live music to listen to!

The New TTC Train - Have you seen it??

It prowls the Yonge-University-Spadina line, seemingly appearing out of nowhere before disappearing without a trace. It doesn't take passengers, but rather speeds by on its own, hoping to slip past unnoticed. Before you're able to catch a glimpse... before you're able to snap a photo... it's gone.

The Weekend TransitHub Was Born

Every story has a beginning. Every racetrack has a starting line. Every baby... must first be born.

Sit back, relax, and keep some munchies handy, as I tell you a tale. This is an origins story, one that's sure to become a legend passed down from generation to generation. This, my dear friend, is the story of the weekend that TransitHub was born...


Day 1: The Pitch

Our story begins, of course, at the Toronto Edition of Startup Weekend, which was held from June 3 to 5, 2011. It's a three-day Dragon's Den/Apprentice-style competition that is one part development marathon and one part business incubator. It's a veritable who's who of the startup community. But most of all, it's a contest, mortal combat between challengers from every realm imaginable, from business and development to marketing and design. Fight!

And so... it begins!

Welcome to the very first blog post from the very talented (and from what people tell us, exceptionally good-looking) TransitHub Team. We're extremely excited to share with you, the future TransitHubbers out there, the latest goings-on and happenings with the team and the city.

On this site you'll find:

• The latest news about TransitHub's development
• The crib notes on what TransitHub is all about, and how it will rock your world
• A little bit about that fabulous-looking team mentioned above
• An invitation to connect with us and join the TransitHub community

Finally, we're really looking forward to sharing with you our #TransitHubbing Adventures - our journeys to some of the known and not-so-well-known Transit Hubs around the city - and hearing about the #TransitHubbing Adventures of your own.

And with that... it begins!

-John