Metrolinx has apologized for a photo posted online that showed a poll at the agency’s offices disparaged the TTC as a “cesspool” and referred to its passengers as “the great unwashed.”

The photo, which was posted to Twitter on Thursday morning, showed a whiteboard on which was written “How would you describe the TTC?”

Underneath someone had written the headings “cesspool,” “terrible,” “I like dirty subways” and “it’s awesome considering they have no $.” A heading in different handwriting and a different colour read “Hangin’ with the ‘great unwashed’ just builds a strong immune system.”

Hash marks beneath each heading appeared to tally responses.

The photo was posted by someone who does not work for Metrolinx, which is the provincially owned transit agency for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area.

In an emailed statement, Metrolinx spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins confirmed that “today we learned there was an informal poll in one of our hallways, inviting people to comment (negatively) on the TTC.”

She said that when management learned of the poll, they “immediately sent a notification to all senior executives to search their locations” in order to find where the whiteboard was displayed. She didn’t say where it was found.

“We want to be clear that this inappropriate, unacceptable and unprofessional action,” Aikins wrote. “It is not reflective of the positive relationship that we have with the TTC. The offensive material has been located, removed and management will ensure that the employee and program area will be counselled appropriately.”

Asked for a response to the TTC being called a “cesspool” by employees at a partner transit agency, TTC spokesperson Brad Ross responded in a brief email.

“We were certainly disappointed to see this. Metrolinx have apologized, we have accepted it and will move on,” he wrote.

The TTC and Metrolinx are working together on several major transit projects in Toronto, including the Presto fare card program, regional fare integration and new transit lines such as the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.

Some people at city hall believe the relationship is not a fair one and accuse the province and Metrolinx of frequently disregarding Toronto’s interests.

Last fall, councillors charged that the provincial government had strong-armed the city into paying billions of dollars for Metrolinx projects within the city. This week, members of the TTC board complained that Queen’s Park had unfairly forced Toronto’s transit agency into accepting Metrolinx’s Presto system which continues to experience technical problems.

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