ACAT Meeting - December 11, 2008

1. Call to Order / Attendance
2. Declaration of Conflict of Interest
3. Approval of Agenda
4. Review and Approval of November 27, 2008 Minutes (ATTACHED)
5. Business Arising Out of Minutes/Outstanding Items
6. Report on Commission Meeting Accessibility Matters
7. Deputations: None
8. Subcommittee Reports
9. 2009 ACAT Retiring Members
10. Metrolinx Presentation
11. Subway Car Design – Signage Considerations Update
12. Open Forum
13. Recommended Changes to the Terms of Reference
14. Subcommittee Restructuring
15. Other / New Business
16. Next Meeting – January 29, 2009
17. Adjournment

1. Call to Order / Attendance
2. Declaration of Conflict of Interest
3. Approval of Agenda
4. Review and Approval of November 27, 2008 Minutes (ATTACHED)
5. Business Arising Out of Minutes/Outstanding Items
6. Report on Commission Meeting Accessibility Matters
7. Deputations: None
8. Subcommittee Reports
9. 2009 ACAT Retiring Members
10. Metrolinx Presentation
11. Subway Car Design – Signage Considerations Update
12. Open Forum
13. Recommended Changes to the Terms of Reference
14. Subcommittee Restructuring
15. Other / New Business
16. Next Meeting – January 29, 2009
17. Adjournment

1. Call to Order / Attendance
2. Declaration of Conflict of Interest
3. Approval of Agenda
4. Review and Approval of November 27, 2008 Minutes (ATTACHED)
5. Business Arising Out of Minutes/Outstanding Items
6. Report on Commission Meeting Accessibility Matters
7. Deputations: None
8. Subcommittee Reports
9. 2009 ACAT Retiring Members
10. Metrolinx Presentation
11. Subway Car Design – Signage Considerations Update
12. Open Forum
13. Recommended Changes to the Terms of Reference
14. Subcommittee Restructuring
15. Other / New Business
16. Next Meeting – January 29, 2009
17. Adjournment

1. Call to Order / Attendance
2. Declaration of Conflict of Interest
3. Approval of Agenda
4. Review and Approval of November 27, 2008 Minutes (ATTACHED)
5. Business Arising Out of Minutes/Outstanding Items
6. Report on Commission Meeting Accessibility Matters
7. Deputations: None
8. Subcommittee Reports
9. 2009 ACAT Retiring Members
10. Metrolinx Presentation
11. Subway Car Design – Signage Considerations Update
12. Open Forum
13. Recommended Changes to the Terms of Reference
14. Subcommittee Restructuring
15. Other / New Business
16. Next Meeting – January 29, 2009
17. Adjournment

Penny Lamy, Chair, called the meeting to order at approximately 1:00 p.m. Roll call was taken.

Ross Visconti was presented with a plaque to commemorate his assistance to ACAT over the years.

Chair Lamy asked if TTC Chair Adam Giambrone and Chief General Manager Gary Webster would like to address ACAT.

TTC Chair Adam Giambrone greeted the members, thanked them for their commitment to the Committee, and discussed the challenges and progress of the past year in review and for the future.

In response to an inquiry from Penny Lamy regarding the education of members of the public about integrating people with disabilities into TTC, Adam informed the group of the 2009 Marketing and Public Affairs Advertising Campaign goals.

Chief General Manager Gary Webster discussed the excellent feedback received at the 2008 Open Forum and public meeting and that a staff report regarding the sessions will be presented at the December 17, 2008 Commission Meeting. He repeated the commitment made early in the year to have the event on an annual basis.

Adam Giambrone discussed the position of the City of Toronto as a leader in accessible transit, by comparing the TTC’s 2020 station accessibility plan (all stations accessible in 2020) to Montreal’s (commitment for a few stations) and New York’s plan (15% in 2020).

Gary Webster referred to a Press Launch on Monday, December 15 and the December 17, 2008 Commission Meeting Agenda as sources of additional information for Toronto.

Adam Giambrone and Gary Webster discussed approaching the Commission with regard to a Commission representative to ACAT.

In response to a question, Gary Webster informed the group that cell phone use on the subway should be available in 2 to 3 years.

On motion of Howard Wax, ACAT approved the agenda. 

On motion of Howard Wax, ACAT approved the minutes of the meeting held on November 27, 2008.

Nil.

Nil.

Nil.

Communications Subcommittee

Dean Milton asked Glenn Johnston to speak on the three items that the Subcommittee dealt with on November 28, 2008 as follows:

• Public Forum - the Subcommittee completed the assessment of the comments from the public received as a result of the meetings in May and October 2008 and provided advice on how the TTC, with the assistance of ACAT, might approach the issues and opportunities. As noted earlier by Gary Webster, a report briefly summarizing the major areas of concern/potential improvement identified during the process will go to the Commission. Some of the concerns raised in early 2008, such as the need for additional conventional buses, have already been addressed. Further reports on how the TTC responds to other concerns are expected prior to the 2009 Public Forum.
• Service Standards - the public comment period on the draft Information and Communications Standard has been extended to early February, which gives the Subcommittee and all ACAT members additional time to respond to the draft. The development of the TTC’s 2008 Year-End Accessibility Report has begun and, if available, may include information on the Provincial standards development processes including that for the Information and Communications standard. 
• Decal for New Subway Cars - the advice of the Subcommittee was provided to the Marketing and Customer Service Department (see Item #11 Subway Car Design - Signage Considerations Update).

Design Review Subcommittee

During the month of December, the members of the Subcommittee had received information on the following:

• Environmental Assessments, Concept Studies and Public Consultation – as per previous discussions and invitations for ACAT members and the public to attend public meetings, an ACAT member had attended the December 3, 2008 meeting on the Yonge Subway Extension. Members were reminded of the Lakeshore West (LRT) meeting on December 9 and 10, 2008 and of the City of Toronto newsletter and website information on the 21 initiatives which the City and/or the TTC may be involved in over the years.
• Open Forum – CGM Gary Webster had already spoken on this (see Item #1). Various TTC offices have or will consider potential improvements as a result of this exercise and their responses will be included in the future reports.

As noted earlier, the development of the TTC’s 2008 Year-End Accessibility Report has begun with some offices asked to provide updates on approved budget items for early January 2009. As in the past, the Subcommittee will be involved in the development of the TTC update and plan.

Wheel-Trans General Superintendent Bill Frost thanked the members both corporately and personally for their dedication and commitment to improving accessible transportation in Toronto and announced that retiring ACAT members will now receive a 3-year transportation pass at the December 17, 2008 Commission Meeting.

Penny Lamy noted the positive changes to Wheel-Trans and TTC service and thanked Bill Frost for his leadership.

Briana Illingworth and Jeff Shortt from Metrolinx gave a presentation and opened the floor to questions.

The members were concerned that they were not involved as a resource for the project and asked that Adam Giambrone, who is on the Board as a representative for Toronto, to offer their services as a resource and to request information on establishing the Metrolinx Advisory Committee.

This item is to be placed on the Outstanding Tasks list.

Glenn Johnston presented the designs for the Priority Seating Decal and Safety Decal placed at the flip-down seats and the international decal of accessibility to be placed on the new subway cars. The signage was per the advice of the ACAT Communications Subcommittee (see Item #8 and the attached “Proposed Passenger Signage”).

It was noted that the interior of the subway cars, including the use of contrasting colours (seats, walls, stanchions, etc.), the seats (bank of three flip-down type in each multi-purpose area), the multi-purpose area itself (size and location relative to the doors), and the intercom and other features were as per the advice of ACAT in late 2007/early 2008 and as confirmed by Howard Wax in his examination of the prototype vehicle.

The subway cars are being manufactured as per previous ACAT advice and the decals will be installed as per input from the ACAT Subcommittee and as presented at this meeting. The decals/signage will be employed on other types of TTC conveyances as appropriate. However, the decals might be altered if the upcoming Provincial regulation on accessible transportation defines a different standard.

Dean Milton distributed the proposed ACAT Terms of Reference and Chair Penny Lamy spoke about the suggested revisions and the reasons why the Executive felt changes were required.

On motion of Howard Wax, seconded by Anna Noviss, ACA approved (all in favour with one abstention) the presentation of the revised terms of reference to commission.

Dean Milton distributed the documents “2008 ACAT Subcommittees”, “ACAT Subcommittees” (on Subcommittees post-2008) and “ACAT Subcommittees” (on the roles of the 5 proposed Subcommittees), presented slides for each of these documents and reiterated what had been discussed previously on the intent of the changes and the what was now being proposed.

Howard Wax moved a motion that ACAT accept the documentation detailing the restructuring of the ACAT Subcommittees and proceed accordingly. Chair Penny Lamy thanked Mr. Wax for voicing his support of the materials as written and the future arrangement of Subcommittees, but indicated a formal motion might not be required.

There was a consensus amongst the ACAT members to accept the materials and to proceed with the Subcommittee make-up in 2009.

Marian McDonnell announced that former ACAT member Mazin Aribi was presented with an Unsung Hero Award at the International Day of People with Disabilities Celebration. Mazin Aribi informed the members that the shuttle to and from the event was a success.

Linda Napier reiterated that Adam Giambrone informed the members that due to a budget commitment from the City, TTC fares would not be increasing. Angela Marley suggested that a letter be written by the Chair to the Editor of the Globe and Mail supporting the TTC decision to not raise fares.

Adam Cohoon thanked the other members for their support during his primary year on the Committee.