ACAT Meeting - June 25, 2009

Agenda is not available for this meeting.
Please check the meeting minutes for meeting details.

Agenda is not available for this meeting.
Please check the meeting minutes for meeting details.

Agenda is not available for this meeting.
Please check the meeting minutes for meeting details.

Agenda is not available for this meeting.
Please check the meeting minutes for meeting details.

Susan Davidson, Chair, called the meeting to order at approximately 1:10 p.m. Roll call was taken.

Nil.

On motion of Howard Wax, ACAT approved the agenda.

On motion of Angela Marley, ACAT approved the minutes of the meeting held on may 29, 2009 with the following addition. Under Item 8, Wheel-Trans Operations Subcommittee, add “Thomas Hartley, Superintendent of Transportation, committed to providing a Mobile Supervisor at large public forums, (for example: baseball games at the Rogers Centre) to assist customers.”

A member noted that ACAT had not viewed the presentation until the evening of the event and others identified where improvements could be made in future forums including starting on time, reducing the presentations to give more time for questions, and matters of room lay-out.

Staff relayed that such aspects as erecting the signs for areas close to the ASL and captioning services had not been deployed because the number of people attending was much less than the crowds the previous year. There were empty seats close to the front on either side of the room if anyone wanted to sit close to the ASL interpreters and/or screens.

Concerns with the facility lighting were noted and it was suggested that the Communications Subcommittee might provide suggestions for the 2010 Forum.

Glenn Johnston informed the group that feedback is requested on the circulated forms and that a report addressing where there is room for improvement will be developed after the forms have been returned. That report will be available for the ACAT meeting in August.

Wheel-Trans was congratulated on the service provided to and from the Public Forum. Bill Frost thanked the members and said that he was pleased with Wheel-Trans employees and their performance. Wheel-Trans did not have an accurate count of attendees until the morning of the meeting and were prepared should attendance been higher.

The presentation, “Transit City Bus Plan”, was delivered by Bill MacDiarmid and areas for further discussion were identified and referred to the ACAT Design Review Subcommittee for an upcoming meeting with staff. Bill MacDiarmid noted both the areas that he could respond to in discussions with the Subcommittee and what he will refer to the staff conducting the assessment of the proposed Next Vehicle Arrival System. He made a commitment to meet with the Subcommittee before providing the bus service update to the Commission.

Wheel-Trans Operations Subcommittee

Angela Marley informed the members that the Subcommittee continues to work on the proposal to honour members of the public in the naming of the new Wheel-Trans buses. 

Design Review Subcommittee

Glenn Johnston was asked to check on the status of Downsview Station and to schedule subcommittee meetings on such matters as the Transit City Bus Plan. He will also schedule a meeting to review the prototype LRT vehicle when it is delivered and available for this.

Dean Milton informed the group that, until the TTC is completely accessible, it would be discriminatory to give free transit to some when others are still unable to access TTC. This item was deferred to July 30, 2009 ACAT meeting to allow for discussion prior to drafting the response letter from ACAT to Howard Moscoe.

Bill Frost presented the highlights of the 2010 Wheel-Trans Budget Presentation. Members endorsed the budget.

Deferred to July 30 Meeting.

Linda Napier expressed the concerns of the following medical institutions: Bloorview MacMillan, and Lyndhurst, that the proposed elimination of the Laird stop on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT will make it difficult for patients to access the facilities. Review of this issue was assigned to the Design Review Subcommittee.

Members expressed concerns that the installation of driver screens on city buses might limit space on the vehicle for mobility device clearance and/or the ability of Operators to communicate with customers. The matter of communications with customers was referred to the Communications Subcommittee for consideration.

Craig Nicol also expressed concern that the Next Vehicle Arrival System under development is inaccessible to the blind and suggested it include a tactile component. This was referred to the Design Review Subcommittee.

The Communications Subcommittee was also asked to review the Priority Seating By-law which Howard Wax read from.

The next meeting of ACAT will be held on Thursday, July, 30 2009, in the 7th Floor Boardroom, 1900 Yonge Street.

The meeting adjourned at approximately 3:40 p.m.

Janet O’Sullivan
For Secretary