ACAT Meeting - October 30, 2014

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.

• Matthew Boscario, Chief of Staff of Chair Augimeri

Susan Davidson, Chair, called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m. Attendance was taken.

Collie Greenwood, TTC Head of Stations, presented an issue that will be coming before the November ACAT Service Planning Subcommittee meeting. In the course of the construction at Union Station, access to the University-Spadina elevator will be unavailable in December and January 2015. The TTC only learned of this requirement recently, and will come to ACAT with more information and ask for input on how to ensure accessibility at Union Station, as well as the accessible alternate routes through Queen and St. Andrew Stations, during this outage.

Nil.

On motion by Craig Nicol and seconded by Bill Castor, the Committee reviewed and accepted the Agenda with the following revisions:

• Steve Kean will not attend to give his deputation. As it was submitted in writing, it was moved down to Correspondence.
• Jerry Borins will not make a deputation which will be submitted in writing.
• Angela Marley added two discussions under New Business: 1) Route signage on buses during Remembrance Day, and 2) The Role of ACAT in TTC Board Orientation.
• Marian McDonell added a discussion of the Pan Am and Para Pan Am Games under New Business.
• Sam Savona added two discussions under New Business: 1) A discussion of the privately engaged bus that has a route from Liberty Village, and 2) A discussion of bike racks on buses.

On motion by Angela Marley and seconded by Judy Berger, the Committee reviewed and accepted the Minutes with the following revisions:

• Page 9, paragraph 3: Remove the line "Motion made ... SPS Minutes." The Motion is recorded below, in the fourth paragraph following.

Regarding Page 5, Item 7, the question raised about someone coming to speak about priority seating, Susan Davidson explained that Orest Kobylansky would attend the current meeting to speak on this matter.

Regarding the Page 8, paragraph 1 discussion on the streetcar ramp catching on the tactile strip edging the Spadina Station streetcar platform, the Design Review Subcommittee received clarification that there is a significant drop at the curb and the tactile domes are necessary.

Regarding the Motion passed in the September meeting to send a recommendation to the Board to ultimately forward to the Province for the amendment of the Highway Traffic Act to ensure safety at non-platform streetcar stops, the letter has been written and will be presented at the December Board meeting.

Regarding the recommendation to the Board to forward to the City for the installation of zebra crossings and Audio Pedestrian Signals, the letter was received by the City and referred to the City's Public Works Committee.

Regarding the Page 11, Item 12 discussion on Culture of Accessibility, Tim Rose will distribute an email to members next week with suggestions on moving forward.

Regarding the Page 12, Item 14c discussion on ACAT Information Sessions, Susan Davidson reported that the two sessions were held, with great interest and a number of applications. The ACAT Executive will follow the review process.

Alan Yule presented his deputation regarding TTC guidelines for use of strollers on buses and impacts to accessibility. The print and electronic version was provided to members.

ACAT thanked Alan Yule for the deputation.

Marian McDonell commented that the deputation is timely and necessary, and reported issues that she has experienced on buses where both strollers and mobility devices have boarded, constricting the aisle and putting her mobility device controller in harm's way.

Craig Nicol requested clarification on the comment about an oversized bicycle. Alan Yule explained that he was suggesting that large pictograms of strollers, bicycles, and the International Symbol of Access be painted on the side of the vehicle to indicate the appropriate door and section, rather than the small decals that currently exist for bicycles and accessibility. There is not currently a symbol for strollers on TTC streetcars.

This item was referred to the Service Planning Subcommittee, where appropriate staff will attend to discuss the stroller policies, and the next steps for ACAT to follow will be determined.

Craig Nicol requested an accessible version of the presentation, including references to transit policies. Alan Yule will submit these later in the week.

Service Planning Subcommittee (SPS) – Angela Rebeiro, Chair

The last meeting was held October 8, 2014.

o2014 Public Forum on Accessible Transit – Debrief and Next Steps

Mary Leo-Oliver, TTC Special Events, attended to receive and provide feedback on the September 17, 2014 Public Forum.

Overall, the feedback from the Subcommittee was positive:

• They observed that the number of attendees at the meeting was impressive, and while not everyone had a chance to speak, most people were very engaged in the process.
• There appeared to be enthusiasm in the room and the moderator did a reasonable job of keeping it moving forward, even if some people spoke longer than their allotted time.
• Wheel-Trans did an excellent job of moving people to and from the Forum, and the shuttle bus was also effective. In particular, the departure was very well-organized.
• Although the audio was good, it seemed to degrade when Susan Davidson started to speak. Staff agreed that this was an issue, and explained that there was a problem with the audio and this was something to ensure does not happen again next year.
• The name tags and colour shirts were effective in identifying who was who.
• Having the PowerPoint presentation available online ahead of time was effective.
• The market place before the forum was well-organized, tables were laid out with ample space for people to move around, and the greeting and information table at the entrance was a positive addition to the night's events.
• Advertising and promotion of the Forum appeared to be well-organized with voiceover reminders of the date in the subway system, and signage at elevator doors and throughout the system. Signage at the market place was also prominent, making it easy and clear to find the various departments' information booths.
• TTC staff appeared to be out in good numbers and both staff and ushers were helpful and unobtrusive.
• Concern was expressed at the fact that attendees left the meeting without knowing how their concerns would be addressed.
• One or two of the members found themselves reminding the public that ACAT did not deal only with Wheel-Trans, nor was it responsible for Wheel-Trans, but that its members are an advisory committee to the TTC for the entire system.
• Some people were disappointed that they did not get a response to their questions or statements, and others were disappointed not to have had the opportunity to present their comments.

Feedback from Staff:

• By working with ACAT, the set up worked well.
• Some people were disappointed that they did not hear more responses to their questions, although they appreciated the opportunity to speak.
• There was not enough time to accommodate everyone who wanted to speak, and some people stayed late to speak with Andy Byford directly.
• There were problems with people using mobility devices sitting in the area designated for people with hearing impairments, where the closed captioning was most visible.
• Staff are considering other formats for next year, looking at how there can be better equity in attendees speaking. This might take the form of round tables, which may help to control the microphone and the amount of time people speak. Members urged TTC personnel to try finding other venues, especially if it allows moving the event around to different parts of the city. With the Pan Am games, there might be new sites built that can be used.
• One suggestion was to have the Forum held earlier in the week, so it will not compete with any weekend preparations that the location owners might have to prepare for. The Subcommittee will take this back to ACAT.

The next steps are to review attendee remarks from the meeting. These will be sorted and sent off to appropriate departments to address them. Ultimately, the responses to common themes raised will be posted on the TTC website.

• Training for Customer Service Ambassadors

Staff from the TTC Training Department, Josie Panetta, Andrew Dixon, and Seth Irvine, joined the meeting to answer questions and take back feedback on the training of Ambassadors in stations and on streetcars. ACAT had some concerns that Ambassadors were not fully trained in accessibility information.

An example was an incident reported by members where Ambassadors did not have accessibility information at Union Station, where an elevator was not working and the Ambassador did not know alternate routes.

Josie Panetta provided background on the Ambassadors. During the past three years, they have been students hired from May to Labour Day to help customers in subway stations. They are trained for emergencies and in TTC customer service, including accessibility. They are trained to inform customers of alternate routes, especially if there is an elevator outage.

A third party contractor has been hired to provide subway closure customer service representatives. They are trained by the TTC for a full day, with time spent on AODA and expectations for serving all customers. They are specifically told the same thing about elevator outages, to provide an alternate route. There are always lead Supervisors at every closure site if there are questions or incidents. So, if there is an elevator outage, the customer service representative is trained to a) inform the customer of alternate routes, b) contact their Supervisor, c) if there are Wheel-Trans vehicles available, they inform Transit Control who will send the vehicle. If someone using a mobility device is placed on a Wheel-Trans vehicle, their companions will accompany them, and they will be taken directly to their destination, within reason.

For the low-floor streetcar Ambassadors, there is a contract company different from the others. They will be out there indefinitely, for the rollout of the streetcars on new routes in the next two years. They are posted seven days a week, with two shifts per day, from the opening of stations until 10:00 p.m. They are trained similarly to subway closure representatives, with more time spent on new features of the streetcar. Ambassadors are brought onto the vehicles, demonstrated the features, and shown a video. For priority seating, Ambassadors are instructed that if someone is in the priority seating location with a stroller, they need to ask them to move because a person using a mobility device needs to be there. They are instructed to request that this person locate themselves to other nearby seating. If there is an elevator outage at Spadina Station, alternate routes are posted at that station. If there is a ramp malfunction, they can contact the Operator directly.

Judy Berger commented that the staff posted at St. George and Yonge Stations in the morning rush hour who ask people to move are very effective. Andrew Dixon explained that these are TTC staff transitioning back to work, and not Ambassadors.

The Subcommittee suggested that Ambassadors on streetcars should be aware of elevator closures in stations on the streetcar line, in case customers would change to an alternate route.

The Subcommittee had the opportunity to review three training manuals and found that overall they were very well-written. These training documents were provided to Ambassadors who are working with TTC customers.

Staff commented that directing people to other doors is a standard announcement, but Ambassadors have not been engaging. Ambassadors will be issued a card reminding them what to say.

Angela Rebeiro suggested to the Committee that they read the SPS Minutes when they become available.

The next meeting will be held November 5, 2014.

Questions and Comments from the Committee:

Marian McDonell commented that Dean Milton and Wheel-Trans worked hard to have the new Wheel-Trans guide ready for the Public Forum. Mazin Aribi suggested that the guide be made available for download on the website. Dean Milton is currently working on this with TTC Communications.

Marian McDonell asked if it would be productive to have an ACAT member present for the training of Ambassadors. Staff explained that Training has developed a module that is passed on to the contract companies, and will discuss possible ACAT input with Training.

Angela Marley commented that next year ACAT will need to look at how to encourage Board members to attend the Forum.

Wheel-Trans Operations Subcommittee (WTOS) – Lynn McCormick, Chair

The last meeting was held October 21, 2014.

A couple months ago, the Subcommittee was involved in developing a Customer Satisfaction Survey for Wheel-Trans customers. Results were presented, taking the majority of the meeting. There were 5,000 responses altogether and the results were quite good. The majority of responses were positive and customers were happy with the system. Results will be brought to the November ACAT meeting.

The same survey will be run again next year and the results compared to the current round.

Design Review Subcommittee (DRS) – Craig Nicol, Chair

The last meeting was held on October 3, 2014.

The following items were discussed: the directional wayfinding tiles, the tactile strip down the centre of subway centre platforms guiding to stairs, escalators, and elevators. Staff provided background information and samples of directional wayfinding tiles currently installed on subway platforms, which were developed by the TTC in the 1990's in consultation with CNIB and ACAT. New standards for directional wayfinding tiles mean the current tiles are no longer compliant with best practices. It was proposed that the TTC adopt tiles compliant with Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and International Standards Organization (ISO) standards for all new construction. The Subcommittee recommended the new design be installed in the six new stations being built on Line 1. This will be in line with Metrolinx plans for the Eglinton Crosstown. After the experience of using the new tiles on the Line 1 extension, the TTC may consider retrofitting other stations.

TTC Engineering will take back the Subcommittee's recommendations and request that the project teams for the new stations use the new designs. They will report back to the Subcommittee.

Staff updated the Subcommittee on the status of the Easier Access III projects. Dufferin Station is expected to be completed by the end of November 2014, and Lawrence West Station is expected to be completed by the end of December 2014. The other stations were listed, with Warden and Islington Stations last as they are pending other construction projects. The Subcommittee expressed concern about funding. Staff assured that planning is ongoing, with the assumption that funding will be made available by 2018, when current funding runs out. The target for all stations to be accessible remains 2025.

The Subcommittee was made aware of and provided with proposed amendments for CSA B651 Accessible Design for the Built Environment. The period for public comment expired on October 27, 2014.

The Design Review Subcommittee Outstanding Items List was updated with several items closed.

Other business items discussed included:

• Maintenance of third party entrance features at subway stations, where power doors were not operating. This is an issue that has been raised in the past with the TTC Planning and Property Development department, at which time they discussed improving the Station Manager role in advising property owners of their responsibilities when features go down. New agreements will be more stringent in requirements for maintaining accessible elements and it is expected that the TTC will update agreements when they have opportunities, to increase control over the accessible facilities that are critical for stations.
• Tactile edge marking tiles at the Spadina Station streetcar platform are placed some distance from the platform edge. Earlier, the Subcommittee thought that the curb was normal, and tactile warnings were not needed, but has since been informed that the curb height is greater than ten inches and the tactile warning is necessary. The distance at which it is placed back from the edge can be an issue. Craig Nicol suggested that the TTC look at Japan's bullet train stations, where they must place tiles back from the edge because of the suction of trains. Tiles were placed further back and people would stand on the wrong side, so they combined them with directional wayfinding tiles so people would know where they were standing to wait. Staff will take this back to Engineering for discussion.
• Marking of accessible door loading locations on streetcar platforms will be an item for the November meeting.

The next meeting will be held November 5, 2014.

Comments and Questions from the Committee:

Mazin Aribi requested an update on the Dufferin and Lawrence Station completion dates. Staff had no update, but reported there would be announcements and press similar to when the elevators at Pape Station opened.

Communications Subcommittee (CS) – Marian McDonell, Chair

The last meeting was held on October 7, 2014.

Minutes from the August 7, 2014 meeting were approved.

Deborah Brown was introduced as the new Manager of TTC Customer Communications.

The Customer Service report concerning the August 7, 2014 Minutes was discussed at the ACAT meeting in terms of the issue of customers in strollers occupying space designated for customers using mobility devices. The policy which states that customers must vacate the priority location if someone using a mobility device requires that spot, including customers in strollers, needs more clarification. Operations staff have been invited to an ACAT General meeting to discuss the policy.

• New Streetcar Launch Campaign – Update

Deborah Brown presented an update on the low floor streetcar launch on August 31, 2014. In this brief period, customers who have been using the accessible streetcar generally express satisfaction. The Subcommittee requested to receive more information as more people use the streetcars and more streetcars are deployed.

The Subcommittee discussed and expressed concerns about many issues, such as:

• Crowding inside and outside the second door where the ramp is deployed.
• Conflict between strollers and mobility devices using the ramp and the priority locations. Staff reported that knowledge of policy and bylaw is part of Operator and Ambassador training.
• Lack of awareness that there are only two new low-floor streetcars in use and the ramifications of this reality. Some people do not realize the long wait time between accessible streetcars.
• Some customers find that the ramp is quite steep.
• Applications and text services that locate the next accessible vehicle are very useful.
• Many customers are unaware of the purpose of the blue seats.

Deborah Brown stated that she would pass on the Subcommittee's comments and get more feedback from the ambassadors before the next meeting.

• Priority Seating Campaign – Update

Deborah Brown updated the Subcommittee on the Priority Seating Campaign launched on September 22, 2014 on subways, streetcars, and buses. She suggested a modification to education materials to include an image of the blue seats, tying the message to the location on the vehicle and helping customers make that connection. This would be included in the next roll out of most materials in 2015, but could be incorporated immediately into Metro newspaper ads.

The Subcommittee discussed and expressed concerns about many issues, such as Operators no longer asking passengers to move and customers not being aware of what the blue seats are for.

There was much discussion of using ACAT to endorse accessibility messages with the TTC. This item will be taken away by staff for discussion, and then return to the Subcommittee, after which it can be brought to ACAT.

Dean Milton distributed a list of priority seating FAQs. The Subcommittee discussed #6, where the wording puts the onus of asking people to move on the customer instead of making it a joint effort with Operators. Staff will confirm the Operator's role in such a situation and the revised FAQ will return to the Subcommittee for comment.

• Interchange Station Announcements – Update

Members confirmed that the announcements have returned and that they now specify which line the subway connects with.

• ACAT Information on the TTC Website

Deborah Brown agreed that ACAT information on the TTC website could be updated and modified to be easier to read and find. She will distribute her edits to members for feedback and Oskar Westin, Website Design, will implement changes.

• Communications Subcommittee Outstanding Items List

The Subcommittee discussed that ensuring that people using mobility devices board first and deboard last is a safety measure. The Subcommittee suggested rolling this into the Priority Seating Campaign or the upcoming safety campaign in 2015.

Matt Hagg will pass on Operator training concerns to Operations, and refer this item to the Service Planning Subcommittee.

Kevin Lee provided an update on the accessibility section in Board reports written by staff. Members were asked to review the sheet of examples/questions and answers, and respond with any feedback or additional questions that staff can ask while completing the template. The template will be reviewed in December and the communication guide will be issued in January 2015. Kevin Lee distributed a mock-up of the system for Subcommittee review.

Debbie Gillespie brought forward an issue of Driver training, where she was let off at a construction site one block before her stop without being told, which is against procedures. Lynn McCormick suggested that ACAT members and former ACAT members continue to attend Operator sign up sessions; however, the focus continues to be on the Hillcrest Training sessions. This item was referred to the Service Planning Subcommittee.

The next meeting will be held on November 6, 2014.

No meeting was held in October. The next meeting will be held in November 2014.

The last meeting was held October 21, 2014.

The only issue regarding the Eglinton Crosstown was a discussion of centre platforms versus side platforms. This issue was triggered by a person previously writing an article that stated centre platforms are not as safe for persons with visual impairments. Metrolinx demonstrated that they could not install side platforms due to space constraints.

Susan Davidson, Chair, reported that Steve Kean submitted a written deputation requesting a modification to the Wheel-Trans Late Cancellation/No Show policy. The deputation was referred to the Wheel-Trans Operations Subcommittee.

a) Orest Kobylansky, Head of Bus Transportation, spoke on the issue of priority seating and strollers. The priority seating policy, which is now advertised in decals, posters, YouTube videos, and pamphlets, specifies that priority seats are for customers with a disability, seniors, pregnant women, or someone carrying a child. Customers with strollers are not included in these four categories; therefore, if a person who falls into one of these four categories asks someone with a stroller to move, the customer with the stroller would be expected to move. Operators have been informed of the policy and provided the answers to common customer questions such as if someone must leave the vehicle to provide space. Customers can ask Operators to request another customer to move; however, the Operator cannot enforce the policy. They can only call in to the Control Centre and ask for a Supervisor to intervene remotely. If the issue persists, a Mobile Supervisor can attend.

Although there are 1.8 million customers on the TTC per day, few incidents are reported.

When an Operator is not available, such as on the subway, Orest Kobylansky recommended that customers voice their concerns, as others might not notice that someone may need their seat, but will move if they are asked. An overabundance of decals and signs can be overwhelming. As well, it is important to understand that there may be invisible disabilities, and this may be why customers do not move from their seats when asked.

Angela Marley commented that informing customers that mobility devices need to be in mobility device locations for safety and legal reasons has proven effective for her in the past at encouraging other customers to move. Often customers simply do not know the policy or what to do when someone with a disability boards.

Marian McDonell commented that asking customers to move puts customers with a disability in an uncomfortable position, so Operators should make the request. As well, the stroller policy requires further discussion and to be fleshed out.

Orest Kobylansky assured that Operators are trained to approach people in the priority seating and ask them to move, but they cannot enforce and they cannot ask about their disabilities. As the education campaign unfolds, feedback will be gathered to see if there are other ways to highlight priority seating.

b) Angela Marley brought forward a discussion on route and destination signage on buses. In 2009 and 2010, the concern was raised that there were many non-transit messages in bus route and destination signs around certain events. This was problematic for people with visual impairments, where the amount of time to cycle through messages made them miss their bus. ACAT recommended only having route destination information on those signs. With Remembrance Day coming, Angela Marley thought it would be good practice to review and clarify this practice, as some people may wonder why the signs do not say Lest We Forget. However, buses now have a poster board in the front window that says Lest We Forget and therefore she suggested that ACAT commend the TTC on being able to respond to ACAT's concern and still honour veterans.

ACAT agreed that the TTC has made a commendable choice, but will not motion to the Board. In the future, ACAT welcomes submissions of other concerns that the TTC may have about signage and how it may affect accessibility or impede the ability of customers to read route and destination messages.

c) Angela Marley brought forward the item that a new TTC Board will be appointed and asked if there is a role for ACAT during orientation. The ACAT Executive hopes to have an opportunity to speak at the first Board meeting which will be discussed at the next Quarterly Meeting.

Orest Kobylansky stood to explain that there will be a briefing day with TTC staff. He will check to see if there is a window for ACAT. As well, in preparing the briefing package for the Mayor and their team, he will check if there is a section for ACAT. Jacqueline Darwood stated that there is already a section on accessibility.

d) Susan Davidson asked if ACAT would be interested in having the new Mayor attend to speak. ACAT agreed.

e) Marian McDonnell requested an update on the Pan Am and Para Pan Am Games and a presentation of the TTC's role.

Staff will provide this presentation at the November ACAT meeting. In the interim, the presentation provided in August 2013 will be re-distributed to members.

f) Sam Savona brought forward the concern that there is a private company offering transit service to and from Liberty Village. Although this company will not fall under TTC purview, he requested that if the TTC is approached to provide a report on the private service, that they insist that the services be accessible to all.

Sarah Adams reported that she contacted the company and they fall under the AODA and they do want wheelchair accessible vehicles.

g) Sam Savona requested an update on the report in the news that the TTC are no longer using the bike racks on buses.

Orest Kobylansky stood to explain that a number of Operators complained about sight lines on the articulated buses. Ergonomic assessment reviewed the issue and said that a maximum of one bike can be stowed on the articulated buses, or they should lower the bike rack for better sight lines. As they were working with the Union and internal responsibility, the Minister of Labour reviewed on October 16 and determined that the TTC could not use the bike racks on any buses, even the Orion 7's where there was no issue to begin with.

The TTC met with a legal company to appeal this determination and the Minister of Labour asked not to appeal. They returned and changed the order so that the Orion 7 racks can be used. Currently, the articulated racks cannot be used until risk assessments and modifications can be made. The TTC has made a modification that was tested on October 29, that will probably be the final solution. If this solution is effective, the articulated fleet will be retrofitted. While the bike racks are unavailable, bikes still cannot be brought onto a crowded bus or boarded during rush hour. If customers do put bikes in the priority seating area, the Operator can be asked to request that they move.

h) Sarah Adams reported that while on the new streetcar at Union Station, she witnessed the rubber at the end of the ramp catch on the tactile surface and bend. Staff reported that TTC Engineering and Construction is aware of this situation and are working on modifications.

Craig Nicol will take this issue back to the Design Review Subcommittee for discussion.

i) Craig Nicol requested information on the PRESTO launch that was previously scheduled for November. Staff reported that they did not have an update available.

j) Craig Nicol requested an update on Bombardier and the delivery of new streetcars, as this impacts the accessibility of the Spadina line. Staff reported that Service Planning is preparing scenarios and is waiting an update from the manufacturer.

k) Mazin Aribi requested an update on the feedback that Ambassadors and TTC personnel have received on the new streetcar, including technical and operational issues. Mazin Aribi also brought forward the concern that there is still crowding around the second streetcar door, and sometimes pushing or banging on the door while the ramp is being deployed. This is hazardous when people are walking outside and can get caught by the ramp because they do not know it is being deployed. Ambassadors are posted at the second door and should tell people to exit via other doors.

Sam Savona suggested that, if cameras over the second door are recording, that they can be reviewed to catch issues with the ramp.

Regarding the Streetcar Ambassadors, Sam Savona asked who will determine when they are no longer needed and if ACAT will have input into that decision. Marian McDonell asked for clarification on the end date for the Streetcar Ambassadors, as the Communications Subcommittee was told November 22, 2014 and the Service Planning Committee was told indefinitely.

Staff noted that Streetcar Transportation staff will be attending the November Service Planning Subcommittee meeting and that these issues will be brought up at that meeting. Any engineering-related concerns will be forwarded to Rail Vehicle Engineering. They advised that a full scale public awareness campaign has not yet been rolled out because there are only two vehicles in operation.

The next meeting of ACAT will be held on Thursday, November 27, 2014, from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. at 1900 Yonge Street, 7th Floor Boardroom.