ACAT Meeting - August 31, 2017

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.

Debbie Gillespie, ACAT Chair, called the meeting to order and attendance was taken.

Nil.

On a motion by Howard Wax, seconded by Louise Bark, the agenda was approved.

Debbie Gillespie encouraged ACAT members to attend the TTC Public Forum on Accessible Transit on September 19, 2017. It is a showcase for ACAT initiatives and ACAT collaboration with TTC Staff. The Forum takes place at the Beanfield Centre (formerly the Allstream Centre) at 105 Princes’ Boulevard.

Debbie Gillespie advised the Committee that she has worked with staff to incorporate ACAT initiatives into the presentation at the Forum, e.g., the harmonization of accessibility features between the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, with existing TTC station designs.

Debbie Gillespie stated that the maps now found on the Station Description Pages on the TTC website, including image descriptions, are very helpful in assisting customers with vision impairments to move around the City seamlessly.

On a motion by Tom Richardson, seconded by Craig Nicol, the minutes were approved with the following amendment:

• Page 3, under ACAT Chair’s Remark, 2nd paragraph should be amended to read "Attendance at the TTC Public Forum indicates ACAT's commitment and support for TTC staff".
• Page 6, under Late Cancellation/No-Show Policy, 3rd bullet should read "Late cancellation and No Shows will deduct 2 points".

• Item: Gaps between Subway Trains and Platforms – the TTC executives have requested a more detailed analysis on this project. This is now expected to be presented to the Board in October 2017.
• Item: Letter to the Property Management of the Elevators at Queens Quay Station from Andy Byford for a permanent solution to address the reliability of the elevator – Completed

Debbie Gillespie introduced Twain Sparks, Senior Instructor, Bus Transportation, Training & Development Department. Twain Sparks will act as Staff liaison to ACAT on discussions surrounding Operator training.

Nil.

Charlene Sharpe, Business Analyst, Wheel-Trans, gave an update on the Wheel-Trans 10-Year Strategy. Phase 1 of the Family of Services pilot is completed and Phase 2 of the pilot has begun, with customers being picked up and dropped off from Subway stations. More volunteers are needed for the Phase 3 of the pilot.

Pro Master Buses

The Prototype vehicle will be viewed at the Wheel-Trans Operations Subcommittee (WTOS) meeting on September 7, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. Staff will send an invitation by email to ACAT members.

Mobility Transfer Hubs

Installation of the first Mobility Transfer Hub at the Meadowvale Loop is on course for November, 2017. Other locations for transfer hubs are under consideration.

Community Bus

The Community Bus pilot project is scheduled to begin on September 5, 2017 on the 400 Lawrence Manor and 404 East York routes. Communication packages have been sent to City Councillors. Extensive communication plans have been implemented, which include:

• Community Bus cards that can be used by customers to flag down the bus at any point between stops along the routes. The cards also have alternative routes printed at the back.
• Community Bus schedules for both the 400 (Lawrence Manor) and 404(East York) routes.

Four of the Community buses have been repainted to clearly distinguish them from Wheel-Trans vehicles.

Late Cancellation/No-Show Policy

ACAT members had provided feedback to staff on the changes on the Late Cancellation / No-Show Policy. The changes will be effective September 7, 2017. Training of staff continues.

Comments and Questions from the Committee Members

Will there be an opportunity to review and provide additional comments on the Pro Master buses before the remaining buses are delivered? Staff will inquire and provide feedback on this.

Given that persons with vision impairment are unable to wave down the Community buses, will the buses always stop at bus stops on route? Charlene Sharpe noted that operators of the Community Buses are trained to stop at all stops where customers are waiting, open the doors and announce to customers who are present at the stop. Going forward, automated external announcements for Community Buses are being considered.

Design Review Subcommittee (DRS) – Craig Nicol, Chair

A DRS meeting was held on August 2, 2017. The items discussed were:

Wheel-Trans Mobility Transfer Hubs

The first hub at the Meadowvale Loop will be completed in November 2017. Staff noted that there are three sizes of the hub under consideration and DRS provided input on the furnishing arrangement for each of the designs.

Eleven locations are under consideration for future hub installation. Wheel-Trans is working with the Strategy and Service Planning and Bus Transportation departments to finalize these locations.

Subcommittee Recommendations/Comments

It was recommended that seating/waiting areas be such that a clear path for passenger circulation is maintained.

It was suggested that power doors remain open in summer months to control heat build-up.

As power swinging doors are being used, it was recommended that there be a beeping sound when the door is in motion to reduce hazard for persons with vision impairment.

Keelesdale Station Bus Loop

Matt Hagg presented the latest design for the TTC bus loop at the Eglinton Crosstown LRT Keelesdale Station. The loop will have a bus platform adjacent to the station and a second platform, accessed by the public sidewalk, on the opposite side of the bus driveway.

Wheel-Trans and the northbound Keele buses will use the main platform adjacent to the building with the Trethewey bus serving the separated secondary platform and the southbound Keele bus being served by an on-street stop.

Bus platforms have overhead protection, seating and mobility device parking areas. Designated Waiting Areas are available at the south bus platform.

Subcommittee Recommendations/Comments

DRS expressed dissatisfaction with the design over the requirement that passengers must cross the bus driveway to access the second bus platform, considering this a safety and inclement weather accessibility issue.

To improve safety and accessibility for customers, it was recommended that the sidewalks at the bus entrance and exit driveways on Trethewey Drive and Yore Road should be continuous. The bus driveway should be treated as a driveway crossing the sidewalk and not as a roadway. This treatment is like the designs of TTC stations such as Davisville, Broadview, or Coxwell.

PRESTO Update

All surface vehicles including Wheel-Trans buses and accessible taxis are PRESTO-enabled. All subway stations are also PRESTO-equipped with twenty-six subway stations scheduled to receive new fare gates this year.

DRS was consulted about the installation of contrasting granite flooring under and around fare gates at the remaining twenty-six stations.

For some downtown stations, weekend and overnight closures will be required to complete the fare gate installation.

Private PRESTO cards are being designed for staff, contractors, ACAT, etc. The cards are TTC-branded and will have the carrier’s photo and a raised tactile T.

The next DRS meeting is scheduled for September 6, 2017.

Questions and Comments from Committee Members

How does the TTC account for loss of revenue from accessible sedan vehicles that do not have PRESTO fare payment devices? Staff will consider this and provide feedback at the next ACAT meeting.

Customers should be educated that funds loaded on the PRESTO online can only be available 24 hours after payment. A member also noted that it is the responsibility of customers to ensure that their fares are paid even if PRESTO devices are not functional on the vehicle.

Communication Subcommittee (CS) – Margaret Hageman, Chair

A CS meeting was held on August 12, 2017

TTC Public Forum on Accessible Transit
 
Matt Hagg advised on the communication plan that will be used for the upcoming TTC Public Forum on Accessible Transit.

• A separate sub-page on the TTC website will be created. This will contain the agenda of the event and the link to join the live stream
• Advertisements will be placed in the 24 Hours newspaper and mentioned on the TTC page in the 24 Hours newspaper on the Friday before the event
• News releases are sent to the media
• Information about the event is placed around the subway
• Advertisements will be placed in the next issue of Access newsletter.

Family of Services Pilot Update

Donna Harris noted that the key activities involved in the communication plan for the Family of Services Pilot include the following:

• Posters will be placed in Wheel-Trans Buses by August 18, 2017
• Take-One Poster will be placed on buses and Accessible Taxis.
• Pilot Participant Communications
• On-boarding Communications
• Access Newsletter

Community Bus Update

Matt Hagg noted that the Community Bus Pilot starts on September 5, 2017 with routes 400 (Lawrence Manor) and 404 (East York). The buses will run on a 60 minutes’ interval. The buses have been repainted to clearly distinguish them from Wheel-Trans vehicles. New decals will be placed on the sides of the bus. The stop poles will have the corresponding grey logos for Community Buses.

Late Cancellation/No-Show Policy Update

Donna Harris noted that the communication key activities on the policy change include:

• Staff Communication – Emails, Frequently Asked Questions, Handbooks
• Customer Communication – Website, Access Newsletter, IVR & Phone
• Partner Communication – Agency and Organization Email, ACAT emails.

Passenger Information Display

Ciaran Ryan, TTC Customer Development, presented to CS the upcoming upgrades to the Passenger Information Display. The Passenger Information Display at subway stations that show the “Next Train Schedule” will be upgraded. The screens would be much bigger and the contrast will be 4 times higher.

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

A WTOS meeting was held on August 3, 2017.

Nagini Pappu, Manager - Application Portfolios, and David Lo Presti presented the Mobile Remote Trip Booking Demo with its new customer-friendly upgrades. The upgrades include the announcement, and notice can now be hidden or shown, if screen size is limited. A seasonal condition reminder will be displayed to remind the customer to use conventional TTC when that condition is present. The application will be tested on Android and iOS mobile devices and the software that is most used by customers.

WTOS discussed the suitable time for members to review the Pro Master buses. The review will include a simulation of curbside angles of picking up and dropping off customers. Additional changes will be forwarded to the manufacturers before the remaining 19 buses are delivered by the end of September 2017.

Dean Milton reported that Phase 2 of the Family of Services pilot is scheduled to begin on August 8, 2017. The Late Cancellation/No-Show Policy is set to be effective on September 7, 2017. The installation of the Mobility Transfer Hub at the Meadowvale loop is still on track for November 2017.

Charlene Sharpe provided diagrams of the new livery on the Community Buses. She reported that additional stops are being implemented on the Lawrence Manor and East York routes starting September 5, 2017. Extensive communication plan about the changes are in effect.

Lodon Hassan provided an update on the new eligibility applications received as of July 31, 2017.

The next WTOS meeting will be held on September 7, 2017 at 580 Commissioners Street.

Service Planning Subcommittee (SPS) - Valdo Tammark, Chair

A SPS meeting was held on August 2, 2017.

Ryan Duggan, Manager - Fire Safety and Emergency Planning, provided details of the upcoming Emergency Evacuation Exercise which will take place at the new TYSSE stations. Two exercises are planned for the Fall -- the first on October 25, 2017 at the York University Station and the second on November 1, 2017 at the Highway 407 Station. The exercises will take place during business hours, with over 2,000 volunteers anticipated.

The October 25, 2017 exercise will begin at 8:00 a.m. The November 1, 2017 exercise will be a much smaller event and will not be open to the public. The second exercise focuses on emergency services in York Region. A new Subway Emergency Evacuation Vehicle (SERV) cart has been ordered in preparation for the exercises. The device helps with the safe evacuation of persons using mobility devices through the tunnel.

A formal invitation will be sent to ACAT members to participate in the exercises.

Josh Greenhut, a consultant, is working with the TTC to develop the next five-year TTC Corporate Plan. Josh invited ACAT members to openly discuss accessibility initiatives and suggestions that TTC should consider in the development of the next plan. ACAT members provided several accessibility-related suggestions and these will be considered further.

Questions and Comments from Committee Members

ACAT members are welcomed to volunteer in the exercises but volunteers with disabilities will not be part of the evacuation process from the train to subway platforms. ACAT members are also invited to observe the exercises from the platform and provide feedback after completion.

DRS:

• Wheel-Trans Mobility Hub Interior layout review
• ACAT concerns with ECLRT Keelesdale Bus Loop design
• Remaining PRESTO fare gate installation

CS:

• Communication Plans reviewed for Public Forum on Accessible Transit Service, Community Bus pilot, Family of Services update and Late Cancellation/No Show policy change
• Passenger Information Displays presentation

SPS:

• TYSSE Evacuation Exercise
• Consultation re: Accessibility in next TTC Corporate Plan

WTOS:

• Family of Services update
• Remote Trip Booking demonstration using Mobile device

Nil.

A CLP meeting was held on August 16, 2017.

A presentation on the Passenger Information Displays on screens to be installed on subway platforms was offered by Scott Sams, Ciaran Ryan, and Henry Tran. The panel was shown a screen example of the Line and predicted arrival time of the next train. The predicted arrival time was displayed as a countdown clock with a maximum running time of three minutes. The Panel indicated agreement with that time.

A brief presentation on the Customer Satisfaction Survey was given by Viktoriya Artemyeva. This survey consists of a ten-minute telephone survey of both frequent and occasional users.

Nil.

Nil.

Lauri Sue Robertson raised concerns about the organization of shuttle buses when there is an emergency closure at subway stations and the train turnback station is not accessible. This item was referred to the Strategy and Service Planning Department.

Howard Wax asked what the TTC plans to manage the influx of people in the City visiting for the Invictus Games. Lynn Middleton noted that there is an upcoming meeting scheduled for September 1, 2017 to finalize the operational details with respect to this.

Jaspreet Dhaliwal suggested that service advisories on the TTC website should not only indicate that there is a service disruption but also provide the accessible alternatives that customers can use for their trips. This was referred to Strategy and Service Planning Department.

Craig Nicol noted that representatives from the City will be at the next DRS meeting scheduled for September 6, 2017 to discuss further the King Street Pilot. ACAT members who are interested in attending the meeting were encouraged to contact Craig Nicol.

The next meeting of ACAT will be held on Thursday, September 28, 2017, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 1900 Yonge Street, 7th Floor Boardroom.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:10 p.m.

Temi Omope
Recording Secretary