ACAT Meeting - December 20, 2018

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.

Raymond Dell’Aera, ACAT Chair, called the meeting to order at 1:09 p.m. and attendance was taken.

Nil.

On motion by Craig Nicol and seconded by Louise Bark, the agenda was approved with the following amendment.

• Item # 6: Presentation and Introduction of the 2019 ACAT Members and Pool Members to be deferred to next meeting.

Raymond Dell’Aera introduced TTC Vice Chair Alan Heisey who provided remarks on behalf of the new TTC Chair. Vice Chair Alan Heisey thanked the ACAT members for all the work that has been completed over the past year and encouraged members to continue to do the great work.

Raymond Dell’Aera thanked all members who attended the TTC Public Forum on Accessible Transit on December 13, 2018 and the volunteers who assisted with the ACAT table.

Raymond Dell’Aera suggested extending the ACAT General meeting time in 2019 to start at 12.30 p.m. as opposed to 1:00 p.m. He felt that it was difficult to get all items addressed within the current allotted time and this would prevent the meetings from running longer than scheduled.

Questions and Comments from Committee Members

Members expressed their preference to limit the time for discussion as opposed to extending the meeting hours. Members also preferred to extend the meeting rather than to start earlier.
 
A suggestion was made to split the extended meeting time by 15 minutes prior and 15 minutes after. No decision on a revised time was made but ACAT agreed to keep the discussion open and revisit in the new year when new ACAT members are introduced. 

Raymond Dell’Aera thanked the 2018 retiring ACAT members and pool members for their service. Retiring ACAT members include Raymond Dell’Aera, Louise Bark, Lynn McCormick, Angela Marley, and Debbie Gillespie. The retiring pool members are Scott McArthur and Igor Samardzic.

ACAT members thanked Raymond Dell’Aera for his work as the 2018 Chair.

Deferred as the 2019 ACAT members will be appointed by the TTC Board at their first meeting in January 2019.

On a motion by Angela Marley and seconded by Bobbi Moore, the minutes of the November 29, 2018 meeting were approved with the following amendments:

• Item #9, under Communication Subcommittee, page 5, under Subway Maps, last paragraph to read,
  “A concern was raised that accessible stations are not indicated on the updated maps. The International Symbol of Access was inserted into the station dot in previous maps. As changes are completed to make stations accessible, this will be communicated to passengers. A Ride Guide will be used to provide full accessibility details.”
• Item #13, under Other / New Business, page 13, Motion Regarding the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (ECLRT) Elevator Control Panel Location. ACAT unanimously agreed that the November 29, 2018 ACAT minutes would be revised to include the full text of the motion "Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (ECLRT) Elevator Control Panel Location" including the background section for everyone to have a full appreciation of the issue and to completely reflect ACAT concerns.
• Item #13, under Other / New Business, page 13, under Review of ACAT Members’ Talking Points in TTC Training Sessions, to read, “Angela Marley stated that the ACAT Members Manual outline of the ACAT Members’ Talking Points for Participating in TTC Staff Training document be reviewed and updated with the changes that have been happening. Mazin Aribi stated that the documents are to be emailed by Chair Raymond Dell’Aera to all ACAT members. Any suggestions on areas of improvement are to be sent to the ACAT Chair by December 13, 2018.”  

• Item: Lack of Tactile Information on Poles for Shared Bus Stops – No update. Staff expect to have an update by the next Communications Subcommittee meeting in February.
• Item: Give Higher Priority to Resolving Inconsistencies with Wheel-Trans Pick Up and Drop Offs at Subway Stations in support of Family of Services - Update to be provided February 2019.

Raymond Dell’Aera provided the following updates.

Feedback and suggestions were received for the ACAT Members’ Talking Points in TTC Training Sessions document for TTC Customer Service Agents and Operators. A new version is currently being completed.

An awareness document has been drafted with the intention to create a more inclusive environment within TTC buildings. The document will include tips and suggestions such as giving priority to an individual using a mobility device to use the accessible washroom. A final document has been reviewed by the TTC Human Rights department and ACAT Chair. Print outs are to be included in elevators and accessible bathrooms. 

Nil.

Marvin Findlayter gave an update presentation on the status of the PRESTO fare card system rollout.

Monthly passes are available on the PRESTO card. As of December 31, 2018, legacy monthly passes are no longer available for sale. The 2-hour transfer is available when using PRESTO. PRESTO payments are accepted on Wheel-Trans buses and Accessible taxis. There is a PRESTO App available for customers.

What’s on the Horizon

• Acceptance of monthly passes (loaded on PRESTO cards) on Wheel-Trans vehicles in January 2019
• PRESTO may be used on Wheel-Trans Sedan Taxis by Q2 2019
• PRESTO tickets will be available in 2019
• Legacy Weekly Passes will no longer be available in March 2019
• Legacy Tickets and tokens will not be available by August 2019 and will not be accepted in December 2019
• Collector Booths will be closed on December 31, 2019.

In January 2019, Wheel-Trans sedan taxis operators will start accepting monthly passes loaded to PRESTO cards. A Wheel-Trans customer will be asked to provide a method of payment when boarding. If using a PRESTO card with a monthly pass on it, the driver will request the PRESTO card number as well as their registration number. Only PRESTO cards with a monthly pass on them or tickets, tokens and cash will be accepted.

The PRESTO App for Customers is available on IOS and Android devices with similar features as the PRESTO.ca website. (e.g. manage cards, load funds and passes, view transactions etc.)

The accessibility features include screen reader support, system text size settings and high contrast (black on white) colour scheme.)

PRESTO and TTC will proceed with a Mobile App on existing Wheel-Trans Sedan taxi tablets which will interface with Wheel-Trans buses and accessible taxis.  The user will be able to tap a PRESTO card or PRESTO ticket on the tablet or external Near Field Communication (NFC) reader.

ACAT was informed that if an issue is experienced as a result of system malfunction (reader not working), the customer is allowed on the vehicle and is asked to tap the PRESTO card at the destination point. Cash will continue to be accepted on Wheel-Trans vehicles and conventional systems. No decisions regarding proof of payment have been made at this time.

Questions and Comments from Committee Members 

Concerns were expressed about legacy weekly passes continuing to be sold.  In response, members were told that legacy weekly passes will not be discontinued until a PRESTO equivalent option is available.

There was a query about the day pass option. ACAT were told that the day pass option which will be available for individuals and not families will be discontinued in June 2019 when it will be available on the PRESTO ticket.

A suggestion was made to remove swipe card readers from fare gates as soon as possible in the new year and replace them with PRESTO readers. The mechanism to open the gate remotely does not work well and can create issues. Staff will look into this and report back.

A suggestion was made to revise the length of transfer time for Wheel-Trans customers given the impracticality of actually making two separate Wheel-Trans trips during the current two hour window. This issue has been raised previously and Staff will look into it and advise.

ACAT members are encouraged to provide any feedback on accessibility features for the PRESTO app for Android and iPhone as it is still in the beta testing phase until the end of January 2019.

Several comments were made that Wheel-Trans sedan taxis operators are not familiar with ACAT cards. ACAT cards have been mistaken for CNIB cards. Staff will take this back and to ensure that companies are aware of the procedures surrounding ACAT cards.

Aislin O’Hara, Project Lead – Customer Service, Wheel-Trans provided an update.

On December 9, 2018, a new Wheel-Trans online booking website was implemented. The Wheel-Trans Transformation Program Team worked to resolve issues that were experienced. Lessons were learned on this implementation with room for improvement in the next phase.

ACAT members were thanked for providing their feedback on the website. Based on feedback received, changes were made with many positive outcomes. On behalf of the Program Team, Aislin expressed thanks to ACAT members for being so engaged and passionate and bringing their unique perspectives to the table.

Questions and Comments from Committee Members

On January 10, 2019, a familiarization session for the new Wheel-Trans online booking website for screen reader users will be offered at the CNIB hub. The session will involve demonstrations of the layout of the screen. 

A comment was made to ensure that Wheel-Trans stops at subway stations are corrected on the website and are made consistent. There was a concern that inconsistent information will lead to late pick-ups and drop offs. Craig Nicol and Angela Marley are continuing to work on the station descriptions to assist in correcting this issue

Communications Subcommittee (CS) - Marian McDonell

A CS meeting was held on December 6, 2018.

Website Update and Station Descriptions

Tash Harriott, Manager of Digital Communications, was introduced to the Subcommittee. Tash is working on the digital strategy at TTC. Craig Nicol and Angela Marley were introduced to Tash as ACAT members working specifically on the station descriptions. CS was assured that, currently, the TTC Customer Communications team is working on problems and issues on the current TTC website. The major issue is to get accurate data on the website and, once that is done, the station descriptions are to be worked on which will hopefully happen in January 2019.

First On, Last Off Communications Plan

Heather Brown presented the image of “First On, Last Off” campaign which shows the bus pulling into a bus stop, the person using a wheelchair, and another person waiting for a bus to arrive. The message being sent now is that everyone should be respectful of all TTC users and that people using mobility devices should board the bus first and exit it last.

Some members suggested that the message needs to incorporate the wording “for safety reasons” and assure other customers waiting that they will still be able to get on the bus.

Other photos will be looked into that convey a stronger, clearer message or another photo shoot may be required.

Family of Services (FoS) ‘Communique’

Alicia Sgromo discussed many of the issues in developing a separate FoS communique. After much discussion, it was agreed that there may be opportunities to email Wheel-Trans customers concerning urgent information.

There are many difficulties with the new Wheel-Trans online booking site especially concerning incomplete information of Wheel-Trans stops. An education piece was also suggested to be added to the new booking site so potential users become less concerned or anxious about using Family of Services trips. It was pointed out that Wheel-Trans customers need more clarification concerning the Family of Services and the reclassification of existing customers. Suggestions were made to have such as a pull-out page inside the Wheel-Trans newsletter and/or a brochure to clarify issues.

A comment was made that it has to be mentioned at the Public Forum that the Wheel-Trans FoS program is at the 3-year mark of a 10-year plan.

Meeting Schedule for 2019

CS members suggested that CS meet once a month. Heather Brown will prepare a tentative schedule and send it out via email.

Wheel-Trans Customer Handbook

The comments and remarks by CS members have been reviewed. Some of the issues discussed were:

• too many links to external documents
• the policy concerning service animals needs to be clear and certification guidelines need to be very straight forward.
• the wording for ‘Family of Services’ trips needs clarification at some point e.g. ‘designated drop off point’, ‘no shows’; language concerning the video disclaimer will be updated; the ‘tone’ of the code of conduct policy is authoritative which matches the suitable bylaw; the general tone of the Handbook was to reduce the amount of words to the absolute minimum;
• use in the brochure of words such as ‘we’, ‘our’, ‘us’ and ‘you’ can be perceived as too polarizing, so the language in the handbook needs to be in the third person as much as possible.

Aislin O'Hara added that the final draft of the handbook will be ready in January 2019 and will be both printed and available online.

Design 360 Workshop Report Back

The main focus of the workshop was on wayfinding, specifically, digital wayfinding. Mapping tools were presented and the type of data that is needed in order to make such applications. Staff will share materials from the workshop with the members of the subcommittee when available.

Questions and Comments from Committee Members

A comment surrounding the Family of Services (FoS) newsletter was raised. If members are opposed to a separate FoS newsletter, a suggestion was made to have a document that provides information on Family of Services as many are not currently aware of what is being offered. This could be updated yearly if information changes. It was suggested to have a brochure inserted in the Wheel-Trans newsletter.

Design Review Subcommittee (DRS) - Craig Nicol

A DRS meeting was held on December 19, 2018.

Eglinton Crosstown LRT - Elevator Control Panels

TTC staff attended to discuss what is being done to advance the issue of Eglinton Crosstown elevator control panel location as raised in a motion at the November 29, 2018 ACAT meeting. DRS reviewed the structure of agreement between TTC and Metrolinx as well as the Metrolinx contractual relationship with Crosslinx. It was agreed that, although the matter is in the hands of Metrolinx, TTC staff and ACAT will continue to advocate for a change to side wall elevator control panels.

Questions and Comments from Subcommittee Members

It was requested that, for the ECLRT single non-flow through elevator, dimensions be provided so as to determine if it is possible to turn around in the elevator using a mobility device in order to reach the control panel.

It was suggested that, although the Finch West LRT contract is in place, it is early in the design process and with attention to elevator design the contractor may be convinced to install side wall control panels.

Finch West LRT - Keele-Finch Station Connection between TTC and LRT

Staff from Mosaic Transit, the contractor for the Finch West LRT project, made a presentation of the 30% design for a connecting tunnel between TTC’s Finch West Station concourse and the concourse of the new LRT station which will be built at the same location. There is an approximately 4-metre difference in height between the two station concourses. The objective of this presentation was to seek input on options for the sloped walkway currently proposed for this portion of the connection. Three options for a sloping walkway were presented for review.

Questions and Comments from Subcommittee Members

DRS members agreed that a sloped walkway solution can be considered; however, it was recommended that a shallower slope with a slightly longer path of travel would have a positive impact on usability.

DRS suggested two additional options which would reduce the slope from 1:20 to 1:25. Metrolinx and Mosaic agreed to explore the suggestions and report back to the subcommittee.

A member asked that attention be paid to increasing the distance between doors in tandem at the vestibules.

Other Business

Discussion took place regarding the configuration of the third party elevator installed at St. Patrick station. It was agreed that a review of the third party agreement needs to take place to determine a course of action.

The next DRS meeting is still to be determined.

Service Planning Subcommittee (SPS) – Thomas Richardson

A SPS meeting was held on December 5, 2018. Matt Hagg provided the report on behalf of Thomas Richardson.

Tactile Signs for Streetcar Platforms

Suggestions were made to provide tactile signs on sidewalks to identify streetcar platforms when they are in the centre of the roadway. An indicator on the sidewalk will allow individual to know the right spot to cross the road.

Bicycle Lane and Cycle Tracks - New City Guidelines

Six different kinds of bus and streetcar configurations were discussed. TTC will discuss how they will work together with the city. Concerns were raised by SPS members over how sidewalks will interact with bike lanes.
 
It was suggested that it would be helpful for City staff working on the bicycle design guidelines to have a discussion with ACAT members to better understand the challenges faced by people with disabilities both with using the different types of transit stops but also with Wheel-Trans stop locations. 

2019 - 2023 TTC Accessibility Plan

The plan contains a summary of achievements over past the five years and numerous accessibility improvement initiatives for next five years. The plan will be finalized early in the new year. The summary will be passed to the committee and it is planned to go to TTC Board for approval in May 2019.

Wheel-Trans Operations Subcommittee (WTOS) - Lynn McCormick

Lodon Hasan provided the update.

Sixty-seven out of 80 ProMaster buses are currently on service. All buses are equipped with accessible modifications as suggested by ACAT.

The new Wheel Trans online booking website was launched on December 9, 2018. An updated version will be launched on January 19, 2019 to fix the identified issues thus far.

A year-end review of applications was conducted to compare the volume of applications received pre-January 1, 2017 (customers required the use of a mobility device to be eligible for Wheel-Trans service) and post-January 1 2017 (Wheel-Trans expanded eligibility to include all disabilities i.e. cognitive, sensory, or mental health). It was found that an increase in applicants was consistent year over year with an increase of approximately 4.5%.

Questions and Comments from Committee Members

A suggestion was made to extend Wheel-Trans Customer Service hours from 8.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. to 7.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m., 7 days a week (similar to the TTC conventional Customer Service hours) to eliminate wait times.

A comment was made that the timeline from testing the new Wheel Trans online booking website to launching was short. It was suggested to provide more time for testing on future projects

The next version of Wheel Trans online booking website is to be released in the second Quarter of 2019, will offer customers the ability to reset their password online.

A comment was made that Wheel-Trans staff should be congratulated on how quickly they have acted to solve customer issues that were experienced.

A suggestion was made to add the log out button to the first page of the website as it can be difficult to find.

A request for ACAT members to receive list of recommended changes on website. The TTC Information Technology Services department will work to determine what phase they can introduce the recommendations.

A question was asked on when phone system issues will be corrected. Staff do not have a date to report at this stage.

CS:

• Wheel-Trans Customer Handbook
• First On, Last Off Communications Plan
• TTC New Website

DRS:

• ECLRT elevator control panel discussion with TTC staff
• Finch West subway/LRT connection 30% design review

SPS

• Bicycle Lane and Cycle Tracks - New City Guidelines

WTOS

• List of Recommended Changes to the new Wheel Trans online booking website

The December TTC Board Meeting has been postponed to January 10, 2019.  Retiring ACAT members will be recognized and new 2019 members will be officially approved during this time.

The December TTC Board Meeting has been postponed to January 10, 2019.  Retiring ACAT members will be recognized and new 2019 members will be officially approved during this time.

Brief Congratulatory Note to TTC Board
 
On behalf of ACAT, congratulations are included along with a description of what ACAT does and continues to do in the future.  

GTA Advisory Committee Joint Meeting
 
An email outlining the next steps in 2019 was sent to those who attended the meeting in August. A conference call is to be scheduled early 2019 with one representative from each Committee to discuss the format and logistics for the next meeting.

Raymond Dell’Aera, ACAT Chair, will provide support with the transition and provide a list of transition related items to new ACAT chair.

The 2019 ACAT Meeting dates were approved.

On behalf of the ACAT members, Co-Vice Chairs Mazin Aribi and Angela Rebeiro thanked Raymond Dell’Aera for his generosity of time as the 2018 ACAT Chair.

A document was circulated to ACAT Committee Members to outline the roles and responsibilities of the ACAT Chair position. The document is to be used as a point of reference for future ACAT nominations. 

The following dates are provided for information to the members.

• ACAT Executive Elections – January 16, 2019, Wednesday, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., 1900 Yonge Street 7th Floor Boardroom
• ACAT New Member Orientation – January 16, 2019, Wednesday, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., 1900 Yonge Street 7th Floor Boardroom

Questions and Comments from Committee Members

A suggestion was made to hold the ACAT New Member Orientation meeting prior to the ACAT Executive Elections. This would allow new members to meet all members before elections. Staff to review this issue. 

The next meeting of ACAT will be held on January 31, 2019 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 1900 Yonge Street, 7th Floor Boardroom. 

Raymond Dell’Aera provided remarks thanking Co-Vice Chairs, fellow ACAT members, and TTC management and staff for their support over the past year. 

The meeting was adjourned at 3:47 p.m.

 

Brittany Haavaldsrud
Recording Secretary