ACAT Meeting - January 30, 2020

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.

Mazin Aribi, ACAT Chair, called the meeting to order at 1:10 p.m. and attendance was taken.

The ACAT Chair and Co-Vice Chair read the Code of Conduct the Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy Statement and ACAT Housekeeping Items as a reminder to all members.

Nil.

On a motion by Sam Savona and seconded by Bobbi Moore, the agenda was approved with the following changes:

• Switching the order of agenda items two (Declaration of Conflict of Interest) and three (Housekeeping Items and Procedures – Accommodations), so that the explanation of conflict of interest precedes any declaration.
• Renaming agenda item six from "Review and Approval of Election" to "2020 ACAT Executive Committee Elections."

ACAT Chair Mazin Aribi welcomed everyone to the first ACAT General meeting for 2020 and said he was looking forward to working with everyone to have a productive and successful year together.

He welcomed TTC Commissioner Julie Osborne to the meeting and thanked her for her ongoing support for ACAT’s work and her participation in ACAT meetings. Commissioner Osborne stated that she recognized the seriousness of ACAT’s work, the vital service that ACAT provides and how helpful it is to have ACAT’s voice in decision-making.

The Chair reported that, on January 12, 2020, the TTC carried out a subway evacuation exercise at Finch Station in which ACAT member Chris Stigas participated.

On January 24, 2020, ACAT reviewed and provided feedback on the new Wheel-Trans “Pro Master Plus” vehicle.

The Chair reminded everyone of the celebration of the completion of Royal York Station’s accessibility upgrades on February 26, 2020 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Royal York Station, Concourse Level (one level below Fare/Bus Transfer Level), 955 Royal York Road.  Royal York station is the TTC’s 46th subway station to become fully accessible.

The Chair reminded the ACAT members of the next Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee (TAAC) meeting to be held on February 3, 2020 at 9:30 a.m. at City Hall.

Questions and Comments from the Committee:

In response to a member’s question, it was confirmed that meetings of the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee (TAAC) are streamed online via the Toronto City Council YouTube channel and that TAAC meeting materials are available on the Toronto City Council website.

Feedback was provided on the January 12, 2020 TTC subway evacuation exercise at Finch Station. Chris Stigas who participated in the exercise reported that the scenario which was held at 3:00 a.m., involved creating a smoke-filled tunnel. He played the role of an agitated customer and TTC staff were tasked with calming and assisting him. He reported that staff were extremely helpful, and quickly and effectively helped him get up to ground level from the subway platform. He noted that it would have been helpful to have an attendant, given that the exercise was held at Finch at the unusual hour of 3 a.m., and it would have been good to have other customers with him at the point in the exercise when the train left. He pointed out that these are relatively easy fixes to make and that overall the exercise was smooth.

On January 16, 2020, Mazin Aribi was acclaimed as the 2020 ACAT Chair, and Marian McDonell and Igor Samardzic were acclaimed as 2020 ACAT Co-Vice Chairs.

On a motion by Anita Dressler and seconded by Bobbi Moore, the minutes of the December 19, 2019 meeting were approved.

Outstanding Items:

• Item: Review of the Impact of Curb-Side Bike Lanes on Wheel-Trans Customers and Operators in Accessing Certain Pick-Up / Drop-Off Locations – Ongoing. A report from the Wheel-Trans Operations Subcommittee is anticipated in early 2020. The subcommittee has not yet met in the new year. 
• Item: Give Higher Priority to Resolving Inconsistencies with Wheel-Trans Pick-Ups and Drop-Offs at Subway Stations in support of Family of Services. Ongoing. An update will be provided in the Wheel-Trans Operations Subcommittee report at this meeting.
• Item: GTHA Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) Joint Meeting – Ongoing. Peel Region has offered to host the next meeting. ACAT to be informed about the meeting date and time.
• Item: Subway Platform (Vertical and Horizontal) Gap – Ongoing. Vertical gap repairs are being worked on at five platforms; upon completion horizontal fillers where necessary. Gap measurements to be completed and then reviewed by DRS to determine the next steps. Upgrades on the platform edges are continuing.
• Item: Motion – Need for Dual Elevators at Finch West Interchange Station to the LRT Platform Level. Ongoing. Tracking progress of motion with TTC Board.
• Item: Motion – TTC Second Elevator at Subway – LRT interchange stations – Ongoing. Tracking progress of motion with TTC Board.
• Item: TTC Service on Kilgour Road (deputation from Meenu Sikand and Dennise Carrasco) – Ongoing.  At the time of opening of the Eglinton Crosstown, this will be reviewed with the possibility of service. ACAT has asked that TTC staff meet with the deputants ahead of this to share information and discuss solutions.
• Item: Update on the New TTC Website and Updated Station Descriptions which have been on hold. Ongoing. Heather Brown, Manager – Customer Communications will provide an update at this meeting.
• Item: Request for a Budget Item to Place Station Descriptions for the Eglinton Crosstown Line on the TTC Website – Completed. When the Eglinton Crosstown Line is complete, the station descriptions will be included on the TTC website as part of Line 5.

Questions and Comments from the Committee:

A member asked about the specific status of motion tracking at the TTC Board regarding the items “Need for Dual Elevators at Finch West Interchange Station to the LRT platform level” and “TTC second elevator at subway – LRT interchange stations.” Clarification was asked what concrete action ACAT was waiting for from the Board, and if there were specific actions that ACAT could take to assert positive pressure. The suggested actions to take included asking the ACAT Executive to continue to raise these issues at its quarterly meetings with the TTC Board Chair and Vice-Chair and TTC CEO; making a deputation at a quarterly meeting; or providing a letter of support signed by the entire ACAT committee.

The Chair advised that the format of the quarterly meetings of the ACAT Executive with the TTC Board Chair and Vice-Chair, and TTC CEO did not include deputations, and that it is understood that the ACAT Executive is speaking on behalf of ACAT at these meetings. 

A member asked if the “TTC Service on Kilgour Road” item should be listed as complete. The committee advised that it had also requested that TTC staff meet with the deputants to share information and discuss solutions. This detail needs to be specifically added to the item, and it is part of why the item’s status remains ongoing.

A member asked for clarification about the item “Request for a Budget Item to Place Station Descriptions for the Eglinton Crosstown Line on the TTC Website.” Ideally, these station descriptions need to be live as the line opens and was concerned that they would be prepared in advance. Heather Brown, Manager – Customer Communications, confirmed that the station descriptions would be prepared and completed before the line opens. Everything would be ready and would go live the day the line opens.

TTC Chief Executive Officer Rick Leary spoke to the committee about the model “Pro Master Plus” vehicle and whether there would be a recommendation to purchase it for Wheel-Trans service. He noted that the Friendly vehicles are approaching a state of disrepair, and that the TTC Board had earlier that week approved landmark funding for capital investment, including Wheel-Trans bus procurement. CEO Rick Leary asked ACAT members if the TTC should go to the Board the following month and request approval to proceed with the Pro Master Plus 30 vehicle pilot. 

Questions and Comments from the Committee:

ACAT members reviewed the Pro Master Plus vehicle on January 24, 2020 and their feedback had been documented. Members found the vehicle very promising but there were some issues and major problems, particularly the back ramp which is too steep and requires major work. ACAT’s other feedback might be easier to address.

Members shared that they wanted to ensure their concerns were addressed before the vehicle was ordered. They wanted to learn from previous TTC vehicle purchase experiences, such as the Pro Master and the new streetcars, and get it right from the start. It would be better to avoid having to retrofit the vehicle after it arrived, like the Pro Master. It would also be best not to order a vehicle with key elements that are unsuitable for customers, like the ramps on the new streetcars which are too steep for some customers to use independently.

Members recommended that the faster the vehicle company was provided with feedback and change requests, and the quicker the response to these issues and accommodate the needs and requirements, the swifter the order could be made. 

Members noted that they had not had the chance to ride in the model vehicle. It was emphasized that this needs to be part of any assessment before consideration of purchase. A member pointed out the specific importance of test-riding for people using mobility devices and/or service animals, noting particular issues related to braking and suspension that cause service animals to slide to the front of the vehicle.

Members recommended that customers with a range of different issues and profiles, beyond the ACAT membership, ride and assess the vehicle.

There was a positive agreement that all transit properties in the area had reviewed the vehicle and provided feedback, although only staff from other municipalities participated in the review.   Members suggested that all the transit entities share their feedback on the vehicle with each other. If there is a combined purchase, the recommended features for the Toronto vehicles could also be included for the vehicle purchase for other municipalities. Members expressed their hope that other municipalities and transit properties would consult with their accessibility advisory committee (AAC) for feedback.

CEO Rick Leary agreed that ACAT would get the chance to test-ride the vehicle. Charlene Sharpe, Manager – Planning and Policy, Wheel-Trans confirmed that staff are making arrangements.

Dwayne Geddes, Head of Wheel-Trans, advised that staff had noted the ACAT’s concerns. Creative Carriage, the vehicle company, had been consulted and they can make the changes and adjustments.
 
On the question of timing, Rick Leary said the purchase would have to be approved by the Board. The vehicles would be ordered through Metrolinx, at which point the details and dates of when the order would be delivered would be available.

Charlene Sharpe advised that staff would need to confirm how far the other municipalities had taken their analysis of the vehicle, and whether they had consulted customers. CEO Rick Leary noted the positive relationship among the transit agencies who learn from each other and who could all share their analyses and lessons on the vehicle. 

A member pointed out that “TTC CEO Remarks” used to be a standing item on the ACAT monthly general meeting agenda and suggested that it be re-added for all future meetings.
Members agreed to this.

Nil.

Barbara Battistuzzi, Chief Instructor, of Operators Training Centre (OTC) and John Beynon, Chief Instructor, OTC spoke to the committee about ACAT participation in the upcoming bus and streetcar operator recertification training program for 2020.

The Chair introduced them, noting that the benefits of ACAT participation in the Operators’ training. It is important for Operators to hear ACAT members provide their personal feedback about things they encounter while using the conventional system. A number of new ACAT members had not yet participated in the training and he recommended that they team up with members who had done it before.
 
Barbara Battistuzzi spoke about the Streetcar Operator Recertification. With the arrival of all the new accessible streetcars, some Operators are now newly transitioning to these vehicles. She expressed how important it is for ACAT representatives to come and share their stories. Sessions last 30 to 60 minutes and the training is at the Leslie Barns.

John Beynon spoke about the Bus Operator recertification training, echoing the importance of ACAT participation. There are three 30-to-45-minute sessions over the three-day training available for the committee to take part in. The Bus Operator training will be at the Wilson Training Centre which is difficult to access. 

Questions and Comments from the Committee:

In response to a member’s question, John confirmed that there is an accessible washroom with grab bars at the Wilson Training Centre.

Barbara Battistuzzi agreed to provide a copy of the Operators’ accessibility and requirements to the committee. The new procedure, introduced about four months earlier, in which Operators are required to come out every time the ramp is deployed. A member asked if this change would take longer. Staff replied that the amount of ramp deployments and the time they took was not enough to have much of a negative impact.

Members raised specific points and requested they be addressed in the training, including vehicles not moving until a person who needs assistance is seated; clearly advising customers with visually impairment if a vehicle stops at unscheduled locations; and Operators assertively communicating that priority blue seating be made available to people with accessibility needs.
 
The scheduling and logistical issues around the training was discussed, including providing early notice to ACAT of any cancellations.

The Chair announced the 2020 ACAT subcommittees membership.

Public Consultations – Skype for Appeals and Travelling with Infants and Small Children

Dwayne Geddes, Head of Wheel-Trans provided an update on the recent public consultations held by Wheel-Trans on travelling with infants and small children and using Skype for Wheel Trans eligibility appeals. Four public sessions were held at City Hall, two each on January 15 and January 22, 2020. These consultations had been requested by the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee in November 2019.

Wheel-Trans received feedback confirming the consultations had been advertised well. Participants reported they had heard about them through sources including the RideLine, the Access newsletter, the Wheel-Trans self-booking site and by word of mouth.

Regarding using Skype for Wheel-Trans eligibility appeals, the consultation feedback was not to pursue this option. Customers are offered rides to and from the appeal venue at any time, and considerations remain about verifying people’s identity and condition via remote means.

Regarding the travelling with infants and small children on Wheel-Trans, consultation feedback suggested that the current Wheel-Trans policy which ACAT helped to create is appropriate, with some small adjustments to the wording. 

Wheel-Trans staff will report on the consultations at the TAAC meeting on March 27, 2020.

Dean Milton, Manager – Strategic Initiatives, provided an update on the Wheel-Trans 10-Year Strategy.

Communication Deliverables

The Travel Training Handbook is scheduled to be ready for review at the March ACAT Communications Subcommittee meeting.

The TTC is currently doing a customer-driven, positive-messaging outreach campaign around Family of Services and Wheel-Trans service. The campaign is internal and external, using traditional and online resources, including eligibility and Family of Services posters for employee reference.

Family of Services (FOS)

Trips scheduled – 2019: 

• 5,100 trips (subway/bus/streetcar) scheduled on Wheel-Trans
• 93% trips to subway
• 792,000 total FOS trips (including full diversion)
• Target was 430,000

Trips scheduled – 2020 (year-to-date, week 4):

• 304 trips (subway/bus/streetcar) scheduled on Wheel-Trans
• 94% trips to subway 59,600 total FOS trips (including full diversion)
• Target (15%) – 645,000 trips

Total number of approved FOS routes and stops:

• 42 routes
• 273 transfer stops
• All accessible subway stations

Two Access Hubs have been completed and TTC is on target to complete 12 of the final 14 Access Hubs by the end of March 2020.

Travel Training

Desrianne McIlwrick, Wheel-Trans Travel Trainer provided a travel training update. On Wednesday, January 29 a Station Orientation Day was held at Main Street Station. This was the first time hosting the event at this location. It had the highest customer attendance thus far, and was nearly full with 15 attending customers. The 506 Carlton streetcar route is now accessible, which makes this an even better location for training.
 
To increase awareness of the Travel Training program, advertisements have been installed in Wheel-Trans buses. Customers will be able to connect with the Travel Trainer directly using the phone number shown on the ad.

Travel training information has also been added to the eligibility letters sent to newly conditional Wheel-Trans customers, as well as customers that are conditional after attending an appeal. This will allow customers to take advantage of the training if they are unsure how to use the conventional network or Family of Services. There are also questions about travel training included in the Family of Services customer survey.

Nearly 1,200 customers have now expressed interest in travel training, and over 400 have participated in a training session.

New Wheel-Trans Mobile App

Charlene Sharpe, Manager – Planning and Policy, Wheel-Trans provided an update on the new Wheel-Trans mobile app. As noted in the Wheel-Trans newsletter, the app will be piloted before being fully launched. It will first be tested by ACAT members who are registered Wheel-Trans users and then by a maximum of 100 people in a test group. The feedback from this pilot will help to determine when the app will go live to the general public. That date has not yet been determined.  

The mobile app includes a pop-up feature called “Where’s My Ride” that will alert customers 10 minutes prior to their ride arriving. At this time, the feature only shows Wheel-Trans vehicles and not contract sedans or ATs. These vehicles will be added this summer, at the earliest, as Wheel-Trans enters into its new contract with these providers. This delay, due to the timing of the vehicle contract renewal, is part of the reason for the initial pilot roll-out of the app.

Questions and Comments from the Committee:

Public Consultations – Skype for Appeals and Travelling with Infants and Small Children

Members asked if the outcomes of the consultations on Skype for appeals and travelling with infants and small children, including the proposed minor changes to the Wheel-Trans policy on travelling with infants and children, could be shared with the Wheel-Trans Operations Subcommittee. Dwayne Geddes agreed.

Dean Milton indicated that WTOS members would be offered a chance to see the new Access Hubs before they were opened, as they had done with the first two hubs.

Family of Services:

A member said she noticed a few times the previous week that the real-time arrival times for her Wheel-Trans rides changed three times in an hour. She expressed concern for people taking a Family of Services trip and trying to connect to another mode of transit. Dean Milton advised that Wheel-Trans had identified this as an operational challenge. Dispatch will have to stay on top of delays on Wheel-Trans or the conventional service to see if adjustments are needed. They are trying to improve and refine their approach to this.

A member added that last-minute changes to the type of Wheel-Trans vehicle picking up a customer add confusion for Wheel-Trans users, and asked if the new app would deal with this. Charlene Sharpe advised that it would.

A member sought confirmation that adjustments to arrival time information on the Wheel-Trans booking website are a reliable source of information when waiting for one’s ride, and if this is the same information customers would find on the new mobile app. Staff confirmed that this is reliable information and it is similar to the information that customers will see on the app.

Wheel-Trans Phone Line Wait Times:

In response to committee members’ queries Lodon Hassan, Assistant Manager – Customer Service, Wheel-Trans said he would report on all Wheel-Trans phone-line wait-time statistics at the next Wheel-Trans Operations Subcommittee meeting.  Reports were showing average wait times for Reservations at just less than five minutes and average wait times for Customer Service at just over 2.5 minutes. Lodon requested that if members experienced anything higher than that, to please note exactly when and advise him so that he could investigate the issue.

Travel Training:

Members asked about the details of the next Station Orientation Day and requested that members be informed of upcoming sessions. Desrianne McIlwrick advised that it would probably be at St. Clair West Station in February, alternating the location from east to west, and choosing a station that is underground and less affected by winter weather. She advised that she offers these sessions monthly, typically the last week of the month.

New Wheel-Trans Mobile App:

An in-depth discussion concerning Wheel-Trans mobile booking app ensued amongst many members. All ACAT members who are registered Wheel-Trans customers would have the first opportunity to test the app, including text-to-speech.

It was clarified that WTOS members provided advice on the app as it was being developed.

Members were encouraged to reach out to a subcommittee’s chair and staff liaison if they were interested in participating on a particular item of business and/or attending a subcommittee’s meeting, even if they were not on that particular subcommittee. On issues of special concern, such as the app’s text-to-speech functionality, members were also encouraged to email their concerns to the relevant subcommittee chair to help ensure issues are fully pursued and addressed.

Heather Brown, Manager – Customer Communications, advised that the PRESTO payment option is now available on sedan taxis contracted by Wheel-Trans. Customers can now pay with PRESTO on all Wheel-Trans modes.

Questions and Comments from the Committee:

Members asked if any progress had been made to the problem of needing an email address to register one’s PRESTO card, further to the discussion at the ACAT meeting on December 19, 2019. Heather Brown indicated that it was her understanding that ACAT had decided not to invite Metrolinx to one of its meetings.

A member advised that, at the request of TTC staff, the proposed Braille signage on payment machines for multiple Metrolinx regions including TTC, YRT etc. was reviewed. This Braille signage has not been installed yet. It is only available on the test machines at the moment.

In response to a query, Heather Brown advised that a day pass is only available on the PRESTO Ticket. She provided an overview of the specific fare options available through PRESTO.

Heather Brown reported that the TTC website is scheduled to go live on the second quarter of 2020 (April to June). The updated station descriptions would be included in the new site as soon as it goes live.

A member asked that TTC Head of Customer Communications, Deborah Brown be invited to a meeting of the Communications Subcommittee closer to the website launch date.

A member reported that he had heard feedback from the public that some uploaded PDFs on the site are not accessible. Heather Brown agreed to look into this.

ACAT subcommittees had not yet met in 2020. However, the Wheel-Trans Operations Subcommittee report of December 13, 2019 meeting had been deferred so this report was shared.

Wheel-Trans Operations Subcommittee (WTOS) – Sam Savona, 2019 WTOS Chair

A WTOS meeting was held on December 13, 2019.

Dwayne Geddes, Head of Wheel-Trans, provided an update about on-time performance. He advised that a system update had been performed on October 19, 2019 which had not been done since 2011.

Following the update, Wheel-Trans had dropped to 85%-86% on-time performance, but it has since gone back up to 90%. The majority of issues had been corrected, while some were still ongoing. 

Dwayne also advised that on-time performance is calculated using the original ride time, even if what the customer sees on their interface changes. He asked the group to share specific cases and examples with the Wheel-Trans team if this situation differs so it can be looked into. 

Desrianne McIlwrick, Travel Trainer, provided an update on travel training and the functional assessments and appeal panel. Statistics were shared on how many customers have now taken advantage of travel training as well as feedback provided by the travel training participants.

Marco Iorfida, Scheduling and Policy Specialist, advised that staff had reviewed the list of recommended changes to Wheel-Trans stops and stop descriptions at subway stations provided by Angela Marley. The changes have all been made, except for three which require further review, i.e. Dundas Station Northbound, Leslie Station and Queen’s Park Station. Changes involving signage and no-show boards are being escalated for Bloor-Yonge, Castle Frank Station and Victoria Park Station. 

A list of the changes and their status was distributed to the members. On the list, red font indicates an ACAT suggestion and black font indicates signage and no-show board actions that require escalation.

Marco advised that the updates had been made live in the system. He indicated that overall this is an ongoing process and he asked members to continue to bring ongoing feedback and recommendations to the subcommittee. Next, TTC staff will review other landmarks and addresses, and add greater specificity and clarification to those as needed.

Cameron Penman, Manager – Customer Service, Wheel-Trans provided an update on the status of the WTOS’ recommendations for the new self-booking website.

The next Wheel-Trans Operations Subcommittee meeting will be held on Thursday, February 20, 2020 at 1900 Yonge, 7th Floor Boardroom.

No ACAT subcommittee meetings had been held in 2020 since the last ACAT monthly meeting on December 19, 2019.

Chair Mazin Aribi expressed that, going forward, it would be important for ACAT Subcommittee Chairs to consistently capture their detailed subcommittee highlights and email them to the ACAT Chair and the TTC’s ACAT administrative point person. The highlights are used to report to the TTC Board, and to prepare the ACAT update in the Wheel-Trans quarterly Access newsletter.

A TTC Board Meeting was held on January 27, 2020 at City Hall.

ACAT Chair Mazin Aribi introduced the newly elected ACAT Executive for 2020. The approved minutes for the ACAT November 28, 2019 meeting were received by the Board.

The ACAT Chair extended an invitation to TTC Commissioners to attend the January ACAT meeting at TTC Head Office.

TTC staff made a presentation entitled “TTC’s 2020-2029 Key Capital Investment Priorities: Subway Infrastructure and Accelerated Vehicle Procurements.” The Board approved the recommendations in this report, including $22 million to fully fund the next four years of Wheel Trans bus procurements, or 232 of the 498 buses required.

The next TTC Board Meeting is scheduled for February 25, 2020 at Toronto City Hall.

Mazin Aribi encouraged ACAT members to review the TTC Board meeting agenda, reports and presentations made at the January 27, 2020 meeting online at:

https://www.ttc.ca/All-public-meetings/board/2020/Board-Meetings-January-27

Questions and Comments from the Committee:

A member noted that WTOS members might be interested in looking into a point raised by a deputant at the January 27, 2020 TTC Board Meeting. The deputation dealt with a program run in Mississauga in which people can use paratransit taxis at a reduced fare they pay themselves. As an option, this might mean less burden on Wheel-Trans.

The option of referring the item to WTOS was discussed, with the member advising that they would first need to find out more with a view to educating people about the option at the least. Cameron Penman, Manager - Customer Service, took note of the item and indicated that staff would also require more information before proceeding on it. 

The member suggested viewing the video on the TTC website of the deputation and potentially discussing it further.

Nil.

Matt Hagg, Senior Planner – System Accessibility confirmed that all streetcar routes are accessible now.

The next meeting of ACAT will be held on Thursday, February 27, 2020 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 1900 Yonge Street, 7th Floor Boardroom.