ACAT Meeting - March 28, 2024

Minutes of Meeting:

ACAT General Meeting Meeting

Date:

Thursday, March 28, 2024 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Location:

Hybrid meeting via Teams

Present:

Anita Dressler, ACAT Chair Betty Rivington-Law ACAT
Co-Vice Chair Erica Tanny, ACAT Co-Vice Chair
Mei Hung
Debbie Gillespie
Lori Bailey
Bobbi Moore
Howard Wax
Maria Marin
Lavarnan Mehavarnan
Frank Lockhart
Tammy Adams
Angela Marley
Chau Sheung Wong
Wangari Muriuki

Pool Members

Michelle Pena Escobar
Paul Manna
Oda Al-Anizi
Roberta Butler

TTC Representatives:

Shakira Naraine, Chief People Officer
Cameron Penman, Head, Wheel-Trans
Levenson Lincoln, Assistant Manager, Customer Service, Wheel-Trans
Sofia Rizzo, Customer Communication Specialist
David LoPresti, Manager, Contracted Taxi Services, WheelTrans
Jeff Short, Senior Accessibility Planner
Lodon Hassan, Divisional Manager, Customer Service, Wheel-Trans
Adrian Grundy, Senior Communications Advisor, Corporate Communications
Ross Visconti, Project Manager, Wheel-Trans
Stephan Boston, Chief Instructor, Bus Training
John Boucher, Manager, Vehicle Maintenance, Lakeshore Garage
Omar Jabbar, Project Manager for Wheel-Trans
Alexandra Nicastro, Administrative Assistant, Wheel-Trans
Sneha Madhuri, Communications Advisor, Corporate Communications
Heather Brown, Director, Customer Experience
John Prosser, Manager, Transit Operations
Ramsha Mughal, Project Coordinator, Strategy & Foresight 

Items Discussed

1. Call to Order / Attendance
2. Land Acknowledgement
3. Declaration of Conflict of Interest
4. Approval of Agenda
5. Review and Approval of January 26, 2024 and February 29, 2024 Minutes
6. Remarks from TTC Executive
7. Remarks from ACAT Chair
8. Wheel-Trans Transformation Update from Cameron Penman
9. Outstanding Items
10. Deputation: Nil
11. Review of Correspondence: Nil
12. Subcommittee Reports, Highlights and Updates - Communications - Design Review - Service Planning - Wheel-Trans Operations
13. Other/New Business
    a. Terms of Reference Update
    b. AODA Motion
14. Next Meeting – Thursday, April 25, 2024
15. Adjournment

1. Call to Order/Attendance 

Anita Dressler, ACAT Chair, called the meeting to order at 1:05 p.m. Attendance was taken.

2. Land Acknowledgement 

A member read the Land Acknowledgement.

3. Declaration of Conflict of Interest 

Nil.

4. Approval of Agenda 

Agenda amended to move item 6, Executive Remarks on the agenda to accommodate Executive’s schedule. Motion to approve the agenda as amended: Debbie Gillespie Seconded: Howard Wax Carried: agenda approved.

6. Remarks from TTC Executive – Shakira Naraine 

Shakira Naraine, Chief People Officer described her role and updated ACAT on the ongoing negotiations with the Unions.

Questions and Comments

Nil.

5. Review and Approval of January 26, 2024 and February 29, 2024 Minutes 

These minutes were deferred to the April 25, 2024 meeting.

7. Remarks from ACAT Chair 

The Chair welcomed everyone and congratulated Frank Lockhart on his election as Chair of the Communications Subcommittee. The Chair encouraged members to attend upcoming events and presentations that interest them and looked forward to Q2 and the upcoming presentations.

8. Wheel-Trans Transformation & update from Cameron Penman 

Cameron Penman, Head, Wheel-Trans, provided a Wheel-Trans update. The TTC is conducting in person and online community consultations for Wheel-Trans and Family of Services. The online survey would be available until April 30, 2024.

The Request for Information (RFI) for the new AVL and IVR systems was posted today and is expected to be posted for one month. A subsequent Request for Proposals (RFP) for the new systems is expected to be issued later in the year.

Phases 5-8 of the Reservations, Scheduling, and Dispatch software upgrades are in the final stages of negotiations with the vendor.

The re-registration campaign continues to progress successfully. Approximately 400 additional legacy customers have re-registered in 2024, bringing the total to over 14,000 customers. Fewer than 5,000 active customers remain to be re-registered.

Wheel-Trans continues to add additional 7m ProMaster vehicles to the fleet, replacing the older ‘Friendly’ buses. There are over 120 of the newer buses in service, with a total expected when complete of 137.

Questions and Comments from the Committee

A member asked whether additional services will be added to the “Where is my Ride” feature on the Wheel-Trans Mobile App. Ross Visconti, Project Manager, WheelTrans confirmed they are currently working on adding additional vehicles.

A member asked if these additions would include sedans and accessible taxis and Ross confirmed both, however, the sedans are expected to take longer due to the high number. Once completed, the buses and accessible taxis will cover 80% of all Wheel-Trans services.

A member commented that they would be sitting on the public consultation panel as a representative of ACAT, as they use the conventional system. They asked that any members of ACAT that would be willing to share their experiences using the conventional system and the Family of Services would be welcome to share those to provide more feedback.

9. Outstanding Items 

1. Recommendation for Honoraria: Board Approval will be sought for the additional honoraria. Expected implementation is 2025.
2. Scarborough City Centre Motion Update expected in Q3 2024.
3. Recommendation to Honour Sam Savona Update expected in Q2 2024.

10. Deputation 

Nil.

11. Review of Correspondence 

Nil.

12. Subcommittee Reports, Highlights and Updates: 

Communications Subcommittee (CS)

Frank Lockhart, Communications Chair, gave the report for the meeting held March 7, 2024.

Frank Lockhart thanked Maria Marin for her leadership last year heading the Subcommittee. He summarized the meeting starting with the presentation by Sofia Rizzo, Customer Communications Specialist regarding the outreach and communication strategy for ACAT recruitment for 2025. Sneha Madhuri, Communications Advisor, gave an update on the newsletter. It was suggested that personal stories could be added to make the newsletter more engaging, but space was an issue. Jeff Short, Senior Accessibility Planner made some suggestions on other ways to get the stories out to the public. The next meeting will be held on April 4, 2024, at 1:00 p.m.

Service Planning Subcommittee (SPS)

Debbie Gillespie, SPS Chair gave the report on the meeting held on March 19, 2024.

Jeff Short, Senior Accessibility Planner provided two updates from Wendy Reuter, Chief of Strategy & Customer Service. These included the 5-Year Service Plan, which provided a 25-Point action plan that came out of the consultations, and noted this plan only relates to the conventional system.

The second update was regarding the PRESTO-enabled Support Person Card. Wendy Reuter noted the TTC is finalizing the card’s design. Questions relating to the new card were answered. Jeff provided an overview of the 5-Year Accessibility Plan consultations and summarized feedback and next steps. New business included a comment on the excessive salt at outside stops and stations and the search for a location for the 2024 Public Forum on Accessible Transit. Finally, there was an update on the closing of escalators at Spadina Station and the communication plan for informing customers. 

The next meeting will be held on April 16, 2024, at 2:00 p.m.

Questions and Comments from the Committee

Jeff Short confirmed that the notice of closing of the escalator at Spadina Station communication was sent to all ACAT members.

A member asked regarding the update on the PRESTO-enabled Support Person Card, recommending that an explanation on the card for members and what it did would be helpful. Jeff summarized the card would be held by the customer and given to any support person they are with on a trip when they require assistance.

A member asked for further clarification on the PRESTO-enabled Support Person Card. Jeff confirmed that the card would be held by the customer requiring assistance and would be linked to their card, with the customer’s photo on it, enabling the card holder and their Support Person to travel on one fare.

A member asked for clarification on the difference between the 5-Year Service Plan and the 5-Year Accessibility Plan. Jeff the Service Plan is about the TTC’s plans to make adjustments to its service offerings and also addressing the customer experience on a broader level, while the Accessibility Plan focuses on accessibility.

It was recommended that all members get a copy of the 5-Year Service Plan.

Wheel-Trans Operations Subcommittee (WTOS)

Mei Hung, WTOS Chair, gave the report for the meeting held March 13, 2024.

Dean Milton, Manager, Strategic Initiatives, Wheel-Trans gave a presentation regarding the three motions approved by City Council, the TTC Board, and provided the TTC’s plans for implementation. He summarized their strategy for implementation that included outreach in different facilities, which was supported by WTOS. ACAT members were encouraged to attend the employee town halls being held to bring their lived experience to Operators.

Natalie Francis, Manager, Planning and Policy provided an update on their work to ensure the Line 5 stops are following the TTC standard. Levenson Lincoln, Assistant Manager, Customer Service, Wheel-Trans summarized the complaints for February 2024 and feedback was provided by members. The next meeting will be held on April 10, 2024, at 1:00 p.m.

Questions and Comments

A member asked for clarification on the TTC outreach to long term care homes. Levenson Lincoln explained TTC staff will be going to different locations throughout the year to aid customers that need help with applications, services, etc.

Design Review Subcommittee (DRS) – February Update

Lori Bailey, DRS Chair, provided the February 13, 2024 update. Jeff Short provided an overview of the DRS, highlighted projects and initiatives discussed in 2023 and upcoming projects. The next meeting will be March 12, 2024 at 1:30 p.m.

Questions and Comments

Members had questions on the touch screens being installed in elevators and provided feedback on the non-upholstered seat pilot project. Members inquired about who is responsible for third party entrances in facilities owned by Metrolinx, this will be brought to a future meeting. There were also questions from members regarding the Multi-Year Accessibility Plan.

Design Review Subcommittee (DRS) – March Update

Lori Bailey, DRS Chair, provided the March 12, 2024 update.

The City of Toronto’s Cycling and Pedestrian Projects team provided a presentation and members asked questions and gave feedback to the presenters. This included suggestions on the curb at Prince Edward and Montgomery, weekend Wheel-Trans accessibility to High Park, and the intersection of Dan Leckie Way and Queens Quay, which they noted already has a project ready to begin.

A member suggested they investigate accessible boarding zones at subway stations, specifically North York. The subcommittee discussed floating bus stops with City staff and made suggestions on stop pole locations and accessibility. City staff were encouraged to push Metrolinx to get the Accessible Pedestrian Signal audible messaging in place prior to the opening of Line 5.

Jeff Short gave an overview presentation on the new Scarborough Subway Extension. Jeff also confirmed the fare gate software update to extend the time is expected in Q3 2024.

The next meeting will be April 2, 2024 at 1:30 p.m.

Questions and Comments from the Committee

Members posed questions that asked about detail on the rest areas of the Scarborough Subway Extension.

13. Other/New Business 

a. Terms of Reference Update A copy of the updated Terms of Reference was provided for review and members were asked to provide any feedback so that it is ready for implementation after the July 2024 TTC Board meeting.

Questions and Comments from the Committee

A member asked that when a document is sent for review, not to highlight the changes as this is not read properly by screen readers; it is much easier to add the comment section. The proposed changes will be sent out in an accessible format. A member had some concerns that this review of the Terms of Reference is too early, it is usually done at the end of the year. It was explained that to smooth the transition of the potential Honoraria, the TTC Board would require this information prior to approving the budget, which will be done in July 2024. A member commented that it was their understanding that the Board needed to approve the information being requested, in this case the budget increase for the honoraria and allow changes if they request it. When they had made their decision, the Terms of Reference are then changed, not before. They commented that asking for feedback online does not allow discussion from the ACAT members. Cameron Penman, Head, Wheel-Trans, explained that was why it was brought up at this meeting, to provide members with an opportunity to comment and discuss. The Chair confirmed that any changes being submitted by members would be circulated to the other members. Cameron Penman confirmed that if the ACAT members prefer, they could wait to make the honorarium changes to the Terms of Reference after approval of the 2025 TTC budget. The Chair stated that Alexandra Nicastro, Administrative Assistant, circulated an email relating to “boomer buggies” which would be delegated to the WTOS for further discussion. b. AODA Motion This discussion is ongoing and the members agree it would be deferred to the April 2024 meeting. 10 c. Kennedy Station A member raised the issue of accessibility at Kennedy Station and the Kennedy GO Station, as the elevator is not yet in service and appears to be waiting for the implementation of Line 5. Jeff Short confirmed that these elevators are waiting for the Line 5 opening and explained that Metrolinx provides a shuttle for barrier free access. This item would be delegated to the DRS for additional discussion. d. Dundas Station A member explained that Dundas Station has accessible access only through an underground garage that is not staffed and is a third-party entrance that have security issues. The Chair recommended delegating this item to the SPS for discussion, as safety is a very important issue.

14. Next Meeting 

Next ACAT General Meeting: Thursday, April 25, 2024.

15. Adjournment 

Meeting adjourned by motion by Debbie Gillespie at 2:39 p.m.

Cindy Edwards Recording Secretary