Board Meeting - September 26, 2023

Meeting No.:

2075

Meeting Date:

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

A meeting of the TTC Board was held in Council Chamber, Scarborough Civic Centre, 150 Borough Drive and by video conference on Tuesday, September 26, 2023 commencing at 10:04 a.m. The meeting recessed at 12:32 p.m. and reconvened at 1:36 p.m.

Present at Public Session

Commissioners:

J. Myers (Chair), J. De Laurentiis (Vice-Chair), P. Ainslie, S. Holyday, F. Jagdeo, J. Matlow, C. Moise, J. Osborne and D. Saxe

Staff:

R. Leary (Chief Executive Officer), M. Atlas (General Counsel), K. Campbell (Chief Diversity and Culture Officer), G. Downie (Chief Capital Officer), B. Hasserjian (Chief Safety Officer), J. La Vita (Chief Financial Officer), B. MacGregor (Deputy CEO), F. Monaco (Chief Operations and Infrastructure Officer), N. Poole-Moffatt (Chief of Corporate Affairs), W. Reuter (Chief Strategy and Customer Officer (Acting)), S. Naraine (Chief People Officer), R. Wong (Chief Transportation and Vehicles Officer), X. Chen (Manager - Corporate Deliverables), E. Chu (Head - Project Development and Planning), A. Gibson (Executive Director - Fare Technology and System Stewardship), C. Finnerty (Director - Commission Services) and J. Ishak (Administrator - Secretariat Services) were present.

Land Acknowledgement

Chair Myers acknowledged that the TTC Board was meeting on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. I also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands. Declaration of Interest – Municipal Conflict of Interest Act Nil TTC Board Minutes Meeting No. 2075 Tuesday, September 26, 2023 Minutes of the Previous Meeting Commissioner Osborne moved that the TTC Board approve the Minutes of Meeting No. 2074 held on Wednesday, July 12, 2023.

The motion by Commissioner Osborne carried.

Business Arising Out of the Minutes

Nil

Committee of the Whole Public Presentations

Item No.3. Update on TTC’s Partnership Approach to Community Safety, Security and Well-Being on Public Transit
Alim Nathoo
August Pantitlán Puranauth
Adam Cohoon

The Board received the deputations for information (See Item No. 3 for minute)

Item No.4. Line 3 Bus Replacement Update
Councillor Michael Thompson
Alan Yule
Jim Faught
Brad Pearson
Khadidja Roble

The Board received the deputations for information (See Item No. 4 for minute)

Item No.5. Easier Access Phase III – Project Status Update September 2023
Adam Cohoon
Brad Pearson

The Board received the deputations for information (See Item No. 5 for minute)

Item No.8. Appointments to TTC Committees
Vincent Puhakka

The Board received the deputations for information (See Item No. 8 for minute)

Item No.11. Notice of Motion - A Step Towards Free Transit for Middle and High School Students
Alan Yule
Nancy Crawford
David Beshai

The Board received the deputations for information (See Item No. 11 for minute)

Presentations/Reports/Other Business

1. Chief Executive Officer’s Report – September 2023

R. Leary, Chief Executive Officer, delivered a verbal presentation on this item.

Commissioner Holyday moved receipt of the Chief Executive Officer’s Report – September 2023 for information.

The motion by Commissioner Holyday carried.

Received

2. Approved Minutes of the Advisory Committee on Accessible Transit (ACAT) General Monthly Meeting for June 29 and July 27, 2023

A. Dressler, ACAT Chair, delivered a verbal presentation on this item. Commissioner Saxe moved receipt of the Approved Minutes of the Advisory Committee on Accessible Transit (ACAT) General Monthly Meeting for June 29 and July 27, 2023 for information

The motion by Commissioner Saxe carried.

Received

3. Update on TTC’s Partnership Approach to Community Safety, Security and Well-Being on Public Transit

B. Hasserjian, Chief Safety Officer delivered a presentation on this item.

Commissioner Holyday moved the following motion:

That the TTC Chief Executive Officer explore opportunities to cross train and expand on Fare Inspector functions as the Commission invests in its approach to community safety and well-being on public transit.

The motion by Commissioner Holyday carried.

Commissioner Holyday moved the following motion:

That the TTC board direct the Commission to recover costs from the City of Toronto for special busses provided for people waiting or provided for direct transport of people to shelters.

The motion by Commissioner Holyday carried.

Commissioner Matlow moved the following motion:

That TTC staff, in consultation with City staff, report back to the next TTC Board meeting with an update, developed in consideration of the forthcoming October 2023 City of Toronto Shelter System Update report, on the Getting Back to Transit (Move Along) initiative and the use of buses as part of the TTC’s Partnership Approach to Community Safety, Security and Well-Being on Public Transit.

The motion by Commissioner Matlow carried.

Chair Myers moved the following motion:

That the TTC Board direct TTC staff report back to the Board by the end of Q4 of 2023 on the feasibility of:

a. Redeploying injured employees as Community Safety Ambassadors and/or Customer Service Representatives in stations to increase employee visibility.
b. Providing enhanced support and counselling beyond the Enhanced Employee Assistance Program for employees that are the witness and/or victims of crimes.
c. Requiring Transit Control to have a Special Constable or other law enforcement trained specialist 24/7.
d. Reviewing the number of Court Advocates (currently there are 2) providing support to employees that have been victims and/or witnesses of crimes and reporting back to the board as part of the budget process as to whether this number is sufficient.
e. Report back to the Board, as part of the budget process, the retention rates for Special Constables (starting with the class of 2018 and each subsequent class/year thereafter) in order to ensure the TTC ends its reliance on private security guards.
f. Potential opportunities to educate customers on the safety measures that are in place in the transit system.

The motion by Chair Myers carried.

Chair Myers moved to adopt the report recommendations, as amended, as follows:

1. Reaffirm its support for the TTC’s multi-disciplinary approach to managing community safety and well-being issues on the system with measures that provide: TTC Board Minutes Meeting No. 2075 Tuesday, September 26, 2023
a. High-visibility presence and incident management;
b. Social support for persons experiencing homelessness and individuals with complex needs; and,
c. Community safety program support.

2. Support the continuation of the 2023 approved and emergency community safety, security and well-being measures in place and the introduction of new measures for the balance of 2023 to: increase staff presence in key subway stations, bus and streetcar terminals; utilize TTC buses to transport individuals to shelters; and provide community safety program support, with the projected costs of $10.3 million, as outlined in Table 1, to be funded from the TTC Stabilization Reserve, in accordance with the TTC’s Chief Executive Officer’s delegated authority.

3. In order to ensure all community safety, security and well-being measures are in place for the 2023-2024 winter season, and as necessary through to the end of 2024, authorize:
a. The continuation of the LOFT/M-DOT pilot for one additional year, from March 15, 2024 to March 15, 2025, to fully assess the impact through the winter of 2024 timeframe;
b. An increase in the TTC’s 2023 approved complement of 178 that will provide:
i. 4 Janitors for extended station cleaning;
ii. 6 Transit Control Centre Dispatchers dedicated to safety communications in the transit network;
iii. 130 Customer Service Agents; 30 Field Supervisors and 1 Slip Clerk for a total of 161 positions to increase staff presence in key subway stations, bus and streetcar terminals;
iv. 6 bus Operators to transport individuals to shelters;
v. 1 Program Manager to co-ordinate and support the TTC’s Community Safety, Security and Well-Being program;
c. TTC staff to include the complement adjustment in the City’s nine-month Variance Report for City Council’s consideration and approval;
d. Staff to request the City of Toronto to include an increase of $8.3 million in the its 2024 Interim Spending Authority for the TTC to ensure spending authority is in place to cover costs for Q1 2024, as outlined in Table 2, representing the balance of the 2023-2024 winter season, and until such time as City Council considers the 2024 Operating Budget for its approval; and,
e. Staff to include $26.8 million, as outlined in Table 2, representing the total incremental 2024 cost to fund the annualized costs of 2023 approved initiatives and the continuation of the 2023 emergency and new initiatives in its 2024 Operating Budget submission to the TTC Board and the City of Toronto for consideration in the 2024 Budget process.

4. Direct staff to forward this report to the City Manager and Interim Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer for their information.

The motion by Chair Myers carried.

Amended

4. Line 3 Bus Replacement Update

E. Chu, Head, Project Development and Planning and X. Chen, Manager - Corporate deliverables delivered a presentation on this item. Chair Myers moved the following motion:

1. Direct the Chief Executive Officer, Toronto Transit Commission to:
a. Proceed with design work on the Scarborough Rapid Transit busway conversion.
b. Report to the TTC Board in the fourth quarter of 2023 with a preliminary report on Scarborough Rapid Transit busway conversion plan including costing and an update on the City's discussions with the Province of Ontario, and forward the report to Executive Committee for consideration.
c. Consult with the City Manager, the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, and the Executive Director, Transit Expansion Office on the status of the City's discussions with the Province of Ontario in advance of reporting to the TTC Board in the fourth quarter of 2023.
d. Reaffirm commitment to ensure City Council's direction in 2022.MM39.24 to "explore the potential for the adaptive reuse of the elevated track currently utilized by the Scarborough Rapid Transit line as a new linear park and active transportation corridor and to report back to a future meeting of City Council on the feasibility, including potential funding options"

The motion by Chair Myers carried.

Chair Myers moved to adopt the item, as amended, as follows:

1. Receive this report as an update on the Line 3 Bus Replacement project.

The motion by Chair Myers carried.

Amended Correspondence

Submitted by: Anne-Marie Quan and Hamish Wilson

5. Easier Access Phase III – Project Status Update September 2023

Commissioner Matlow moved to adopt the item, as follows:

It is recommended that the TTC Board:

1. Receive the current EAIII program schedule, noting the acceleration efforts presently underway, and that staff continue to seek opportunities for schedule improvements.
2. Receive for information the independent assessment and recommendations outlined in the Confidential Attachment.
3. Authorize the information contained in the Confidential Attachment to remain confidential as it contains information about a trade secret or scientific, technical, commercial, financial or labour relations information, supplied in confidence to the City or local board, which, if disclosed, could reasonably be expected to prejudice significantly the competitive position or interfere significantly with the contractual or other negotiations of a person, group of persons, or organization.

The motion by Commissioner Matlow carried.

Approved

Correspondence Submitted by: Daphne Browne and TTC Riders

6. Financial and Major Projects Update for the Period Ended July 1, 2023

Chair Myers moved to adopt the item, as follows:

It is recommended that the TTC Board:

1. Approve the 2023 Capital Budget in-year budget adjustments to offset projects that have had accelerated spending by $2.1 million with projects that have experienced delays and lower spending by $2.1 million with no debt impact, as outlined in Appendix 3 of this report.
2. Authorize that the recommended budget adjustments in Recommendation 1 above to the TTC’s 2023-2033 Capital Budget and Plan be included in the TTC’s submission for the Capital Variance Report for the six months ended June 30, 2023 for City Council consideration and approval.

The motion by Chair Myers carried.

Approved

7. Procurement Authorization - Supply of Prevost Parts

Commissioner Holyday moved to adopt the item, as follows:

It is recommended that the TTC Board:

1. Authorize the contract award to Prevost, a Division of Volvo Group Canada Inc. (Prevost) in the total upset limit amount of $8,200,000 inclusive of HST for the supply of Prevost parts for a two-year period commencing December 1, 2023.

The motion by Commissioner Holyday carried.

Approved

8. Appointments to TTC Committees

Chair Myers moved to adopt the item, as follows:

The TTC Board appointed TTC Board members to Committees, as follows:

Committee	Members
Audit & Risk Management Committee Composition: 3 Board Members Chair appointed by the Board from among the appointed Members	Fenton Jagdeo Ron Lalonde Julie Osborne
TTC-Metrolinx PRESTO Joint Advisory Group (JAG) Composition: TTC CEO Metrolinx CEO 2 Metrolinx Board Members 2 TTC Board Members	Joanne De Laurentiis Jamaal Myers

The motion by Chair Myers carried.

Approved

Correspondence Submitted by: TTC Riders

9. City Council Transmittal - IE3.5 - The Sustainable City of Toronto Fleets Plan (2023 Update and Status Report)

Commissioner Matlow moved to adopt the item, as follows:

It is recommended that the TTC Board:

1. Adopt and implement The Sustainable City of Toronto Fleets Plan.

The motion by Commissioner Matlow carried.

Approved

10.City Council Transmittal - IE3.7 - High Park Movement Strategy - Final Report

Commissioner Osborne moved to adopt the item, as follows:

It is recommended that the TTC Board:

1. Direct staff to investigate the feasibility of improving routing and/or service frequency of transit service within and around High Park as part of the Toronto Transit Commission’s annual service planning process.

The motion by Commissioner Osborne carried.

Approved

Correspondence Submitted by: Matt Alexander and Sherri Deeton,

11.Notice of Motion - A Step Towards Free Transit for Middle and High School Students – by Commissioner Dianne Saxe, seconded by Commissioner Paul Ainslie

Commissioner Saxe moved to adopt the item, as follows:

It is recommended that the TTC Board:

1. The TTC Board direct staff to report back in January 2024 on opportunities to provide free transit to Middle School and Secondary School groups making field trips during off peak hours. 2. The TTC Board direct staff to report back in January 2024 on opportunities to provide a quantity of free youth transit passes to registered charities operating in Toronto that provide wrap around services to overcome barriers to education, which will use the passes to incent high school attendance by underprivileged youth.  

Commissioner Holyday requested a recorded vote.

In favour: J. Myers, P. Ainslie, J. Matlow, C. Moise, J. Osborne and D. Saxe

Opposed: J. De Laurentiis, S. Holyday and F. Jagdeo,

Absent: R. Lalonde

The motion to adopt the item, as amended, carried on a vote of 6 to 3.

Approved

Correspondence Submitted by: Nancy Crawford, Ajane Adams and Anne Keary

On a motion by Commissioner Osborne, the meeting adjourned at 5:05 p.m.