ACAT Meeting - September 29, 2022

Meeting Date:     

Wednesday, September 29, 2022
1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Location:

Virtual meeting via WebEx

Present:

Jonathan Marriott, ACAT Chair
Craig Nicol, DRS Chair
Anita Dressler
Debbie Gillespie, ACAT Co-Vice-Chair                                          
Angela Marley, CS Chair 
Lauri Sue Robertson, WTOS Chair
Wangari Muriuki
Bobbi Moore, Co-Vice Chair
Erica Tanny
Gwyneth Dalzell
Howard Wax
Janice Shachter
Sean Hollingsworth

Pool:

Robert Hampson

Absent:

Carmen Galvan, SPS Chair
Lauren Foote 
Lorraine Le Camp

TTC Representatives: 

Betty Hasserjian, Acting Chief Safety Officer
Michael Atlas, General Counsel
Scott Haskill, Acting Chief Strategy and Customer Officer
Cameron Penman, Acting Head of Wheel-Trans
Heather Brown, Director of Customer Experience
Matt Hagg, Manager of Customer Policy, Strategy and Foresight
Dean Milton, Manager of Strategic Initiatives, Wheel-Trans
Lodon Hassan, Acting Manager of Customer Service, Wheel-Trans
Mohammed Shaikh, Divisional Manager of Operations, Wheel-Trans
Ross Visconti, Project Manager, Wheel Trans
David LoPresti, Manager, Contracted Taxi Services, Wheel-Trans
Chris Hong, Customer Experience Analyst, Strategy & Foresight
Natashia Singh, Customer Experience Analyst, Strategy & Foresight
Arlen Orellana, Travel Specialist, Wheel-Trans
Joe Lombardi, Chief Instructor, Bus Transportation Training Department
Stephan Boston, Chief Instructor, Bus Transportation Training Department
Brittany Manu, Anti-Racism Policy Consultant, Diversity Department
Cyril Cromwell, Engagement Consultant, Diversity Department
Maria Luisa Vitti, Human Rights Consultant, Human Rights & Investigations
Augusta Ferguson, Co-op Student, Strategy & Foresight
Adrienne Isaac, Administrative Assistant, Wheel-Trans

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 August 25, 2022 Minutes
6. Election of New ACAT Vice Chair 
7. Remarks from ACAT Chair
8. Remarks from TTC Executive
9. Outstanding Items – Review of ACAT meeting times 
10. Deputation: Nil 
11. Review of Correspondence: Nil
12. Wheel-Trans Transformation & COVID-19 update from Cameron Penman
13. Subcommittee Reports, Highlights and Updates
    a. Communications
    b. Design Review
    c. Service Planning
14. Other Items / New Business: 
    a. Meeting minutes
    b. Operator training and recertification 
    c. Noise alerts 
    d. Mask mandate  
15. Next Meeting – October 27, 2022
16. Adjournment

1. Call to Order/Attendance

Jonathan Marriott, ACAT Chair, called the meeting to order at 1:06 p.m. and attendance was taken. 

2. Land Acknowledgement

The Land Acknowledgement was read by Jonathan. 

3. Declaration of Conflict of Interest

Nil.
 

4. Approval of Agenda

Four items were added to the agenda under New Business

• Meeting minutes
• Operator training and recertification  
• Noise alerts 
• Mask mandate 

Howard Wax brought a motion to approve the agenda as amended. Bobbi Moore seconded. Carried.  

5. Review and Approval of August 25, 2022 Minutes

Lauri Sue Robertson brought a motion to approve the August 25, 2022 minutes. Howard Wax seconded. Carried. 

6. Election of New ACAT Co-Vice Chair 

Anita Dressler has resigned as ACAT Co-Vice Chair. Jonathan Marriott, ACAT Chair, advised an election was held on September 29, 2022 wherein ACAT members elected the new ACAT Co-Vice Chair. Bobbi Moore is the new Co-Vice Chair. 

7. Remarks from ACAT Chair

2022 Q3 ACAT activities

Jonathan participated in the open house event held at the TTC’s Harvey and Duncan Shop on September 17, 2022. There was a table set up for ACAT and ACAT brochures and a tip sheet about accessible transit were available to the public.

The TTC Public Forum on Accessible Transit was held virtually on September 22, 2022. The ACAT Chair provided a presentation about ACAT and its role with focus on committees and key activities from last year. 

ACAT recruitment for 2023 members is in progress. Jonathan will work with TTC staff to provide an onboarding meeting or workshop to support the new ACAT Chair and ACAT Executives. 

Suggestions about future protocols and procedures

Jonathan made the following suggestions for TTC staff and future ACAT members:

• Create a plan to support onboarding the new ACAT Chair and Executive in collaboration with TTC staff.
• Explore new communication procedures and best business practices to ensure members have sufficient notice to participate and ongoing support of customers with accommodations. 
• Focus on high value of input from customers using the service and issues being addressed and resolved in their favour. 

8. Remarks from TTC Executive

Scott Haskill, Acting Chief Strategy and Customer Officer, discussed past Public Forums on Accessible Transit. Scott shared the 2022 Public Forum on Accessible Transit was a success and that customer input and the current level of conversation about issues is extremely valuable.  

A recent senior management level meeting between TTC and Metrolinx discussed the need for improved communication from Metrolinx about the Eglinton Crosstown LRT and all projects. A draft Terms of Reference addressing the process of consulting with TTC and ACAT and sharing information has been prepared and reviewed by TTC staff. If communication difficulties between Metrolinx and TTC continue the conversation will be escalated.

The TTC Annual Service Plan is a component of the 5 Year Service Plan and addresses transit planning. The Annual Service Plan is underway and public consultation about route changes is ongoing. Popup consultations where Transit Planners attend stations to speak with customers about route changes will be held over the next few months and online consultations are also planned. The 2023 Annual Service Plan will be presented to ACAT in the future. 

Questions and Comments by the Committee

A member asked if a presentation about proposed changes to service routes, once Eglinton LRT opens, will be presented to ACAT at a future meeting. Scott confirmed that, if desired by the Committee, Service Planning staff could present the changes to the system with members before the line opens. 

Another member asked about the funding of the current Metrolinx build. Scott clarified the Province of Ontario is responsible for the cost of the new build.  
Michael Atlas, General Counsel, provided an update on an issue raised in the May 2022 ACAT General Meeting about the communication misalignment with Metrolinx. As noted in Scott Haskill’s remarks, at a recent senior management level meeting between TTC and Metrolinx the issue of improved communication was raised and the parties are working on a draft Terms of Reference in order to address the issue going forward. 

9. Outstanding Items – Review of ACAT meeting times 

An update will be provided once all members have responded to the ACAT Chair’s email asking about opinions about ACAT meeting times. 

10. Deputation: Nil

11. Review of Correspondence: Nil

12. Wheel-Trans Transformation & COVID-19 update from Cameron Penman

Cameron Penman, Acting Head of Wheel-Trans, discussed an update about the solution assessment for Phases five to eight of the Wheel-Trans Transformation which will be presented at the October ACAT General Meeting.  Wheel-Trans continues to replace older vehicle models. 32 new 7m ProMaster buses are now in service. The Public Forum on Accessible Transit provided meaningful feedback. The feedback is being reviewed and ACAT will be advised and/or consulted about any planned changes. The existing mask mandate remains in effect for Wheel-Trans Operators and customers. Shared sedan taxi rides have not resumed yet and the resumption of shared rides on sedan taxis will continue to be evaluated in the coming months. Wheel-Trans eligibility appeals will resume shortly as was discussed in August 2022 meeting. The Customer Service team will contact ACAT for participation on the panel once the process resumes. 

Questions and Comments from the Committee

A member raised a concern that the mobile chat feature used during the Public Forum may not have been working correctly for screen reader users. Matt Hagg, Manager of Customer Policy, will provide feedback to the live stream vendor used for the Forum. 

Other members commended the ACAT Chair and TTC staff on the panel at the Public Forum and questioned why TTC top management did not participate in the Forum. Cameron explained TTC is undergoing a change in senior management and next year participation from the Executive Team is likely. Matt confirmed that many members of senior level management were watching the Forum even though they did not participate.      

13. Subcommittee Reports and Highlights

Communications Subcommittee (CS)

There was no meeting held in September. The next meeting is scheduled for October 6, 2022.

Design Review Subcommittee (DRS) 

Craig Nicol, DRS Chair, provided a summary of the DRS meeting held September 14, 2022. Parkside Drive and Queensway stop difficulties and solutions were discussed. The possibility of making an accessible connection between the 501 Queen and 80 Queensway bus service and the associates costs were explored. The Subcommittee questioned restricted space for access routes, their length and complexity and examined elevation challenges. The Subcommittee recommended the 501 Queen stop, Queensway at Parkside Drive be closed given the low ridership and high cost resulting in a non optimal connection.  

Pedestrian crossings of the Line 3 replacement bus-way at line stops and a bus driveway at TTC’s Kennedy Station were discussed. The Line 3 Bus Replacement project involves replacing the transit service on Line 3 Scarborough when it shuts down at the end of 2023. The Subcommittee discussed the need for consistency at line stops and recommended having a stop sign requiring buses to stop before passing through the bus way pedestrian crosswalk. A recommendation was also made to have a crosswalk with a standard traffic signal with APS installed at the “T” intersection where buses exit Kennedy Station to Transway Crescent. 

Matt provided an update about bus and subway pre-boarding announcements. Ongoing work towards a solution for buses seems positive and TTC staff will update the Subcommittee in the future. TTC staff will further discuss subway pre-boarding announcements.      

The next DRS meeting is scheduled for October 12, 2022. 

Highlights for the next board meeting:

• Parkside Drive and Queensway stop, accessibility solution 
• SRT Bus Replacement – Pedestrian Crossings 
• Missing Pre-Boarding announcements, update on solution

Service Planning Subcommittee (SPS) 

The September Subcommittee meeting details will be discussed at the next ACAT General Meeting.

Wheel-Trans Operations Subcommittee (WTOS)

Lauri Sue Robertson, WTOS Chair, advised the Subcommittee meeting was held on September 21, 2022. The September meeting minutes were not available and the meeting details will be reported at the next ACAT General Meeting. ACAT members discussed the upcoming bus familiarization event scheduled for October 13, 2022 at TTC’s Mount Dennis Division. 

Questions and Comments by the Committee

A member noted the WTOS minutes recorded a Wheel-Trans staff visit and asked if TTC staff have visited new stations on the Eglinton Crosstown, Line 5. Heather Brown, Director of Customer Experience, discussed different teams have visited some underground stations but TTC does not currently have full access to stations. Lodon Hassan, acting Manager of Customer Service, Wheel-Trans, reported Marco Iorfida, Wheel-Trans Scheduling and Policy Specialist, attended stations that were deemed safe enough for visits and captured feedback that was shared with WTOS.   

14. Other Items / New Business

a. Meeting Minutes

A member requested meeting minutes be delivered earlier to allow for comprehensive review and suggested minutes be submitted to TTC within five business days and for final draft minutes to be distributed no later than two weeks after a meeting. The same member expressed concern about current minute taker contracts being inadequate as contractors are not familiar with ACAT, previous proceedings, and processes. Lodon explained TTC staff are reviewing current contract terms to improve performance and will be issuing a RFP with the change in the future. Members were asked to provide suggested contract terms to Adrienne Isaac, Administrative Assistant, Wheel-Trans, and to him. 

A member suggested meeting minutes may not be available due to the short timeline between the monthly Wheel-Trans Operations Subcommittee (WTOS) meeting and monthly ACAT General Meeting. Lodon advised WTOS meetings in 2023 will be changed to be held during second week of the month. 

b. Operator Training and Recertification 

Joe Lombardi, Chief Instructor, Bus Transportation Training Department, provided an update about Operator training and retraining resuming at TTC’s Hillcrest location. He requested ACAT members resume participation in these training sessions, which will involve a one-hour presentation about accessibility experiences and provides an opportunity for ACAT members to speak directly to Operators. Joe invited ACAT members to participate and shared the time commitments needed for the training. 

A member discussed new barriers at the Operator’s door make it difficult for customers to communicate with drivers, especially customers who do not have sight. Joe explained the barrier is necessary as it deters Operators assaults. This feedback will be incorporated into training when it comes to dealing with persons with disabilities. Joe will liaise with TTC staff to set up ACAT members’ signing up for the training sessions. 

c. Noise alerts 

Gwyneth Dalzell raised the issue of having an alert and notices about noise levels at stations under construction. She states she raised this issue at a previous ACAT General Meeting and asked for an update. Members discussed noise alerts and service delay notifications. The ACAT Chair asked for the issue to be assigned to a Subcommittee. TTC staff and the Committee agreed to have this issue referred to the Communications Subcommittee. 

d. Masking update

A member discussed an email received from TTC staff requesting feedback from ACAT about continuing the mandatory mask mandate on Wheel-Trans vehicles and suggested discussing the issue at the General Meeting. Members expressed support for continuing the mask wearing mandate on Wheel-Trans vehicles.  

Other Business 

A member asked if the new Wheel-Trans Travel Trainer could make an introduction. Arlen Orellana, Travel Training Specialist, introduced herself and provided insight about her skills, background and experience. 

15. Next Meeting 

The next meeting is on October 27, 2022.

16. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 3:29 p.m. on a motion brought by Debbie Gillespie. 

(Minute taker: Kinga Bilska)