ACAT Meeting - August 28, 2008

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.

Marcia Cummings requested an item entitled “Communication” be added under Other/New Business.On motion of Howard Wax, ACAT approved the revised agenda.

ON MOTION OF HOWARD WAX, ACAT APPROVED THE MINUTES OF JULY 31, 2008 SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING AMENDMENTS:
Item #9 “Presto Card Update” It should be noted that while ACAT members attended the meetings on this matter, Anna Noviss was not present at the one in question.
Item #13 “Accessible and Sedan Contracts Update” Howard Wax requested the statement he read out at the meeting be attached to the minutes.
The following motions were previously moved but are being re-recorded in order to document their approval by ACAT.
ON MOTION OF BILL CASTOR, ACAT APPROVED THAT ALL COMMISSION, SUB-COMMITTEE REPORTS AND/OR BRIEFING NOTES BE ATTACHED TO THE MINUTES.
ON MOTION OF DOROTHY CREASER, ACAT APPROVED THAT AN ADHOC COMMITTEE BE ESTABLISHED FOR THE LRT PROJECT.
ON MOTION OF SCOTT MCARTHUR, ACAT APPROVED THAT THE COMMISSION BE ASKED TO REQUEST ITS FUNDING PARTNERS, NAMELY THE CITY OF TORONTO AND THE PROVINCE, TO CONSIDER SUBSIDIZED FARES FOR DISABLED PEOPLE.

Sue Davidson reported on the items discussed at the Commission meeting of August 27, 2008. (Copy of briefing attached hereto).
Staff was requested to arrange a presentation to ACAT from a representative of the Human Resources Department with respect to the TTC Diversity Plan.

Communications

Dean Milton reviewed a number of items dealt with by the Subcommittee, i.e. the TTC Website Update, Internet Trip Booking, the September Newsletter, the Easier Access Video, and the 3rd Annual Wheel-Trans Family Day.

Design Review

Glenn Johnston noted the 11 items from the July 30th Subcommittee meeting had been discussed at the last ACAT General Meeting and had been distributed since then. The notes from the August 11th Subcommittee meeting, at which the Public Forum and developments since the forum had been discussed, had also been distributed along with copies of materials from the Ontario Human Rights website.
The ACAT Executive had asked the subcommittee to hold further discussions on how to proceed with regard to the assessment of points raised in the submissions.
Glenn Johnston advised that all members are invited to attend a meeting hosted by the Design Review Subcommittee to discuss the LRT Project at 2:00 p.m., Friday, September 12, 2008 in the 7th Floor Boardroom, 1900 Yonge Street.
Also discussed was the issue of attendance at Subcommittee meetings. It was recommended that the Christene Rowntree and Glenn Johnston discuss this. If a current ACAT member is interested in joining the Subcommittee, he/she is to contact them.

Roman Muetz, Customer Information Director, gave a brief overview of the “LIFT line” operation.
After some discussion, ACAT members put forward some suggestions that would assist customers i.e. having regular updates on Breakfast Television (transit report)/CP 24, having elevators checked at the end of the service day so that the LIFT line has the most current information, using platform video screens to relay service disruptions and/or out of service elevators.
Anna Noviss outlined her observations on the accuracy of the LIFT line information over a nine-week period. She will communicate further with Roman Muetz in this regard.
Staff was requested to convene a joint meeting of the Communications and Service Integration Subcommittees to deal with the foregoing issues, and to arrange a presentation to ACAT on elevator maintenance.

Penny Lamy distributed and reviewed her email to Chair Giambrone regarding elevators on the Bloor Line, and the response back from Gary Webster.
AFTER SOME DISCUSSION, ON MOTION OF SCOTT MCARTHUR, ACAT APPROVED THAT PENNY LAMY APPEAR AS A DEPUTANT TO REQUEST THE COMMISSION TO ESTABLISH PROTOCOLS TO DEAL WITH SITUATIONS RESULTING FROM ELEVATORS OUT OF OPERATION, ESPECIALLY IN TWO OR MORE STATIONS IN A LINE.

Tom McPherson, Superintendent – Wheel-Trans Customer Service and Planning, gave a detailed review and chronology of issues associated with the Accessible Taxi contract. He also advised that the RFP for the Sedan contract will close at the end of September and that a pre-bid meeting has been scheduled. Interested members were asked to contact Dean Milton for details.
It was agreed that the next Wheel-Trans newsletter would include an article announcing the new providers of accessible taxis service and would encourage customers to call or write in their comments, complaints, commendations, etc., not only on accessible taxis but also sedans and buses.
It was also noted that ACAT is very willing to participate in any training or other strategies to encourage those in the not-for-profit sector to become further involved in contracted Wheel-Trans services.

On Motion of Marcia Cummings, ACAT approved that any and all communications for ACAT not be distributed in PDF format.

The meeting adjourned at 4:05 p.m.
Freda Stanois
Secretary

Report of Toronto Transit Commission
Meeting Number 207
1900, August 27, 2008

Two items of interest were discussed in relation to persons with disabilities and seniors:
1) A proposed new Diversity Plan, and 2) Paid parking in TTC commuter lots.

 

1) TTC Diversity Plan

TTC was said to have been a leader in employment equity. It built a workplace that was more inclusive for women and visible minorities. Now, given the diversity of the City of Toronto, it has been identified that the TTC needs to expand its efforts beyond employment equity to diversity.
Employment Equity is a process used to: “identify and eliminate barriers faced by persons in designated groups, i.e. women, members of visible minorities, persons of aboriginal origin, persons with disabilities that result from employment systems, policies and practices” and to “institute policies and practices and make accommodations that ensure the adequate representation of persons from designated groups within the organization’s workforce”.
Workplace Diversity involves “recognizing the value of individual differences and managing them in the workplace. It is the creation of an environment that values and utilizes the contributions of people with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Diversity is broader and more inclusive than employment equity”.

Goals of the Diversity Plan:

1. TTC’s workforce to reflect the diversity of the population of the City of Toronto within the next 10 years.
2. Structure diversity as a strategic priority.
3. Engage senior management support and commitment to Diversity.
4. Communicate Diversity as a core value of the TTC for employees and members of the Community.
5. Recruit, retain, and develop a diverse workforce to ensure equal access and opportunities for employment, appropriate levels of compensation, and opportunities for transfers and promotions.
6. Create a systemic approach to succession planning to promote changes of workforce demographics including the setting of goals, the tracking of hiring, promotions, leavers and turnover for the designated groups.
   The designated groups under Employment Equity include: Women, Aboriginal persons, and racial minorities described as Black, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, and Korean.

Comment:

There was no mention of persons with disabilities under Employment Equity with the exception of those individuals who became injured during the course of their employment at the TTC.
At the TTC, Diversity is a corporate strategy that recognizes the inherent dignity and worth of every person. Through the goals and objectives identified in the Diversity Plan, the TTC comments that it will “strive to eliminate discrimination and harassment in the workplace, consistent with the Ontario Human Rights Code”.
It will be interesting to see how this unfolds over the next five years and to see to what degree persons with disabilities are recognized and recruited under the new Diversity framework.

2) Paid parking in TTC commuter lots

It was determined that there will be a fee charged for parking in TTC commuter parking lots. The fee will be applied to all persons who choose to park. To date, those who have parked in the lots have done so for free, or as they may perceive it, as part of their Metropass fee. In this way, the riders who have not taken advantage of the free parking have subsidized those who have been parking in them. Adam Giambrone, as quoted on the news this morning, explained that the decision was made in order to make the system more equitable and to add revenue to the TTC.

Susan Davidson
ACAT