Winter 2014

TTC Travel Training Available at an Accessible Subway Station

If you are interested in learning how to use the accessible features of a subway including boarding the train, email wtcs@ttc.ca or call Wheel-Trans Customer Service at 416-393-4111.

Electronic Version of Newsletter

If you would prefer an electronic version of the CommunityLink emailed to you, please email wtcs@ttc.ca with your name, registration number and valid email address.

Introducing the New and Improved Online Trip Booking!

mywheel-trans.ttc.ca

We introduced on-line trip booking back in 2008 to our customers, and this convenient method of managing your trips while avoiding busy telephone lines, now accounts for over 40% of all customer trips booked.

We have been listening to your comments and we have improved the website substantially by eliminating the need for you to have to call in to reservations office to add or remove addresses on your registered list, you can do this all on your own.

As well, you can now select any address in the city of Toronto to schedule your ride to without having to choose from a Registered Address, Recent address or Landmark.

Manage your own Registered Addresses

Choose destinations from your Registered Addresses, Recent Addresses, Landmarks, or the new “Search Addresses”. The address search criteria allows you to enter a “street number” and “street name” and then select from a list of search results.

Wheel-Trans Holiday Service – Beginning December 2014

Winter Service Reminders and Safety Tips

• For the safety of our customers and drivers, please make sure that all ramps, steps, driveways and sidewalks are clear of ice and snow.
• If you require assistance with snow removal from your private property, Access Toronto will direct you to a local agency that may provide this service, please call 311 Toronto.
• Ice grippers for extra traction on slippery surfaces can be added to the rubber tips on the end of canes.  Shoes and boots with deep treads will help provide extra traction.
• Service will likely be delayed when it snows or is unusually cold.  To ensure your comfort while you wait, be sure to dress warmly.
• For your safety, ensure that your mobility device is in good repair and tires are properly inflated and have lots of tread.

Service to Major Shopping Malls

From November 23, 2014 to January 1, 2015, Wheel-Trans will only be using one location at the following Shopping Malls:

• Yorkdale Shopping Mall – Shoppers Drug Mart entrance
• Scarborough Town Centre – TD Bank entrance
• Fairview Mall – Shoppers Drug Mart entrance
• Cloverdale Mall – Dollarama entrance
• Sherway Gardens – Sporting Life entrance
• Service to other malls remains unchanged.

Please remember: Drivers will not carry your parcels, bags or boxes for you. If you require assistance, please bring along a companion/ support person.

Regular Service Canceled Over Holidays

All Regular rides will be canceled the week of December 21, 2014 to December 27, 2014, and on New Year’s Day January 1, 2015. The only exception is that regular rides to and from dialysis will be maintained.

If you know that you will still require your Regular rides during the holiday period, go to mywheel-trans.ttc.ca to rebook or call the Reservations Office at 416-393-4222 beginning December 14, 2014.

Snow Advisory

If by 3:00pm the day before you are booked for Wheel-Trans service, the weather forecast calls for a snowfall of 8 cm or more, we ask customers to consider canceling all non-essential rides.

If it snows on the day of service, go to mywheel-trans.ttc.ca or the RideLine at 416-397-8000 for further updates and instruction. Rides canceled during a snow advisory will not be included in the Late Cancellation/No Show Policy.

Wheel-Trans Priority Line (416-393-4311)

Help us to answer your priority calls more quickly!!!

The Priority Line should only be called for the following reasons:

• You have been no showed and require another ride.
• Your ride is running more than 30 minutes late and you want to know when it will arrive.

Unfortunately our staff will have to transfer all other calls they receive to keep this line available for priorities.

End of Year Message from the Advisory Committee on Accessible Transit (ACAT)

ACAT has had a busy year in 2014.  One of our primary focuses has been the new streetcar. We have worked extensively with TTC staff to ensure that the new streetcar is fully accessible.  The first two streetcars were launched on August 31, 2014, on the 510 Spadina route.

Another initiative that ACAT worked on with staff is the new booking improvements that allow registrants to enter or change their addresses online.  Wheel-Trans, in partnership with ACAT, has produced a new “Welcome to Wheel-Trans” booklet for all new registrants. ACAT strongly encourages riders to take advantage of the freedom that comes with using the conventional service wherever possible.  This allows riders more flexibility when planning trips.

ACAT has also worked with staff in developing and revising TTC policies. For example the new Support Person Assistance Card allowing one person to ride free of charge if he/she is accompanying someone who requires assistance during their trip.

There was a good turnout at the Public Forum in September and the People in Motion show in June. It is important for us to hear from YOU what is working well and what you think would make things better within the mandate of the TTC.

If you would like to contact us at any time please email acat@ttc.ca or you may write

ACAT c/o Wheel-Trans
580 Commissioners Street
Toronto, Ontario
M4M 1A7

Sincerely,

ACAT Executive Susan Davidson, Mazin Aribi and Tim Rose

Toronto's New Ride

The reviews are in and the TTC’s new low-floor streetcars are a hit! Customers love the accessibility features of our new streetcars. The new streetcars are accessible to all and offer a ramp that is deployed by the operator on request. Inside is a designated area that accommodates customers using wheelchairs or other mobility devices. Blue seats and decals clearly indicate priority seating areas for people with disabilities, the elderly and pregnant women.

For more information on the new low-floor streetcar, visit facebook.com/StreetcarTO, Twitter @StreetcarTO, or newstreetcars.ttc.ca

Easier Access on the TTC – Making the TTC the Easier Way

For getting around Toronto, the better way is becoming the easier way for seniors and persons with disabilities. The Toronto Transit Commission is committed to improving access to the conventional system for all its customers. The TTC has made huge strides over the past decade to make public transit more accessible for everyone. The TTC’s bus fleet is entirely wheelchair and scooter friendly, as are all 170 bus routes, and 32 Subway/RT stations have elevators to provide access to train platforms and easier access transfers to and from Wheel-Trans and/or TTC accessible buses. Looking ahead to the TTC’s streetcars of the future, those too, will be low-floor and accessible.