Staff Report #1
November 21, 2023
To All Members of the Accessible Public Transit Service Advisory Committee
Re: Additional Methods of Communicating Commission Policies
Recommendation
That the report be NOTED and FILED.
Background
An item in the Commission’s 2020-2025 Accessibility Plan is to ‘Consider additional methods of communicating information with respect to policies and procedures to the public’. This initiative is intended to identify and gather feedback on additional methods that could be utilized to communicate various policies which impact LTC customers. Through a review of common inquiries and/or customer contacts relating to specific policies as well as feedback from front-line personnel, administration has identified those policies that need to be better communicated and develop associated outreach campaigns.
The following table sets out the various policies affecting LTC customers that are available on the corporate website as well as an assessment of those that are not well understood by the public and would therefore benefit from enhanced communications efforts.
Public Awareness Levels
| LTC Policy/Program | Assessment of Awareness |
| Accessible Customer Service Policy | Low level of public awareness |
| Advertising Policy | High level of public awareness |
| Digital Recording Surveillance System Policy | Medium level of public awareness |
| Human Rights and Diversity Policy | Medium level of public awareness |
| Lost & Found Policy | Low level of public awareness |
| Mutual Respect Policy | Medium level of public awareness |
| Occupational Health & Safety Policy | High level of public awareness |
| Pets on Transit Policy | Medium level of public awareness |
| Priority/Courtesy Seating Policy | Medium level of public awareness |
| Privacy Policy | High level of public awareness |
| Service Animal Policy | Medium level of public awareness |
| Smoking & Electronic Cigarettes Policy | High level of public awareness |
| Support Person Policy | Medium level of public awareness |
| Travel Safe Program | Medium level of public awareness |
| Workplace Violence Prevention Policy | High level of public awareness |
As previously noted, currently these policies are available on the corporate website, and the public is provided links to same should they request information. Additionally, should any of the information available on the website be required in an alternate format, administration will work with the individual requesting the information to arrange for the material to be provided in a suitable format.
There are a number of communication methods/strategies that have been utilized in the past to draw attention to a specific issue/policy including:
- Temporary on-board posters (conventional and specialized)
- Upcoming service changes, be kind messaging, Transit Monster campaign etc.
- Permanent on-board internal cards (conventional)
- Transit fare cards, AODA awareness
- Permanent on-board information (conventional)
- Priority Courtesy Seating decals on windows, Priority seating markings in seat backs
- Posters in Community Settings (Libraries, senior centres, etc.)
- Community engagement details
- Social media posts with links to website as appropriate
- Messaging on LTC phones (conventional and specialized)
- Fare change, severe weather
- Public Drop in Sessions and Attendance at Community Sessions
The identification of the most appropriate method to enhance the public understanding of the policies/programs identified in the assessment as well as the implementation of same will be an initiative on the 2024 Work Program scheduled for the first quarter of 2024. The Accessible Public Transit Service Advisory Committee will be consulted on this at the February 2024 meeting.
Recommended by:
Caroline Roy, Manager of Corporate Communications
Concurred in by:
Kelly S. Paleczny, General Manager