Staff Report #3 – Annual Accessibility Plan Update

Staff Report #3

November 27, 2024

To All Commissioners

Re: Annual Accessibility Plan Update

Recommendation

That the report be NOTED and FILED.

Background

Consistent with the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) regulations, the Commission’s Accessibility Plan was updated in 2019, and covers the period of 2020-2025. The plan was developed in consultation with the Accessible Public Transit Service Advisory Committee (APTSAC), and included public feedback gathered through drop-in sessions, online survey and customer contacts. The final 2020-2025 Accessibility Plan was approved by the Commission at the November 27, 2019 meeting.

The following table provides an overview of the initiatives from the 2020-2025 Accessibility Plan which were scheduled to be addressed as part of the 2024 work program as well as a status of each, with additional commentary on the larger initiatives following the table. It should be noted that initiatives with the status indicating “completed for 2024” are annual initiatives that are ongoing in nature.

Status of 2024 Accessibility Plan Initiatives

The following provides greater detail with respect to the specific projects listed above.

Consider Additional Methods to Communication Policies – A communication campaign was rolled out in 2024 highlighting the policies and procedures as set out below, which had been identified as not being well understood by the public and would therefore benefit from enhanced communications efforts.

A communications campaign, aimed at both the conventional and specialized riders, was rolled out in 2024 highlighting one of the above noted policies or procedures on a monthly basis. The campaign made its debut through London Transit’s social platforms with further messaging to be shared as appropriate i.e., through post-secondary institutions with printed material re Travel Safe program, temporary or permanent on-board signage re AODA awareness, etc.

As previously noted, currently these policies/procedures 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.

Website Updates – As set out in the Commission’s Staff Report #4, dated November 29, 2023, when the review in preparation for the filing of the AODA Compliance report was undertaken, a number of issues with respect to some of the plug-ins utilized on the corporate website were resulting in compliance issues with the WCAG Level AA requirements as set out in the Integrated Standards Regulation under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. As such, the report was filed indicating non-compliance with this requirement including commentary that it was anticipated to be addressed by the end of the first quarter of 2024.

Since then, London Transit’s Information Services and Communications teams have worked diligently at identifying and rectifying the items that were resulting in compliance issues. Part of the fixes included running required WordPress updates, eliminating the X (formerly Twitter) feed (plug-in) from the homepage, and improving navigation tools. The completion of these tasks has resulted in the corporate website returning to compliance, and the requisite forms were filed with the Accessibility Directorate to indicate same.

Additionally, given the dynamic nature of the corporate website, with multiple changes occurring daily, compliance assessments are undertaken on a monthly basis to ensure the website and related content remains compliant and/or that an accessible option for the information is available (i.e. Commission agendas are posted in both PDF and HTML).

Annual Public Meeting – A requirement of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is for Conventional Transit Service providers to hold an annual public meeting to allow the public, including persons with disabilities, the opportunity to participate in a review of the accessibility plan and provide feedback. This year’s annual drop-in session to allow the public to comment on the Accessibility Plan as well as the Draft Conventional Service Plan and other major initiatives including the replacement booking system for the specialized service was held on November 12, 2024 from 2pm – 4pm and again from 6pm to 8pm at the downtown library.

Provide City with list of bus stops with no connecting sidewalks – This initiative is undertaken annually to ensure the City of London is aware of all London Transit stops that do not have a connecting sidewalk to the bus stop pad. The updated list is provided to the City of London at the end of each year.

Implement Smart Card Readers on Specialized – This program was previously deferred due to pandemic related supply chain issues; however, work was completed in 2024, with smart card readers being installed on all specialized vehicles in November. In addition to the readers, on-board posters have been installed directing riders to the corporate website for additional information about smart card use.

Utilize non-accommodated data to plan for service expansion on Specialized – Data collected in early 2024 indicated the periods with the highest levels of non-accommodated trips were weekdays between 8am and 6pm. The contractor was advised in March of the desire to add three additional vehicles Monday through Friday during this period as soon as possible. Given the time required to procure the new vehicles, this service was added effective September 1, 2024. Additionally, weekend service was enhanced beginning in April of 2024 given the off-peak changes could be undertaken without the need to wait for the additional vehicles. Data will continue to be monitored through the end of 2024 and additional service for 2025 will be added where the demand is highest.

Assessment of New Vehicles – As outlined in the Commission’s Staff Report #4 dated January 31, 2024, a number of concerns with respect to the new vehicle design and resulting performance of same were received subsequent to the vehicles being placed into service. While the review did not identify specific safety issues related to the use of the vehicles, given concerns raised by customers utilizing power wheelchairs and their associated comfort with utilizing the ramp to enter and exit the vehicle, the decision was made to restrict riders that require a lift from being assigned to these vehicles. This vehicle continues to perform well in the provision of ambulatory trips, and as such, the ten vehicles of this type will continue to be utilized as part of the fleet delivering specialized services, however going forward, fleet expansion vehicles will return to the standard configuration.

Replacement of Specialized Service Booking System – As recommended and approved in the Commission’s Staff Report #1 dated February 28, 2024, administration is working on the system upgrade process with the vendor. The project is well underway, with the first phase of implementation anticipated to be completed in January 2025. This phase includes Novus (scheduling system), DriverMate (turn by turn instructions for drivers on tablets), and Notifications (customer activated notifications relating to their specific bookings). Following the successful implementation of this Phase, the second Phase will consist of the Passenger Portal, which provides for the ability to make booking requests online as well as allows customers to manage their trip bookings. This implementation is anticipated to take approximately one month following the go live date for phase one.

General AODA Compliance – Subsequent to Commission review, the status update included in this report will be posted on the corporate website.

Recommended by:

Kelly S. Paleczny, General Manager