TTC Board Meeting Dec. 3, 2024: Follow-Up – Steve Munro

This text is a follow-up to TTC Board Assembly: December 3, 2024. The next gadgets are lined right here:

• Accessibility Plan and Household of Companies
• Work Automobile Hydraulic Leak Incidents
• Seasonal Prohibition on Lithium-Ion Battery Powered E-Bikes and E-Scooters
• Retirement of Legacy Fare Media

See additionally:

5 Yr Accessibility Plan and Household of Companies

The TTC has a 5-Yr Accessibility Plan and Wheel-Trans Transformation Program. One facet of this plan is the query of coping with development in demand for paratransit companies by means of demographic adjustments and the provisions of the Ontarians With Disabilities Act. For a while, the TTC has tried to shift journeys off of Wheel-Trans and onto the so-called Household of Companies idea (FOS). This transfer is at the moment elective, however there may be concern amongst WT customers that it is going to be made obligatory.

A number of points had been raised by deputations on the assembly together with uneven utility of guidelines about WT eligibility, inherent bias within the allocation of riders to common WT companies or to FOS, and poor FOS route planning that entails extra complicated and onerous journey on these deemed match to make use of it.

The problems are lined intimately in articles by TTCRiders:

There are discrepancies between the best way TTC administration describes their plan and claims by precise customers of Wheel-Trans. These come at a time when the Board has begun to mistrust what they’re instructed based mostly on different components, notably the sequence of upkeep failures.

The Board handed the next movement:

1. Obtain the Wheel-Trans Transformation Program Replace in Attachment 1 for data and ahead a duplicate of this report back to Metropolis Councillors; and
2. Approve the 2024-2028 TTC 5-Yr Accessibility Plan in Attachment 2 of this report.
3. That TTC employees discover and report again with an fairness evaluation of the impacts of Household of Service journeys on Wheel-Trans customers.
4. That TTC employees request the Province of Ontario present funding for elevated Wheel-Trans service.
5. That employees discover and report again not later than September 2025 on alternatives to maximise the effectiveness of TTC investments in offering accessible transportation companies to clients with disabilities and that such alternatives be told by an evaluation of approaches different transit authorities could also be using to satisfy the growing demand and related prices of paratransit companies.

What was lacking, sadly, is a want to assessment the precise operation of the WT qualification course of and the journey assignments which might be given to FOS riders. The evaluation of different transit methods will possible encounter conditions the place paratransit companies are inferior to Toronto’s. This shouldn’t be an excuse to downgrade.

The fairness evaluation is meant to assessment whether or not there’s a proportionately greater project of FOS journeys to components of town the place riders won’t perceive their choices to problem their WT standing and the varieties of journey they’re assigned.

Assuming that Ontario is even open to further funding, such a choice must bear in mind different transit methods and the usual Ontario needs to set. If Toronto’s customary is greater than what Ontario needs to assist, then further funding is likely to be laborious to return by. The request will even should compete with many different requires provincial subsidies.

Work Automobile Hydraulic Leaks

The Board mentioned this at some size, however in the long run handed no movement aside from to obtain the report for data. Administration has already accepted the necessity for adjustments in worker coaching, ongoing inspections and requirements.

As regards to upkeep practices, administration reported that TTC Inner Audit will arrange a routine assessment of varied sections throughout the group as a pro-active method to handle issues revealed by current incidents and reviews.

Amalgamated Transit Union Native 113 submitted a letter responding to the report. It isn’t on the agenda web page, however is out there right here.

My unique article about this report is right here.

Seasonal Prohibition on Lithium-Ion Battery Powered E-Bikes and E-Scooters

This merchandise was carried ahead from the November Board assembly and was offered this month with a supplementary report on the fairness implications of a ban.

The general sense of the Board was that issues associated to Lithium-Ion batteries trump different concerns, and that passenger security comes first.

The Board adopted the next:

1. Approve the prohibition of lithium-ion-powered micromobility gadgets, together with e-bikes and e-scooters, onboard TTC autos and inside TTC stations and amenities from November 15 to April 15 every year.
2. Request that the Metropolis of Toronto and the Toronto Parking Authority
   a. Work with TTC Workers, meals supply corporations (together with Uber, Doordash, Skip, and so on.) and labour unions (comparable to Gig Staff United) to check the feasibility of offering safer e-bike storage and battery charging and trade amenities close to transit stations; and
   b. Develop an E-Bikes in Indoor Public Areas Coverage by March 2025.
3. Request that the Metropolis of Toronto and the Toronto Parking Authority work with meals supply corporations to supply e-bike and battery storage, trade, charging, and transport options to assist their employees’ wants, together with requiring verification of e-bike and battery certification for employees to make use of their supply platform.
4. Request that TTC employees to work with Toronto Fireplace, the Metropolis of Toronto, labour associations (comparable to Gig Staff United) and meals supply corporations (together with Uber, Doordash, Skip, and so on.) to develop a communications marketing campaign to tell e-bike customers of the TTC’s e-bike insurance policies.
5. Request that TTC employees to proceed to work with Toronto Fireplace to watch the evolution of lithium-ion batteries expertise and security concerns with a view to assess future compatibility with public transit.
6. Direct TTC employees to speak with the Ministry of Transportation and Transport Canada to advocate for growing and implementing security laws for e-bikes and the lithium-ion batteries they use.
7. Ahead this report back to Transport Canada and the Metropolis of Toronto for data.
8. Obtain the Supplemental Report: Fairness Evaluation for Seasonal Prohibition on Lithium-Ion Battery Powered E-Bikes and E-Scooters for data.

How nicely, if in any respect, this may really be enforced stays to be seen.

Retirement of Legacy Fare Media

The Board determined to increase the validity interval for legacy media – tickets, tokens and day passes – to June 1, 2025 for the standard system, and to December 31, 2025 for Wheel-Trans to present riders and organizations with a inventory of outdated media time to make use of them up.

A proposal from Chair Myers initially specified {that a} choice could be deferred to the January 27, 2025 Board Assembly, however this was modified as proven within the full movement beneath.

1. That the TTC defer the cease acceptance of TTC tickets, tokens and day passes till June 1, 2025 for typical transit customers, and December 31, 2025 for Wheel-Trans riders on the Wheel-Trans service as a promotional fare.
2. That TTC employees start to instantly implement a communications plan to tell clients in regards to the June 1, 2025 retirement of legacy fare media for typical transit customers, and December 31, 2025 for Wheel-Trans riders on the Wheel-Trans system, and monitor and report on legacy fare media acceptance charges by means of the CEO’s Report over the course of 2025.
3. TTC employees to proceed closure of crash gates as directed.

The choice to shut the crash gates will create an issue for riders who get a paper switch or fare receipt from a floor car that doesn’t join with the subway in a fare-paid space. If the Collector is just not at the moment on the station entrance, there will likely be no method for such a rider to enter.

In a press convention after the assembly, the explanation for the June 1 date got here out: that’s the earliest attainable opening date for Strains 5 and 6 the place there isn’t any provision for legacy media on the automobiles or in stations. That is the primary time an express date, if solely “not earlier than”, has been acknowledged by Metrolinx or by the TTC.