Item - 2025.TTC6.2

The Toronto Transit Commission received the Approved Minutes of the Advisory Committee on Accessible Transit (ACAT) General Monthly Meetings of April 23, 2025 for information.

Betty Rivington-Law, ACAT Chair, gave a verbal presentation on this item.

The Advisory Committee on Accessible Transit (ACAT) is forwarding the approved minutes of its General monthly meeting of April 23, 2025 to the June 2025 Board Meeting for information. At the April meeting, ACAT members received information about the MiWay Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program, an initiative that offers lanyards, bracelets and pins to customers as a way to subtly communicate to transit Operators that they have a hidden disability and may need assistance. ACAT also discussed the system-wide elevator shut down that occurred on April 3, 2025. TTC staff from Communications Engineering explained that the shutdown was due to a software update made to the Passenger Assistance Intercom system, which resulted in an inability for customers to communicate from inside elevators during the affected period. TTC staff confirmed they were working with the vendor on improving testing protocols and that TTC staff were reviewing shutdown protocols as certain situations may not require full shutdowns given station staff presence and available backup systems. Emergency procedures and protocols will be further discussed by the ACAT Service Planning Subcommittee.

The following is a summary of the main topics discussed at the April ACAT Subcommittee meetings:

Communications Subcommittee

• Communication during service disruptions and efforts to improve public address announcements, digital signage and guidance for passengers. The subcommittee suggested adding chimes before announcements and enhancing visual alerts.
• Communication about the PRESTO Support Person Assistance Card (SPAC) and One Fare Program updates to promote customer awareness about how to obtain a SPAC and that no second fare is needed when transferring from TTC to Peel TransHelp.
• PA system audit survey review.

Design Review Subcommittee

• Scarborough Subway Extension (SSE) accessibility motion completion and ensuring there are service animal relief stations. There will be a single elevator transfer and a non-fare paid terminal agreement with the TTC. There will also be designated service animal relief areas in new SSE stations.
• Frequency of bus bay change assignments at Scarborough Town Centre. Changes can disorient riders with vision loss disorient and should be kept to a minimum.

Service Planning Subcommittee

• Proposed Dufferin and Bathurst transit priority bus lanes.
• Proposed PRESTO-enabled SPAC updates expected to launch in early 2026.

Wheel-Trans Operations Subcommittee

• Michael Garron Hospital and Rogers Centre access for pick up and drop off.
• System ride rescheduling.
• No tipping policy reminder.