Item - 2025.TTC7.2

The Toronto Transit Commission received the Approved Minutes of the Advisory Committee on Accessible Transit (ACAT) General Monthly Meetings of May 29, 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 May 29, 2025 to the July 2025 Board Meeting for information. At the May meeting, ACAT members received information about the TTC’s Community Safety, Security and Wellbeing Plan and heard deputations about the Community Bus routes, specifically in Toronto’s Hospital Row, and Family of Services communication. Members raised concerns about the safety of mobility device users during emergencies like power outages or elevator failures. The Service Planning Subcommittee was assigned to further review evacuation procedures and policies.

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

Communications Subcommittee

• ACAT Recruitment Communications Plan. The application process and advertising methods were reviewed, with suggestions made to use more engaging messaging and remove fax as an option for submitting applications.
• Support Person Assistance Card first on/last off campaign, with calls for improved staff training and clearer public communication.
• National AccessAbility Week and presence at May 31, 2025 AccessFest

Design Review Subcommittee

• Bus pre-boarding announcements system and technical constraints. Members provided feedback about announcement timing, confusion at final stops and the accuracy of announcements on certain bus routes.
• Machine Readable Transfer system for customers using cash payments, which will issue QR coded transfer for cash users and have accessibility focused decal design to support wayfinding for customers.
• Accessible Pedestrian Signal message development, with an emphasis on using concise, clear terms like “combined” or “centre” platform to stay within the audio time limit.

Service Planning Subcommittee

• Community Bus Route 406 Scarborough-Guildwood pilot
• Wayfinding Strategy Update, with concerns being raised about unclear signage, difficulties viewing transit shelter maps for customers using mobility devices, and comments made about providing audible messaging at accessible pedestrian signals at intersections.

Wheel-Trans Operations Subcommittee

• Legacy customer re-registration enforcement. The Subcommittee supported eligibility being changed to conditional for customers who do not re-register within 90 days and encouraged clear consequences, including a phased approach with possible suspensions for noncompliance.
• Mobile app improvements, redundant trip confirmations and service updates.
• Policy clarification about Operators assisting with personal tasks.