Transcript - Oakville Transit 2026 Accessibility Review - Accessibility Advisory Committee meeting of March 12, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.

Oakville Transit 2026 Accessibility Review - Accessibility Advisory Committee meeting of March 12, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.

I did just see an email that I don't know who DT Advocacy is, but they're going to log in a few minutes late. Thank you. Okay, we're ready to start, Deborah. Okay, so welcome to the March Accessibility Advisory Committee um meeting. Uh so members of the public uh may watch the meeting live on oakville.ca CA or on the town's YouTube channel. Agenda and materials for this meeting are available on oakville.ca under town hall agendas meetings. So for today we have uh so it's obvious we are meeting virtually today and we have one discussion item and two information items but we are meeting virtually. So what I am going to ask people is that if you are not speaking um if you would make sure that your um microphone is muted just so we don't get any um background noise. So we'll begin. So uh madame clerk are there any regrets? Yes we have Ammani and Nora as regrets. Okay thank you. Okay. So, uh next uh item is uh declaration of pecuniary interest. So, do any committee members have any declarations of pecuniary interest? Uh nothing said I will um that means that nobody has any. So the next item is confirmation of the minutes of our previous meeting and that meeting was held on December 11th, 2025. So I trust that everybody has had an opportunity to look at the minutes. Are there any questions about the minutes? Okay, that being said, um I would like to have a a motion that the minutes of the accessibility committee meeting of December 11th, 2025 be approved. Can Oh, okay. So, I see Karen, you're moving that. Okay. And all in favor? I'm assuming it is. So it's not easy when it's uh virtual, right? Okay. So that's carried. So then we're moving on now to our discussion item. Our first discussion item and only one actually is the Oakville Transit annual accessibility plan for 2026. So I believe we have Andrea a coin here to introduce the staff and our first discussion item which is this uh transit annual accessibility plan but I think you wanted to do some other introductions as well Andrea. So I will turn it over to you at this time. Excellent. Thank you chair. So before we begin the presentation for this discussion item, I'd like to take a moment to introduce the town's new accessibility specialist, Sarah Dar. In this role, Sarah will be working closely with our communications and customer experience team on web and digital accessibility, including document remediation and web compliance. She will also support the town's broader accessibility initiatives, oversee the multi-year accessibility plan, and most notably for this committee, Sarah will serve as your new staff liaison. So, I'd like to take a moment to welcome Sarah. And I am now also pleased to introduce our presentation for discussion item 4.1, the Oakville Transit Annual Accessibility Plan 2026. Presenting today is Martin Steager, manager of planning and administrative services with Oakville Transit. Over to you, Martin. Thanks for the introduction, Andrea. Can everyone hear me? All right. Yes. Yep. Okay. Just want to double check. Yeah. Before I uh get into presentation. Sure. Um good afternoon everyone. Uh, as Andrew introduced, my name is Martin Stagger, a manager of transit planning here at Town of Oakville. And I'm joined today on the call by Lisa Val, our manager of on demand services, as well as Ryan Graten, our uh, transit planner at Oakville Transit. Uh, today I'm pleased to present Oakville Transit's 2026 annual accessibility plan. This presentation highlights the work we've completed over the past year. uh the barriers that we've addressed and the initiatives we're advancing to continue improving accessibility across the system. Our goal is quite simple and consistent to ensure that every resident regardless of age, ability, or familiarity with transit can travel safely, confidently, and independently on the network. And the plan we're sharing today reflects that commitment. It outlines the actions we're taking to support a more inclusive and accessible transit network for the community. And uh with that, let's begin. You can go to the next slide, please. Andrea. Uh so each year, Oakville Transit prepares an annual accessibility plan as required under the accessibility for Ontarians with disabilities act. This plan is also a key component of the town's broader multi-year accessibility strategy, ensuring our work aligns with corporate priorities and community expectations. Today's presentation highlights our 2026 accessibility plan, what it covers, uh the barriers that we continue to address, and the actions planned for the upcoming year. It also reinforces our long-standing commitment to accessible and inclusive transit for all residents. The focus for the rest of 26 will now be on implementation. That'll include advancing our infrastructure improvements, enhancing customer information systems, continuing our ongoing operator training, and monitoring progress throughout the year so we can continue to report back on outcomes. Uh we just as an overall update, we continue to see strong growth in both conventional and specialized transit routership. Specialized transit boarding specifically increased by 18.1% in 2025. It's a a large increase and benchm boardings grew by 2.6%. So this rising demand really underscores the importance of ongoing accessibility improvements both to meet our customer needs today but also to prepare for the future growth. And as ridership grows so does expectations. Accessibility isn't just one single project. It's we treat it as a continuous process that touches uh all parts of the business including infrastructure, technology, customer service and and policy. And this plan helps ensure that we continue moving forward in in a coordinated and accountable way. Next slide please. Uh so now I'll go through some of the barriers that we have addressed in the previous uh previous few years. So over the past several years, Oakville Transit has taken meaningful steps to reduce financial barriers and to make transit more accessible for all ages and abilities. These fair policy changes directly support equity, independence, and mobility across the community. In May 2023, we introduced free fairs for youth and senior riders. And this change removed a significant cost barrier for two groups who rely heavily on transit. Uh more specifically, we find it's the young people traveling to school, work, and recreation events as well as older adults seeking to remain active and connected in their community. Following that, in May 2025, we expanded free fairs to all caravan customers. Uh this ensured that specialized transit riders uh many of whom depend on the service for their medical appointments or employment and overall daily activities uh will be able to travel without cost being a limiting factor. These fair changes not only improved affordability, they also supported broader accessibility goals by simplifying the customer experience and ensuring equitable access across both conventional and specialized services. And as demand particularly for specialized transit continues to grow over the next few years, these measures will help ensure that cost does not prevent residents from participating fully in community life. Next slide, please. Over the past year, Oakville Transit has also continued to strengthen the accessibility of our caravan service by enhancing service information, improving key transfer points, and expanding tools that support a more reliable and comfortable customer experience. One of the most significant improvements this past year was a work uh completed at Applebe Station. Following an audit of the transfer location between Oakville Caravan and Burlington Handy and also informed by our customer feedback, we have been able to establish a new designated transfer point that is now fully accessible and located near a a heated shelter. This upgrade helps to provide a safer and more comfortable waiting environment particularly during the winter months and improves the overall accessibility and ease of cross boundary travel for riders who rely on the specialized transit. Additionally, in the fall of 2025, we introduced step-by-step animated videos to help riders navigate the Caravan mobile app on both iOS and Android devices. These videos provide clear visual guidance for customers who prefer learning by watching and also help uh support greater independence when booking and managing trips. These videos uh can be easily accessed on our Oakville Transit website. Uh together, these actions help ensure the caravan customers experience a service that's dependable uh and aligned with our commitment to accessible transportation for all residents. Next slide, please. Oakville Transit also maintains a fully accessible fleet and each vehicle is equipped with features designed to support safe and comfortable and independent travel for riders with a wide range of abilities. These features are essential to ensure that accessibility is built into every trip and not added on as an afterthought. All buses include wheelchair securement positions, providing dedicated space and stability for customers using mobility devices. We also have clearly marked courtesy seating at the front of each vehicle for riders who might need additional support. Across the fleet, we've incorporated several accessibility design elements that support uh visibility and safety. These include accessible belt cords and stop request buttons, brightly colored grab rails, illuminated illuminated stepwells, and high contrast stair nosings. All buses also feature non-slip flooring to reduce the risk of slips and falls. To support wayfinding and ensure clear, consistent route information, every bus is also equipped with electronic destination signs on the front and side of vehicle. These visual cues complement our automated audio announcements and help riders navigate the system with confidence. With a 100% accessible fleet, Oakville Transit continues to meet and exceed AODDA requirements, ensuring that all residents, regardless of ability, can rely on transit as a safe and inclusive way to travel throughout the community. Next slide, please. This past winter, Oakville Transit also has significantly improved the accessibility of our stops and terminals by implementing a higher level of service for snow clearing. Winter conditions create some of the most persistent barriers for riders and addressing them has been a major focus of our accessibility work. These improvements were made possible through stronger collaboration with the roads and work department roads and works department at the town. By coordinating more closely with their snow clearing teams and aligning our priorities, we ensured that stops, platforms, and key pedestrian connections were cleared more quickly and more consistently after each snowfall. This enhanced approach reduces winter related barriers for riders with mobility challenges, seniors, and anyone else who may find snow and ice difficult to navigate. It also supports safer, more reliable access to transit during severe weather, something we all know is essential for riders who depend on transit year round. As part of this work, we integrated transit routes directly into the town's plow route planning. Several transit stops were upgraded from a secondary service level uh to what we are now calling primary secondary. This means roads with transit stops are now prioritized earlier in the snow clearing sequence, ensuring both the roadway and the stop are cleared ahead of other secondary routes. In addition to reviewing transit routes, we also were able to upgrade road maintenance classifications on roads that serve some senior homes. And this ensures that both the road and sidewalk are plowed earlier than other roads in the same category uh to improve accessibility for residents who rely heavily on caravan or other transit services. Transit supervisors also continue to conduct targeted checks of high priority locations to ensure that snow, ice, and wind rows are removed. And this hands-on monitoring helps us respond quickly to issues and maintain safe, accessible conditions throughout the winter season. And next slide, please. Uh so now that I've gone over the barriers that have been addressed in the past year and beyond, I'll now take us into the future and into 2026, our planned actions. In 2026, uh, Oakville Transit will continue strengthening the accessibility of our network through targeted infrastructure improvements and better data to guide future investments. These actions support our long-term term commitment to building a transit system that is safe, inclusive, and easy to navigate for all riders. This year, we'll install new growth shelters, concrete landing pads, and connecting walkways at high ridership stops across town. We will also replace or refurbish existing shelters and pads that have reached the end of their life cycle. Together, these upgrades improve safety, comfort, and accessibility, particularly for riders using mobility devices or anyone who benefits from a stable and barrier-free boarding area. We will also complete our full inventory review of all bus stops, including updated GIS mapping of our on-road assets and accessibility features. This work will ensure our information remains accurate and helps us identify gaps, set of priorities and track progress towards future in infrastructure improvements. Together, these initiatives will help us make more informed and strategic decisions about where to invest next, ensuring that accessibility improvements are targeted and data driven as well as aligned with our community needs. Next slide, please. Additionally, in 2026, Hopeful Transit will introduce new tools and technology that support accessible independent travel for riders of all ages and abilities. These initiatives focus on improving information, building rider confidence, as well as modernizing the way customers interact with their system. This spring, we will launch our new travel training guide available in both handheld and digital formats. The guide will provide clear step-by-step information on how to use Oakville Transit services and is designed for riders of all ages. It will be supported by an outreach program that brings travel training directly to schools and senior centers, helping build the confidence for new riders as well as independence and familiarity with their network. Each outreach session will be tailored to the specific needs of the location, ensuring the support we provide is relevant and meaningful to people we're meeting. So for example at each school there would be specific lesson tailored to the school and popular locations uh for those students. We will also complete the project to upgrade real time digital signage at uptown core terminal as well as at the church and done stop downtown. These modernized displays will help improve the clarity and reliability of service information and ensure the system is protected for future text to speech capability, which is an important enhancement for riders who rely on audio announcements. In addition, Oakville Transit will continue reviewing all posted printed materials to ensure they meet the needs of customers vision loss and upgrade upgrades will improve readability, consistency, and accessibility across the system. Together, these initiatives strengthen our commitment to making Oakville Transit easier to navigate and more responsive to community needs, ensuring that every rider has access to clear, reliable, and accessible information throughout their journey. Next slide, please. Uh, we also have several actions planned specifically for our specialized services. In 2026, Oakville Transit will continue improving the accessibility and responsiveness of our specialized transit service. Reducing weight times remains a key priority, especially as demand for caravan continues to grow. To support this, we will continue expanding the tools that help us schedule and manage trips more efficiently. This includes more automated scheduling, increased use of the mobile app, and full integration of our intelligent transportation systems. Its provides real-time vehicle location information, uh, allowing service coordinators to respond quickly to delays, uh, be able to adjust schedules and improve on-time performance for our riders. This fall, our on demand team conducted an online customer survey focused specifically on specialized transit. Feedback from this survey is informing a full review of our caravan on demand services and will guide recommendations for future service updates. This ensures that changes are grounded in the lived experience of riders and reflect what matters most to them. Customer service training also remains a core component of our accessibility work. Caravan operators receive annual refresher training focused on accessible customer service communication with customers as well as supporting riders with diverse needs. This ongoing training ensures our operators are equipped to deliver safe, respectful, and consistent service. Together, these initiatives will strengthen the reliability and accessibility of our specialized transit service, ensuring that riders who depend on our caravan services continue to receive high quality and barrierfree transportation. Next slide, please. Uh that concludes my presentation on Oakville Transit's 2026 accessibility plan. The work outlined today reflects our ongoing commitment to building a transit system that is safe and accessible for all residents. And I'm I'm happy now to take any questions, comments, or feedback you might have at this time. Thank you. Um, any questions from the committee? Uh, councelor Kitty. Thank you, Madam Chair. through you. Uh great presentation, Martin. Thank you very much. In terms of the uh you talked about the survey on specialized transit, how did we reach out uh to our uh customers and our non-C customers uh for their specialized services? If I may, I may pass this question along to Lisa Val, our course manager of on demand services. Yeah, thank you, Martin. So, we did an outreach with the caravan customers. We sent we had posters in the vehicles. We put uh notices on our electric vehicles because they have a display screen in there um letting them know when the survey was going to be conducted. We also gave them the option to call into the call center and we had our staff walk them through and actually ask the questions. Some of the customers went on the mobile app and did the uh the survey that way. We also had a link on the website where they could complete the survey on their own. So, we provided multiple um ways for them to complete the survey and we were quite pleased that we had over 200 um customers complete the survey and they provided excellent information for us. Good stuff. It's always difficult. It's it's it's somewhat easier to uh ask users because we kind of got them captive on the on the bus and they can see the messages and everything else. And so did we get many from non-users in terms of what would make it better or easier or whatever? Well, Caravan is a registered service, so we really only targeted the people who are using the service, right? if you're not a member, you're not using the service. So, we only um provide the survey to people who actually use the service themselves because we wanted to get feedback, you know, on on how what they think of the service. So, we did not go out and ask people who are not registered caravan customers. We did do a separate survey for ride-on demand customers because we we have two services. Um so, we did um survey them as well. Excellent. the did you hear anything about boundaries, regional boundaries? Because I know, you know, that's often a uh a sticking point in terms of uh getting to to Missaga or to, you know, to other municipalities that border. Is that still a concern? We did not hear that from our caravan customers. Mostly from our ride on demand. they wanted to be able to go into Milton, but uh for the most part the caravan customers uh really didn't talk about cross boundary um because they are automatically eligible, right? If they are a caravan customer and they want to travel into Burlington, they automatically qualify for Burlington Handy. So, we take them to the transfer location, which would be either the hospital or Applebe go and they transfer directly onto uh Handy. So no real feedback on that area. All right. And last question. Um I read with interest about the uh implemented customer securement procedures and the wheelchair securement uh transfers. What do we do in the case where uh the person's on a mobility device other than a wheelchair and they have to transfer onto a um a seat on the vehicle, right? So, I believe you're referring to the scooter policy. So, we have a scooter policy and anyone um using a scooter is required to transfer to a seat when they get onto the vehicle. And the reason for that is we're not able to scooters are designed differently than wheelchairs. When somebody sits in it, we're able to secure them. They're able to remain in the wheelchair and we can secure them. When they're on a scooter, we're not able to properly secure them. And so for the safety of the customer and the safety of the driver, we ask that all of them transfer to a seat. and then um their device is is uh secured separately. So that is a policy that has been in in place since uh I think 2017. It's been it's been in place for quite a while. And so, uh, I believe you probably heard from the same, uh, user that I have in terms of, uh, what been the change because I believe that, uh, uh, this person was able to receive assistance for transfer in the past. So when we say assistance, what happens is we expect the the person in the scooter to uh enter the vehicle and park their vehic in in the seat. what this individual is saying is that um and not just this some other people what if I'm not able to transfer to a seat and so our recommendation is while they're using the caravan service and they if they cannot transfer to a seat then we recommend that they use a mobility device that they can remain seated in and be secured in for their own safety and we do not allow our drivers to maneuver the scooter back and forth because there are there are liabilities in involved, right? The scooter could hit somebody. It could hurt the uh driver. It could hurt the um customer. So, the customer needs to be able to transfer to a seat if they're using a scooter on on caravan. Is that consistent through uh other services and other municipalities? So, we did do a survey with our peers throughout the GTA and it varies depending on um you know different agencies have different rules. Um I know the TTC they have to do the same. They have to park their the customer parks their vehicle and they transfer they get on the seat. Burlington Handy does the same. Uh Barry does the same. So there's a multi there are there are a few that um you know we align with for sure. And so I'll give you a little history. We did have a uh a few accidents back in I think two 2018 which really made us look at this policy again um and again for the safety of the customer and and the driver. So it is a policy that we have had in place for quite some time. All right. You know, I was just curious. Um, my late brother had severe cereble palsy and there's no way uh and lived down in Robinson Street and there's no way that he could safely transfer himself as a result of uh of his uh disability. And so, uh, anyone with those kind of complications, for lack of a better word, they're prevented from using caravan unless they have a u a person accompanying them. I take it if if they have a support person that can, they will still be required to transfer to a seat. So, if the support person can help them transfer to a seat, the driver the driver assists, but we um part of the the um feedback from the customer you're referring to is, you know, they want to be able to drive their scooter to the seat and transfer and they want the driver to move their scooter back into the area for it to be secured, which is something we don't do. All right. Uh perhaps we can have a chat. Yeah, we should we can have this offline and I can give you a lot more information if you would like. Great. I'll I'll I'll reach out to you in the coming days, Lisa. Thanks. You're welcome. Thank you. Uh Dean, you had a question or comment? I do. Thank you. I was that Lisa who spoke? Yes. Now, yeah. So, thank you, Lisa. Thank you, Martin. So, I'm a new committee member. Um, I guess I could start by, you know, giving some gratitude for the program, albeit it's kind of necessary in 2026, but, you know, Oakville does a good job. So, I'm going to push a button here on um the integration. So, thanks for integration with Burlington. One day, maybe we can figure this out and not have two different transit systems with two different unions that uh cross over each other. I mean, if you live in Bronny, you go to Burlington Mall, but it requires so much integration. But notwithstanding, so um as I may be corrected, Oakville Transit will use the uh a taxi service in le of um access to um uh I call them handiarts, but caravan in BC. They're handied arts. So, we still do that, right? We'll use cabs when uh service ain't available. We do use taxis to supplement our caravan service. So for example, we have people that So here's where I want to go with this. I I think there's a lot of talk which by the way, you know, integration for universal design applies to all types, right? And uh so two pieces. One is on the temporary use uh which can happen, right? Someone has surgery and requires access. They get um they get the forms filled by the doctor. It takes uh two weeks for uh Oakville Transit to look over forms. They're not too sure if the attendant is needed or not. By the time the person gets their approval, a month's passed. So, I think there should be an expedited fasttrack line for those people that have short-term use and again temporary access, a little green card. The other is about guide dog, service dogs. So, and that's when I get into your taxi service. I think it needs to be absolutely clear that service dogs by law, not just common law and civil law, just good reasonable Christian law have access to those services. And uh I I I won't cite them now, but there are times when a taxi driver doesn't like dogs. Might be cultural, might be allergies, whatever the condition is. And um even the question of asking the person is it a guide dog is more than likely offensive. So um I would like to maybe put a bullet on this that we pay attention to people with service dogs. First of all, they don't get harnessed down to some kind of wheelchair holder carrier. They're uh and they're not sitting in a chair with a seat belt. And um most drivers are pretty good about that, right? But, you know, I think there sometimes they they get put as second class to the wheelchair or they get put secondass to the driver's allergies. I don't mean a handy dart driver. I mean a taxi driver. So, again, this is not really so much advisory. It's a bit of advocacy here because it never gets talked. Well, it doesn't get talked about too much. There are people with guide dogs. My daughter's one of them. She's blind and sometimes she has an attendant, sometimes she doesn't. Sometimes she has seizures, sometimes she doesn't. Again, nothing's permanent in in some respects, but um yeah, I think we got to pay attention to guide dogs. Service dogs are assistive devices. They are. And they require breaks. They, you know, relief, if you will. I'm not asking you to put relief sessions. This sometimes at a break if a driver is doing a transit exchange sort of thing. You give the dog a 4-minute break to go pee on the grass. Um, that's all I got to say, but thank you very much. Keep doing good work. And by the way, I won't even get into the Metro Links thing. That's another mess of its own. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. I I just want to have one quick uh minute to respond to the application. So, we do have a contracted serer that comes into Oakville Transit every Friday to review applications. So, we're very fortunate. The company comes to our location every Friday, reviews the applications, and makes a decision on that day, unless there's missing information in the application. Yeah. Which would require them to reach out to the doctor to get that additional information. But for us, our applications are approved uh weekly. So, yeah, I know I I know the Friday sessions, they're they're they're decisions by committee. So if the the consultant that you hire comes in on the Friday, oh, but they've got everyone in the office, but that other one person, so let's put it aside till next week. First of all, I I don't think it has to be like that though. We have we have multiple people in in from from the contractors. So again, unless there's information missing, but yeah, fair enough. And listen, it's done well, but I'll put another puss back on that. uh the the consultant um I don't know if transit does it for this reason presumably not they're presumably doing because the consultant has maybe a higher degree of knowledge education experience but they also come with a risk liability in other words they will not decide on something unless they're more sure than they need to be for instance do you need an attendant so I've seen forms go in where the doctor has not filled that in problem with filling it in it kind of creates a hard line that that person must have an attendant and thereby may or may not have the attendant on that day. So, I've had that that consultant. I've talked to her and she'll say, "Oh, I can't I can't I can't prove this. I need to be clear on whether or not this is an attendant or not." So, we have to go back to the doctor. And by the way, maybe you guys can call your primary care physician or specialist and they'll answer you on the phone right away or they'll schedule a meeting the next morning. Good luck. I don't get that opportunity. It takes time. I guess what I'm saying is for someone with a u I don't know broken calccanous and they've got no not load wear they can't load any bearing weight on that leg and they've got to go to the hospital every Friday notwithstanding listen life's life take a cab phone a friend you know Oklahoma transit is not the only answer but yes so I do appreciate you do your Fridays and the reviews and um I'm just saying that sometimes there's some glitches in that meaning I I don't know if the consultant needs to assume so much liability. It's okay if she approves it and it does or doesn't need an attendant. Um but yeah, a little too specific there. Yeah, just remember the guide dogs. That's all. Thank you, Dean. Any other questions, Dean? No, I'm Thank Thank you very much. I'm sitting in BC here. I appreciate you letting me call you at this time. No problem. Uh Karen, you had a question. Just a couple of uh points. Um so I I like the uh implementation of the program train like the travel training program. Um one question there. So I imagine that this will be uh presented to a broad audience because it's going to schools as well as other um people. Is there a section in there about etiquette on the bus? Like to the point of having the accessibility seats labeled on a bus that people understand what those are for. And it's not to say you can't sit in it, but that if you see somebody and you yourself don't need that seat that to stand up. Is there a teaching in that as well? Uh yes. In in our guide there is a teaching on uh yeah on those type on the accessible seating courtesy seating it that's kind of explicitly labeled in the guide. It'll also be something that that's where I was trying to get into a bit more and when we actually get into the outreach events because the travel training is is a two pieces. It's the guide itself that'll be handed out at schools or or seniors centers or just at our community centers wherever it wherever it may be. And then the outreach events that we do will be a bit more specifically tailored. So for students that'll look more like it'll have more of those courtesy pieces and and general etiquette and and behavior expected behavior on the bus as well as popular locations for students and what they might be interested in. And then uh the senior outreach would would look a little bit would look a little bit different. But the guide itself is is was catered to be all audiences. And then the outreach is more of a specific training. Yeah. Yeah. And the outreach is where I think the message will probably get uh received versus just reading about it. Right. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. I just wanted to understand if that was incorporate. That's great because I see it all the time and it would be nice to educate because some people just don't realize, right? So um second uh comment. So I saw on the slide it said completion of project to update real-time digital signage in uptown core and church and done downtown. So I'm a regular user at church and done and there is a digital sign there but it hasn't worked in months. Is so is this the reason why it has to get upgraded? Yes. Ex exactly it's reached the end of its life cycle. Okay. And we've been implementing along with it kind of putting in tickets trying to fix it as it breaks down. But we've gotten to the point where it just really needs to be replaced. I know at Uptown Core we're having the same issue where okay where the the digital sign just breaking down on us. So you've okay submitted uh pretty much I think I would have to double check on timeline but in the summer at some point it will be those will both be replaced. It's okay. I got used to reading when it says 55 minutes for the bus to come. I know it's less than five. It's you if you read ride it enough, you get to know the gist of it. Um, and my only other question because it wasn't really uh highlighted in the uh previous uh accomplishments. I understand from this committee a few years uh maybe a year and a half, two years ago, it was implemented that the buses should be kneled at every stop. Is that still uh a require or expectation, let's say? Uh yes. Yeah, that's that's also been implemented and still still in in place. I could have included that in the in the slide. No, no, that's okay. I think just anecdotically interrupt. Yeah. Um, anecdotically, it doesn't happen. Now, I only ride a fraction of all the system at one point in time, so I appreciate I could just be hitting the certain people that don't do it. Um, but I notice more not lowering than lowering when I'm on my specific route. So, that's why I was asking. I thought, well, maybe it just got it got to be a bone of contention with drivers because it does take time at every stop to do this and I thought maybe they would just that it maybe got dissolved. That's why I was asking. So, okay. Well, that's good feedback. I I can share that with our operations team. Okay. Thank you. That's it. Thank you very much. Thanks. Thank you, Karen. Any other questions? Okay. Um, I have a few questions. So, following up on uh what uh councelor Giddings was asking about the fall survey uh results, um is it um a possibility for this committee to get a summary of what the um uh results were of the survey? Is that for Lisa or Martin? Yeah, for me. Sure. Yeah, we can that. It just would be helpful to see what the um uh the feedback is. Thank you. Um and uh I should have commented first that I thought it was a really good I really enjoyed the report. Read the whole report. The presentation is very good. I think we have come um a long way. I agree with Karen. I have seen it a number of times where um they haven't been um lowering. So it's just something to keep in mind. Um so in the um report it indicated that the Oakville Transit is committed to consultation with people with disabilities in the development and review of its annual accessibility plan and services. Is that this committee? Are we the people or is there a further consultation? Uh the the consultation portion is is this uh this meeting is this uh with the committee. Yeah. Okay. Thank you for clarifying that. And I had um another question. So um it it was indicated in the report and I think you mentioned it to continue accessible customer service training for all new operators. Um, so in uh is that like a comprehensive training on the accessibility like the I think I saw it in here on the AODDA and everything and then as there are changes is that then not just for new operators but is it you know is there an annual update or something like that or when something comes in I assume then training is implemented as well. Yeah, so they do get refresher training annually. uh the caravan drivers. Yes. Okay. Thank you. Um one other question and I I know that it's nothing. It's just more of a information. So I know we can't do anything with that metro length, but I am aware and a number of people complain about the um elevator at the Bronty GO station. I'm sure that's a a bone of contention as well that the elevator is still uh not working at the Bronte go train station. And I'm wondering if that has caused issues for um for our our citizens in that they cannot they have to maybe then get a caravan or um uh get off at the Oakville and then get a you know uh a longer drive or whatever to wherever they're living if they're living in the branch area. Do we have and and this might not be a fair question but do we have any update from Metro Links on the issue if it's going to be resolved or Um I I don't have an update from Metro Links at this time. I I can take this uh feedback and I can reach out to our contacts at Metro Links uh and understand the timelines for for fixing that that elevator. Okay. Thank you, Martin. Karen, you had a comment on that? Yes. Um, so just for awareness, a couple about a year ago, I attended the Metro Links accessibility meeting and I did bring up the elevators. At the time, Oakville was bad as well, Deborah. Um, and I actually witnessed a wheelchair uh customer arriving at the station to only be told, "Well, we're gonna you have to go to one either Clarkson or Bronty." And I I was just stunned. Like I was putting myself in that situation like you're trying to get somewhere and then you but that I will say the service attendants at the station they kind of flagged the train going westbound and got him to get on there to get to Bronty so then he could get off take the elevator at Bronty and then go back east. Um, so I did bring it forward and they did say in the meeting that the elevators were they were aware of the situation and they were always trying to make them a priority to get fixed. But they I do notice them down a lot. Yeah, but they do, you're right, uh, Ken, they have they do they're very good at announcing it. So announcing that, you know, the elevator's not working, so you'll have to get off at this station or that station. But I guess more of my concern was around does that put then extra an extra onus on our transit to get people then? Um true. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I'm in close contact with their stations manager for Bronte Go and Oakville Ghost. I'll be able to to ask them and and provide an update once once I have a response. So, sorry to keep that, but the training that you do uh with your uh drivers and operators, does it include the uh neurodeiverse training? I can't speak specifically to the training because we have a trainer who who does the program. So, I I don't want to misquote anything. Um yeah, I can't comment on that. We can find out for you. Okay, fair enough, Lisa. I appreciate it. So, and just another comment I said I have been not Oakville transit people but I have been in touch with some some Burlington transit people and they were indicating that uh it's uh that the aggression um mental health and the aggression is becoming um an issue and more prominent in in some of the transit thing and just to know if we are doing anything um and I did talk to them about doing anything around um deescalation uh as part of the training doing deescalation. Yeah, I I would have to check with the trainer and see. I I would assume they would be doing deescalation, but I don't want to comment on what the training um Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, we could we could check in on that. But I do know just from the general customer uh ser customer service response that that we receive, I have not seen many uh issues with uh having a concern with deescalation or with me mental health episodes on buses. Not something that I've uh I've received. U so but I can definitely try to understand more about the training that we're providing our operators. Okay. Thank you. Okay. So, um there are no other questions. Uh then I am I understand it because this is um a discussion item that there is no need for a vote on this item. So, the above recommendations that have been approved by this committee will be presented to council through receipt of the minute the meeting minutes. So, in accordance with the committee's terms of reference, any advice or recommendation that requires action or implementation by town staff must be approved by town council. And unless separated from the minutes by a motion from a council member, the recommendations are acknowledged as advice to council but not deemed as formal directives to staff. Okay. Now uh next item we have two information items. So I just um want to ask is that um so these have previously been sent to uh to the committee. Uh so does anyone have any questions on these information items? Uh there one is the reply from the minister of seniors and accessibility on council's motion on AODA implementation and the other one is the um Oakville receives the age friendly community recognition recognition sorry from the Ontario government. Are there any questions on those information items? Okay. So that um concludes our meeting unless there are any other items. Okay. Um I just before I continue on with that, I do have one uh comment. Um so I want to um last Friday was employee recognition day. Um, I know we're a little bit late on this, but I do want to take some time to recognize the employees that support this committee um and provide for presentations. Uh, it's amazing the support that we get and the um quality of the presentations and the followup. So, uh, just a bit of recognition on that. Thank you very much um for your dedication. I see Karen's clapping as well. Okay. So, our next meeting um will be on Thursday, June 11th at 400 PM. Uh it'll be in the council chamber. I'm very hopeful that that will be an in-person meeting. Okay. Then I'll call for a motion for adjournment. Karen, thank you. Okay. Thank you everyone. That concludes our Thank you. our meeting. Have a good afternoon. Thank you. Thank you. Byebye.

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