Report to/Rapport au :

Transit Committee

Comité du transport en commun

and Council / et au Conseil

6 February 2008 / le 6 février 2008

Submitted by/Soumis par : Victor Emerson, Chair, Accessibility Advisory Committee / Président du comité consultatif sur l’accessibilité

Contact Person/Personne ressource : Carole Langford, Advisory Committee Coordinator / Coordonnatrice du comité consultatif

(613) 580-2424 x28934, carole.langford@ottawa.ca

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

That the Accessibility Advisory Committee recommend that the Transit Committee recommend that Council request a comprehensive accessibility audit of the City of Ottawa’s public transit system including Para Transpo be conducted with the participation of all relevant players including the Real Property Asset Management Branch and Customer Services.

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité consultatif sur l’accessibilité recommande que le Comité du transport en commun recommande au Conseil municipal de demander la réalisation d’une vérification exhaustive du système de transport en commun de la Ville d’Ottawa, y compris de Para Transpo, vérification qui serait menée avec la participation de tous les intervenants pertinents, dont la Direction de la gestion des biens immobiliers et des Services à la clientèle.

BACKGROUND

At the December 18, 2007 meeting, the members of the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) discussed the recurring problems occurring in the transit system such as broken down elevators and various transportation issues within the past few years. Subsequent to that discussion, the following motion was passed:

WHEREAS the Accessibility Advisory Committee recognizes that a safe, dependable and efficient public transit system must exist for the City of Ottawa to be an inclusive community;

AND WHEREAS the Accessibility Advisory Committee is aware of shortcomings and problems associated with the public transit system, these conditions ranging from transit station elevators being often out of service and OC Transpo pass and ticket vendor locations being inaccessible, to frequent reports of poor customer relations and communications;

AND WHEREAS the Accessibility Advisory Committee deems that a system-wide audit is an effective and efficient means to determine the extent of the deficiencies as well as a basis for establishing benchmarks and setting priorities for improving the accessibility of the public transit system;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Accessibility Advisory Committee recommends that a comprehensive accessibility audit of the City of Ottawa’s public transit system including Para Transpo be conducted with the participation of all relevant players including RPAM and Customer Services.  This audit would be designed to identify barriers to the use of City of Ottawa’s public transit system including Para Transpo by all persons.  At a minimum, the recommended audit would include an assessment of:

·         Policies, procedures and practices;

·         Employment, recruitment, job accommodation;

·         Information services, both within OC Transpo/Para Transpo and between OC Transpo/Para Transpo and its customers;

·         Communication systems, both within OC Transpo/Para Transpo and between OC Transpo/Para Transpo and its customers;

·         Customer service;

·         Staff training and knowledge levels for accessibility, disability-related requirements/accommodations;

·         Safety, including planning, implementation, the availability of fail-safe mechanisms;

·         Physical access inclusive of supporting structure (vehicles, Transitway, transit stations, bus shelters, bus stops, ticket outlets, elevators, etc.); and

• Passenger satisfaction re: accessibility.

DISCUSSION

Time and time again, the AAC has listened to residents of Ottawa, either through AAC meetings or by e-mails, with growing concerns relating to accessibility issues such as elevators being out of order at transit stations, poor customer relations and communications and dysfunctional ramps.

It is the belief of the AAC that an accessibility audit would demonstrate leadership by eliminating existing barriers experienced by all riders (not only those with disabilities) and preventing future barriers from being created as the City of Ottawa expands the public transit system.

CONSULTATION

Planning, Transit and the Environment

Transit Services (OC Transpo and Para Transpo) has made significant progress in improving the accessibility of the City’s transit system. Transit Services has used a variety of means to identify and address existing barriers to accessibility including independent safety audits, customer service records, AODA standards development, RPAM accessibility reviews, public forums such as the Accessible Community Forum (June 2007) and the Seniors Transportation Forum (October 2006), as well as on-going liaison with the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC). These existing barriers are generally documented as part of the annual process of reviewing and updating the City of Ottawa Municipal Accessibility Plan (COMAP).

As part of Council’s intent to move to an outcome-based system of management, Transit Services is scheduled to be one of several branches that will undertake a Strategic Branch Review (SBR) in 2008. The intent of this review is to confirm the set of outcomes, services, and service standards for transit against which performance can be analysed and reported.

As part of the SBR, a comprehensive accessibility review will be undertaken to enhance Transit Services’ ability to meet the needs of people with disabilities. In partnership with the Corporate Interdepartmental Accessibility Advisory Committee (ASC), AAC and SAC, an assessment tool could be developed to identify and confirm known barriers and potentially any new barriers, as well as solutions and expected timing for removal. The assessment could also identify ways of preventing the development or introduction of new barriers in the future, through possible changes to existing policy, procedures and practices.

To maintain continuity with previous reviews, audits and work-plans, actions arising from the accessibility audit will be documented as part of COMAP, which, in addition to forming a good basis for an ongoing review of progress, also provides the necessary accountability to the Province of Ontario. Customer satisfaction surveys will also be revised to include accessibility benchmarks for on-going performance evaluations.

Legislative obligations of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), 2005 continue to be refined and finalized as we enter 2008, but these standards will also be incorporated into COMAP, so that compliance and consistency are assured. 

Finally, Transit Services has committed to Transit Committee an Annual Performance Report outlining key programs, progress and measurement criteria.  Selected by performance indexes affecting persons with disabilities will be included to ensure annual progress is measured.

Business Transformation Services

Real Property Asset Management Branch

The Real Property Asset Management (RPAM) Branch recognizes the merits of a system-wide audit to determine the extent of deficiencies, establish benchmarks and set priorities for improving accessibility of the public transit system. RPAM welcomes this initiative as it would assist with confirmation and validation of the nature of deficiencies. It would be beneficial in the identification and removal of barriers related to all facets of accessibility, with the outcome resulting in a prioritized work plan and confirmation of financial need. However, RPAM does not currently have sufficient funds available in the 2008 budget for a comprehensive building accessibility review.

Information Technology Services Branch

ITS does not have any concerns with an audit of Public Transit Accessibility, and would like to be involved once the process starts to provide our client (Transit) assistance in completing this audit should Council approve it going forward.

Employee Services Branch

ES has suggested a wording change as highlighted below.  It is found on Page 3 of the report.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Accessibility Advisory Committee recommends that a comprehensive accessibility audit of the City of Ottawa’s public transit system including Para Transpo be conducted with the participation of all relevant players including RPAM and Customer Services.  This audit would be designed to identify barriers to the use of City of Ottawa’s public transit system including Para Transpo by all persons.  At a minimum, the recommended audit would include an assessment of:

• Policies, procedures and practices;

This is employment equity not accessibility advisory committee role – not appropriate for review since this is monitored by the CHRC on a yearly basis;

Client Services and Public Information Branch

BTS supports the application of comprehensive accessibility audits to identify gaps between current infrastructure and services with goals of greater accessibility and inclusion for persons with disabilities.

The City has achieved great progress in making its public transit services more accessible and indeed, in many areas is looked upon as a municipal leader within the province of Ontario and throughout the country.  A comprehensive audit of transit services will further enhance capacity to respond to identified needs of people with disabilities and provide the corporation with tested accessibility assessment tools for application within in other service and business areas. 

Accessible public transit was identified as a primary issue by participants of the 2007 Community Forum for Persons with Disabilities.  The Corporate Interdepartmental Accessibility Steering Committee (ASC) has also identified transportation as an essential ingredient to the social and economic inclusion of residents with disabilities and to the successful attainment of the City's strategic direction of building an inclusive society. Corporate goals of making it easier to move around the City are impacted significantly by services of public transit.

The City of Ottawa Municipal Accessibility Plan (COMAP) provides an avenue for the identification and removal of barriers. The ASC is responsible for co-ordinating and monitoring COMAP initiatives as approved by Council.   To date, audits implemented through COMAP have focused on specific areas of service delivery, such as physical access to city-owned facilities, access to ottawa.ca. A comprehensive audit designed to include policies, procedures and practices, staff training needs, service delivery, communications, protocols, and client satisfaction, would benefit the whole City by developing and testing accessibility audit tools which could be applied elsewhere.

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), 2005 requires full accessibility by the year 2025.  One accessibility standard has been codified with the rest coming into law between 2008 and 2010. Compliance timelines will be phased-in starting as early as 2010.  Obligatory accessibility requirements of the standards will affect all business areas of the City.  Comprehensive audits can assist business areas to identify specific short-comings and provide evidence-based, decision making for compliance strategies.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Costs associated with a comprehensive accessibility audit of the City’s public transit system are not known at this time, and will be determined once the audit parameters are established and it’s determined how much can be covered within existing resources.

Should it be determined that there are incremental costs associated with this initiative, funds are not available within the City’s 2008 Operating/Capital Budget.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

N/A

DISPOSITION

Planning, Transit and the Environment staff will undertake the appropriate action following Committee and Council consideration of the Motion.