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STOP ANNOUNCEMENT PRACTICES AND COMMITMENTS FROM ONTARIO PUBLIC TRANSIT PROVIDERS |
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Municipality or transit provider |
Practice prior to OHRC Inquiry |
Date will announce all stops |
Stop announcement plans: format and details |
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Barrie Transit |
Not announcing all stops |
Before June 30, 2008 |
Manual call-out of all stops: will work with contracted provider to develop policy, training and monitoring. Considering automated system in future. |
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Belleville Transit |
Not announcing all stops |
June 30, 2008 |
Manual call-out. They will develop a policy on stop announcements, and provide training for their operators. Supervisory staff will monitor compliance. |
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Brampton Transit |
Not announcing all stops |
1st Quarter, 2008 |
Manual stop annunciation program. Anticipate implementing an automated audio and visual system in 2008-9. |
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Brantford Transit |
On request. Have destination card system for students of local school for the Blind. |
May 1, 2008 |
Manual - developing system for May 08, Seeking procurement of an automated system with the goal of this September. |
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Brockville |
On request |
Not provided (refer to draft AODA standards) |
No information provided about commitment to comply with Lepofsky. Indicate intent to comply with requirements and timelines of AODA standard once it comes into force. |
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Burlington Transit |
On request |
June 2008 |
Manual in short term, automated in long term. Budget has been allocated to install automated system by 2010-2011. Currently naming stops and developing reference manuals and instructions. |
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Chatham-Kent Transit |
On request |
Not provided |
Have informed service provider of the need to regularly announce transit stops verbally. Have speaker systems in buses. May develop policy and training. Budget funds have been approved for audible and visible stop announcement in the longer term. |
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Coach Canada, which is federally regulated, did not reply to the Commission's inquiry. |
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Cobourg Transit |
Not announcing all stops |
June 30 2008 |
Manual call-out: will train drivers, do spot-checks to monitor compliance. |
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Cornwall Transit |
On request. For visually impaired: a "destination card" system, and access to specialized transit |
Not provided |
Will call out major stops by Feb. 2008, but did not indicate plans to announce all stops. Referred to draft AODA standard. |
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Durham Region Transit Commission |
On request |
Early 2008 |
Manual call-out: have made the request to the union and will monitor compliance. Looking to acquire automated technology in the longer term. |
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Fort Erie |
On request |
June 1, 2008 |
Manual call-out: will write this requirement into the Service Agreement with their contracted provider. Monitoring will be via customer satisfaction survey. |
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GO Transit |
Bus routes: major stops and requests. Trains: all stops and "next stop." |
June 1, 2008 |
Manual: currently naming rural stops in coordination with local transit agencies; adding sensitivity training component for drivers about the purpose and benefit of stop announcements |
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Grand River Transit |
Regular bus routes: on request. |
2010 |
Automated as long-term plan: intend to expand GPS technology throughout fleet. No mention of interim manual call-out. |
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Guelph Transit |
On request |
Spring 2008 |
Automated, system to be installed by Spring 2008. |
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Hamilton Street Railway Company |
On request |
Immediate efforts: full compliance over several months "Spring 08 at earliest." |
Manual. Developing policy materials and plans for training, coaching and monitoring; and communications with employees about the TTC decision. Working with the City disability advisory committee, Union local. Seeking funding for automated system with a goal of procurement by end 2008. |
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Kawartha Lakes |
On request |
May 1, 2008 |
Manual. Plan to adopt a policy, provide driver instruction on the procedure, monitor. |
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Kingston Transit |
On request, and at transfer points. Hailing card system for visually impaired. |
3rd Quarter 2008 |
Automated: goal is to implement system by Fall 2008, with manual announcements as backup. They will name stops, develop policies, train drivers, provide printed lists of stops to drivers. |
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London Transit Commission |
On request |
Fall 2008 |
Automated: electronic audio and visual announcements to be implemented by Fall 2008. No commitment to manual call-out in the interim. |
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Milton Transit |
On request |
April 7 2008 |
Manual: drivers to be provided with training and a list of all stops. Monitored by supervisors in random checks. A section of Milton's capital budget has been identified for future implementation of automated audio and visual announcement system. |
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Mississauga Transit |
On request |
June 2008 |
Manual call-out by June 2008: in interim they are naming stops, producing route cards, training operators. Will consider automated systems for the future. |
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Niagara Transit |
On request |
Not clear. Indicate intent to prepare a plan to announce stops in the "near future." |
Intend to employ the "most effective stop announcement technology" after assessment and consultation. |
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North Bay Transit |
On request |
Target June 2008 |
Manual. Currently naming stops, purchasing additional manual announcement equipment, will develop policy and monitoring system, and train staff on equipment and rationale behind the requirement. |
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Oakville Transit |
On request |
April 7 2008 |
Manual, initially: callout of all stops, including training and monitoring by Transit Supervisors by June 2008. Plan to implement an electronic audio and visual system over the next 2 years; have requested funds to equip all buses. |
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Orillia Transit |
Call out all transfer points, major intersections and destinations; others on request. |
June 30, 2008 |
Manual as interim announcement method, until automated audio and visual stop announcement system is in place. Will provide training during week of March 31, monitoring by Transit Supervisor. Longer-term plan is in place to implement audio announcements and LED destination route signage over next several years. In 2008, 2 buses of the total fleet of 5 will be equipped with this system. |
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Ottawa - OC Transpo (Federally Regulated) |
Call out requested and major stops. |
Not provided |
Automated system to announce most stops by late 2008, but there are stops on some neighbourhood routes that will be announced on request only. In interim, will continue to call out requested and major stops. Providing training and monitoring for compliance. |
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Owen Sound |
Not announcing all stops |
Jan. 1, 2008 |
Manual. Have instructed transit contractor, are drafting and distributing policy, and will monitor by random inspection. |
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Peterborough |
On request. , plus bus hail kit, “destination card” system |
Sept. 2008 |
Manual announcements by September 2008. Looking into automated systems as a longer-term option; seeking approval to implement within next couple of years. |
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Sarnia |
Sept. 30, 2008 |
Automated system to be implemented by September 30, 2008. In interim, will announce all stops if requested by a passenger. "Complaint-based" monitoring. |
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Sault Ste Marie |
On request, with “reminder card” system for visually impaired passengers. |
Nov. 2007 |
Manual call-out, including training. Monitoring by accessibility advisory committee. |
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St. Thomas |
On request |
Monday, May 20, 2008 |
Manual: initially verbal call-out. Installing new PA systems as soon as possible to improve audibility. |
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St. Catharines Transit Commission |
Not announcing all stops |
No specific date given |
Electronic: system to be in place before AODA deadline (3 years after standards come into force), will announce all stops. |
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Stratford |
Not announcing all stops |
June 1, 2008 |
Manual: will develop policy and monitor compliance. |
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Sudbury - Greater Sudbury Transit |
On request |
Not provided |
A new electronic system operational in Fall 2008 would "allow [them] to consider the possibility of announcing" all stops, audio and visual. No commitment made regarding manual call-out in interim. |
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Thunder Bay Transit |
Not announcing all stops |
June 30, 2008 |
Manual in the interim: will develop policy including initial training, and monitoring by their accessibility advisory committee. They have installed a GPS/AVL system that will enable future implementation of electronic audio and visual announcement systems. |
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Timmins Transit |
On request |
Between 1-30 June, 2008 |
Manual in the interim: they will install speakers on older buses, develop policy and audit process, train drivers, and monitor for compliance. They are looking into implementation of an electronic system over the next 1 - 1.5 years. |
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Toronto Transit Commission |
Announcing all stops as per HRTO decision. |
Already providing announcements per HRTO decision |
Initially provided manual call-out of stops to comply with HRTO ruling, while phasing in an electronic system. |
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Welland |
On request |
Not Provided |
Announcement plans not clear. Consulting with stakeholders over next few months, reviewing operator call-out and long term automated solutions, looking for funding over next year. |
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Windsor (Federally Regulated) |
On request |
2013 |
Automated: audio and visual announcement system expected to be ready by 2013, subject to budget approval, planning. Not clear whether intend to announce all stops. Refer to intent to comply with AODA standards – callout of major stops, transit points and requested stops. No information provided about manual call-out of stops in the interim. |
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Woodstock |
On request |
June 30, 2008 |
Manual call-out: providing staff direction and training, installing PA systems and labelling stops. Hoping to work with community members for monitoring and feedback. Their priority is to spend funds on wheelchair accessible buses rather than automated call-out technology. |
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York Region Transit |
Automated on 25% of routes, by request on other routes |
May 4, 2008 |
Manual/automated: will begin manual callout by May 4, 2008 on routes that don't yet have automated announcements. Will provide training and a transit stop reference tool to drivers, daily random monitoring by inspection staff. Currently, 1/4 of buses are automated: 140 buses automated by May 4, 2008, last 170 buses automated by end 2008. |