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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-02-25 GRAAC GRAND RIVER ACCESSIBILITY ADVISORY GRAACCOMMITTEE Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee Date: Thursday, February 25, 2021 Location: Zoom Meeting Present: Donna Hartzler, Janis McKenzie (City of Kitchener), Dawn Clelland (Co-Chair), Heather Clark-Harris, Rob Bender, Andrena Lockley-Brown, Brenda Robinson (Co-Chair), Berny Wesselink, Jolene MacDonald, Melanie Garbaz (Region of Waterloo), Paula Saunders, Lolita Paroski (City of Kitchener/City of Waterloo), Carrie Speers, Mamie Sealey-Baker, Tracey Murray (Township of Wilmot), Tamara Bell, Councillor Sandra Hanmer (City of Waterloo), Councillor Debbie Chapman (City of Kitchener), Brad Sayles, Teresa McQuillin, Amy Harron (Township of Wellesley) Regrets: Jeff Smith (Township of Woolwich), Ashley Sage (Township of North Dumfries), Councillor Sue Foxton (Region of Waterloo), Trevor Tamlin 1. Welcome and Introductions 2. Approval of January Minutes and February Agenda Tamara motioned to accept February agenda. Paula seconded. All in favour. Dawn motioned to accept January minutes; Berny seconded. All in favour. 3. Declarations of Pecuniary Interests None 4. Grand River Transit 2020 Annual Update, Neil Malcolm, Pat Morabito Grand River Transit (GRT) is committed to: • The continuous development of accessible public transit services. • Working to ensure its facilities are barrier free. • Providing barrier free employment and employment opportunities • Establishing communication services that respect the abilities of all customers, employees, and the community Regional Council approved several MobilityPLUS changes following a service review in 2020. The changes will: • Ensure equal access to the service for all MobilityPLUS customers • Accommodate more customers in need of the service • Ensure GRT is compliant with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) The following service changes took effect Feb. 23: • Customers can request a trip for any reason, and bookings will be on a first come, first served basis. All subscription trips can be booked up to seven days in advance. All on demand trips can be booked up to three days in advance. • There is a cap on the number of subscription trips that can be booked to accommodate more on demand trip availability. • Winter eligibility period now runs November 1 to April 30. • Cancellations must be made at least two hours in advance of a scheduled trip. Proposed additional changes pending approval: • Consult with GRT customers & partner service providers concerning plans to align eligibility to functional limitations and expand conditional eligibility types. • Report back to Council with the outcome of the consultations in spring 2021. Comments/Feedback • Will there be customer self-service? Prepaid method will be available as a credit card payment over the phone. Pre-paid module still in the works. It was noted that a debit card might be a better choice as many clients on ODSP cannot get a credit card. • ION Train challenge, only the front door opens and that is not where the accessible seating is located. Significant issue with HVAC and climate control when both doors are open all the time. There is a button that can be pressed when getting off to allow more time from the driver. • Screen showing the next bus stop cycles too quickly and a rider can miss the stop they realize and it is too late. Maybe remove the words Next stop to allow for more time to read the screen. • Excited that there is no longer a half an hour wait time • Will booking online be available? Booking online will be available and the system may be able to let you know the availability. This module is still in process. • Will there be communication regarding the service as things begin to change to get the message out? Communication will happen closer to the rollout utilizing marketing print/radio/townships/promote on website and social media. Various agencies to share the information. Workshops to test the updates. 5. Region of Waterloo 2020 Annual Update, Melanie Garbarz Completed in 2020 • Client Email and Texting Standard Operating Procedure key resource during pandemic to communicate with community service clients • All in-person interpretation services ended and were replaced by virtual interpretation during COVID-19 • Some staff trained in making accessible videos • Internal Region of Waterloo Staff Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Working Group created • "Pulse Check Survey" was conducted in 2020 with regional staff to gather input on diversity in the workplace • Mental Health Strategy Steering Committee created Action Items for 2021 • Complete accessibility audits of remaining ROW facilities • Post info on amenities in regional facilities on Region's website • Communicating standards for video captioning and resources available to assist • Diversity census for workplace staff • Enhance work on mental health in the workplace with partnership with YMCA Workwell Team Key accessibility related challenges for 2020/21 • ION stations and Wayfinding • Accessible PDF's on the website • Multi-Use Trails Comments/Feedback • Videos close captioned, will you be making descriptive? • Council members don't seem to have either. Melanie to follow up and bring back to the committee 6. Councillor Reports Councillor Sandra Hamner, City of Waterloo • Currently working on back yard fire pit regulations, backyard hens, with accessibility in mind. • Also looking at snow removal and leaf collection program Councillor Debra Chapman, City of Kitchener • City of Kitchener website is changing My Kitchener. Launch date is March 1, 2021. • Outdoor patios in downtown Kitchener will be larger this year and accessible. • A therapy pig support animal request to council was approved by Council as not included in the bylaw • Community Gardens designed to be accessible available in several locations Break (15 mins) 7. Compass Kitchener Citizen Dashboard, Lauren Burr, Courtney Zinn A short overview of the user-friendly citizen dashboard was presented to the committee members on the City of Kitchener website. The project is currently in the design stage, with the goal of producing an early-stage testable prototype by March 1 st, 2021. The design stage is a timeboxed process to explore, ideate, and prototype to test ideas and learn from real people. They are looking to committee members to comment on common accessibility issues and concerns related to online dashboards and interactive web content. They would also like to invite any interested committee members to participate in a twenty-minute user testing session on March 1 st or 2nd. Comments/Feedback • Accessibility button to give people information about accommodations that they can access at the City of Kitchener and/or locations of accessibility features available. • Check in on projects ongoing as part of the City of Kitchener's Strategic Plan • Dawn's daughter would like to participate in the early stages of testing. Contact Lauren Burr at lauren.burr@kitchener.ca with any questions and/or feedback 8. Built Environment Sub Committee Updates, Paula Saunders • City of Waterloo will be doing Accessibility audits of some of their buildings. Lolita and I provided feedback towards templates and included the GRAAC washroom comments sheet. Will keep you updated and let you know when GRAAC asked for feedback or if site visits will be an option during the pandemic. • Breithaupt Centre received a grant to purchase a pool chair for the warm pool. They will be purchasing the same chair that was approved by GRAAC for the Forest Heights pool. We learned that the users of the pool chair at Forest Heights pool have shared positive feedback. • Multi-Use Trails: o GRAAC has a position paper that discusses and describes the recreational use of recreational trails as defined by AODA (off street) o Recently, in the Region, plans have been made to utilize current sidewalks (along the street— example Victoria Street) to be used as multi use trails (MUTs), with giving a trail for both cyclists and pedestrians to use together. o There are plans to create more of these shared roadway MUTs, yet there doesn't appear to be a lot of clear rules around them. There doesn't appear to be much of a conversation regarding the safety and feelings of security of pedestrians, especially those with exceptional ities, sharing the sidewalk (MUTs) with bicycles. o Our subcommittee wanted to get a full understanding of what these MUTs are and how they are being designed. o Barriers are accessibility legislation does not address this type of multi-use trail and Ministry of Transportation does not address accessibility issues. Dawn shared that a meeting was held on February 5 with the subcommittee and Bob Henderson presented to the subcommittee. Currently, all motorized vehicles, including e-bikes, cannot use MUTs. Pedestrians and bicycles are permitted to share these trails, though there is a public survey underway to allow e-scooters, as well. In 2019, Regional and municipal staff formed a working group to develop common standards for signs and markings. They are a picture of a person walking, a bicycle and an arrow pointing directionality on each side with a yellow line in the middle. This signage is painted on the pavement of the trails. The feeling was that Victoria Street trail was not completed, yet, which is why there is no signage. For crossing public roadways, the bicycle pathway is demarcated by elephants' feet on its outer edge. Elephants' feet are squarish white blocks with space between them, almost like thick white dash lines. Two options were described for street crossings. The signage used was signage the Ontario Traffic Manual designed for cross rides, where bicycles ride their bikes across the intersection, rather than being expected to dismount and walk across. One had the pedestrian zebra markings for pedestrians with .6 m on either side prior to the elephant's feet. The entire crossing surface for both pedestrians and cyclists would be a minimum of 5 m. Cyclists share the crosswalk with the pedestrians, however, must ride between the outer edge of the appropriate side of the zebra crossing and the elephants feet, depending on the direction they are going. The other option was having the bikes share a lane on the side of the pedestrian crosswalk. The pedestrian zebra crossing would be minimum of 2.5m, with .3 m between the elephant feet and the edge of the zebra lines, then 2.5-3m for bicycle traffic before you get to the final set of elephants' feet. Mr. Henderson kindly shared the Ontario Traffic Manual (OTM), dated December 2013 with us. The OTM calls these roadway MUTs a "Two-way in boulevard shared use facility" and the width is supposed to be 3-4 meters. Our Region states the width should be 3 m, though the two way in boulevard shared use facility on Victoria Street is only 2.743 m. The responsibility to clear snow lies on the City. Ontario Traffic Manual dated December 2013 "riding in the roadway against the flow of traffic is one of the leading causes of bicycling fatalities". It is much safer for the bicyclist to ride with the flow of traffic. Through looking at places which have many MUTs, though most appear to be off road, there seems to be standard methods of using shared pathways. Pedestrians are supposed to keep to the right, with bicycle traffic on the right going the same direction as the pedestrians. Opposing bicycle traffic would be on the left. Bicyclists going in the same direction as the pedestrians would pass on the left. Pedestrians are not supposed to stop on these trails, as bicycles can not necessarily safely avoid them. Bicyclists are supposed to call out when passing or use their bell to let pedestrians know they are passing. Bicyclists are supposed to use safe speeds and lights at night. Some of the concerns identified regarding these trails taking the place of sidewalks: o Sharing a sidewalk with bicycles is as much a concern for pedestrians as sharing a road with vehicular traffic is for bicyclists. o Shared pedestrian sidewalk is made with asphalt, which means it would be difficult for a person with low or no vision to identify its inner edge, as there would be no sidewalk edge to follow when the asphalt trail meets the asphalt parking lot in urban areas. o The standard size is supposed to be 3 metres, however when measured it was 2.75 metres wide not 3 so 10 inches short. The OTM recommends 3-4 m, so our Region's trail width is minimum allowed. o If the pedestrian must stop due to accessibility issues or disembarks from a bus, how do they avoid getting hit by a bike? o There are no rules and/or signage advising how these trails are to be used. o Multi use trails bylaws state no motorized vehicles on them, but with the development of the electric bike and their need for a safe place to travel, that may change in the foreseeable future. o Bikes are supposed to have bells but there are people who are deaf, who may be startled by a bike coming from behind. o With the new cross rides, as people cross the street, those riding bicycles will be closer to those who are walking. For those with cognitive issues or low or no vision, this can be very confusing and dangerous, at the time when they need to be most focused. Pedestrians who are blind veer approximately 5 degrees, when there is no tactile indicator to guide them. How do we keep both the pedestrian, with low or no sight and the bicyclist who would need to swerve to avoid them, safe? o Unlike off street recreational trails, pedestrians will enter and exit pathways mid-block, such as at a bus stop. How do we ensure the safety of the pedestrian doing this? o Are any of these planned at roundabouts? If so, what would the impact be on pedestrians? o When the pedestrian must wait at a median, with traffic behind and in front of them, how would sharing a bike on that median impact the person with an exceptionality? Thoughts for a Position Paper: o Should we have a position paper based on these MUTs along the street? o Suggestions which have been discussed: o Bicycle trails should be separate from pedestrian traffic so that everyone has their own space. o edging or tactile guide needed for wayfinding for people using canes for guidance o If space is shared, then bicyclist direction should only be in one direction. o There needs to be specific directions and rules, and these need to be posted so that everyone is aware of them o Pedestrians should always occupy the side of the Two-way in boulevard shared use facility farthest from traffic, even when crossing the street. o Consistency is essential o Keep expanding a safe network of bicycling trails but not at the expense of pedestrian's comfort and safety. 9. Committee Updates City of Kitchener, Mayor's Task Force, Brenda Robinson Nothing to Report Region of Waterloo, Active Transportation Advisory Committee (ATAC), Dawn Clelland Shared that ATAC has been supportive in GRAAC exploring and coming up with a concept that may work for everyone. ATAC is aware that I am having these MUTs discussions at GRAAC. Region of Waterloo, Accessible Taxi, Donna Hartzler Nothing to report 10. Co-chair/Staff Reports (5 mins) Nothing to report Please send regrets to Janis McKenzie— ianis.mckenzie(a7kitchener.ca Next Regular Meeting —Thursday March 25, 2021 at 1:30pm, ZOOM