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[Mike Freeman]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Larry Scharschmidt
To: list at cfb.ca
Sent: Monday, August 06, 2007 5:27 PM
Subject: Toronto Transit


Hi Folks;
I found this an interesting article from the Toronto Star.
Larry

Bus stops here for TTC
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Drivers on surface routes must call out every stop after blind lawyer 
wins
second human rights ruling

Jul 27, 2007 04:30 AM
Tess Kalinowski
Transportation Reporter

Two years after the TTC was ordered to announce all stops on its 
subways,
the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has given the transit system a month 
to do
the same on buses and streetcars.

The tribunal ruled yesterday that the TTC violated the rights of blind
lawyer David Lepofsky by failing to call all stops on surface routes. It 
was
given 15 days to come up with a plan to train drivers and enforce the 
new
policy.

Two years ago, following a 10-year fight by Lepofsky, the same 
adjudicator,
Justice Alvin Rosenberg, ruled TTC personnel had to call each subway 
stop
until an automated announcement system could be installed.

Yesterday Lepofsky said it was outrageous it's taken the TTC so long to
expand the policy above ground. "This case was so obviously a loser that
they should not have fought it," he said.

"I hope, given our city's budget problems, the TTC won't spend any more 
of
the taxpayers' dollars fighting this or appealing, and that they put 
their
effort instead into properly serving TTC patrons with disabilities like
mine," he added.

During five days of hearings, the tribunal was told blind TTC riders 
can't
relax for fear the driver will forget to call their stop.

They're taught to sit at the front and ensure that signs of their
disability, such as a white cane, are obvious so the drivers won't 
forget
about them.

The TTC argued its policy of calling only requested stops, major
intersections and subway stations was adequate for blind and disabled
patrons - and that between 1995 and 2006 it received only four 
complaints
about missed stops by visually impaired riders.

Being required to call all stops would present a hardship and potential
safety risk when drivers are navigating busy routes, argued the TTC 
lawyer.

But the tribunal heard that drivers are already under orders to call all
stops when their transit vehicle is extremely crowded or bad weather 
makes
it difficult for everyone to see out the windows.

"By giving these instructions it is clear that the TTC is prepared to
accommodate sighted people who have some difficulties" but not blind 
people
with "severe difficulties," wrote Rosenberg.


The TTC will not appeal the decision, said commission chair Adam 
Giambrone,
who put the legal costs to fight the second Lepofsky case at between
$100,000 and $200,000.

"By the end of the year, regardless of the decision, we would have been
fully compliant" with automated station stop announcements, he said.

The TTC installed an automated system on subway trains soon after the 
first
decision and is implementing the $6.6 million project on all surface 
routes.

In the meantime, the TTC will train drivers to announce all stops, 
Giambrone
said.

"Many of these routes have over 100 different stops. Bus and streetcar
drivers can change routes daily and it's a big challenge. You can 
appreciate
the challenges of people asking directions, checking fares and driving 
on
Toronto streets."

Until Lepofsky won the subway case, the TTC didn't enforce the call-out
procedure, said Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113 president Bob 
Kinnear.

"There's always been a requirement for operators to call out all major
intersections and subway stops. That never changed, the enforcement of 
it


-------------- next part --------------
----- Original Message -----
From:
mailto:ve7lws at shaw.ca Larry Scharschmidt
To:
mailto:list at cfb.ca list at cfb.ca
Sent:
Monday, August 06, 2007 5:27 PM
Subject:
Toronto Transit
Hi Folks;
I found this an interesting article from the Toronto Star.
Larry
Bus stops here for TTC
 Email story
Print
  Choose text size
 Report typo or correction
 License this article
 Digg this Article
 Add to Facebook
 Tag on Delicious
 
Drivers on surface routes must call out every stop after blind lawyer wins
second human rights ruling
Jul 27, 2007 04:30 AM
Tess Kalinowski
Transportation Reporter
Two years after the TTC was ordered to announce all stops on its subways,
the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has given the transit system a month to do
the same on buses and streetcars.
The tribunal ruled yesterday that the TTC violated the rights of blind
lawyer David Lepofsky by failing to call all stops on surface routes. It was
given 15 days to come up with a plan to train drivers and enforce the new
policy.
Two years ago, following a 10-year fight by Lepofsky, the same adjudicator,
Justice Alvin Rosenberg, ruled TTC personnel had to call each subway stop
until an automated announcement system could be installed.
Yesterday Lepofsky said it was outrageous it's taken the TTC so long to
expand the policy above ground. "This case was so obviously a loser that
they should not have fought it," he said.
"I hope, given our city's budget problems, the TTC won't spend any more of
the taxpayers' dollars fighting this or appealing, and that they put their
effort instead into properly serving TTC patrons with disabilities like
mine," he added.
During five days of hearings, the tribunal was told blind TTC riders can't
relax for fear the driver will forget to call their stop.
They're taught to sit at the front and ensure that signs of their
disability, such as a white cane, are obvious so the drivers won't forget
about them.
The TTC argued its policy of calling only requested stops, major
intersections and subway stations was adequate for blind and disabled
patrons - and that between 1995 and 2006 it received only four complaints
about missed stops by visually impaired riders.
Being required to call all stops would present a hardship and potential
safety risk when drivers are navigating busy routes, argued the TTC lawyer.
But the tribunal heard that drivers are already under orders to call all
stops when their transit vehicle is extremely crowded or bad weather makes
it difficult for everyone to see out the windows.
"By giving these instructions it is clear that the TTC is prepared to
accommodate sighted people who have some difficulties" but not blind people
with "severe difficulties," wrote Rosenberg.
The TTC will not appeal the decision, said commission chair Adam Giambrone,
who put the legal costs to fight the second Lepofsky case at between
$100,000 and $200,000.
"By the end of the year, regardless of the decision, we would have been
fully compliant" with automated station stop announcements, he said.
The TTC installed an automated system on subway trains soon after the first
decision and is implementing the $6.6 million project on all surface routes.
In the meantime, the TTC will train drivers to announce all stops, Giambrone
said.
"Many of these routes have over 100 different stops. Bus and streetcar
drivers can change routes daily and it's a big challenge. You can appreciate
the challenges of people asking directions, checking fares and driving on
Toronto streets."
Until Lepofsky won the subway case, the TTC didn't enforce the call-out
procedure, said Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113 president Bob Kinnear.
"There's always been a requirement for operators to call out all major
intersections and subway stops. That never changed, the enforcement of it