Disability advocates propose plan to fix, improve Winnipeg Transit

Winnipeg Transit is broken for people with disabilities, say advocates whohave proposed a nine-step plan to fix it.

A coalition of community groups which includes the Amalgamated Transit Union and the Independent Living Resource Centre have a nine-step plan to move forward and improve the city's bus service.

A report, to be officially handed to city hall administration on Friday, was builton decades of experiences and frustrations faced by those with mobility restrictions and other disabilities "who rely on Winnipeg Transit day-to-day to live their lives like everybody else,"saidPatrick Stewart,a consultant for the resource centre.

"The barriers are really diverse and what the report recognizes is that there's not really a silver-bullet solution. Of our nine recommendations, really,each one of them might address five to 10 per cent of the issues that are out there," he saidThursday, theInternational Day of Persons with Disabilities.

One of the top priorities the coalition identifiedis creating a policy to give people with disabilities access to priority seating areas on buses.

Althoughpriority seatingexists near the front of buses, there is no policy to enforce it. It relies on the good will of passengers who are allowed to take those seats on a first-come, first-served basis,Stewart said.

"There is a lack of understanding and awareness, sometimes, within that priority seating area," he said. "Winnipeg is really in the minority of major Canadian cities in that we don't have an official policy that regulates that part of the bus."

Overcrowded buses are an inconvenience for many people who need to stand should-to-shoulder, packed through the aisle. It's far worse for those with disabilities, who arefrequently "passed up" by drivers carrying full loads.The report says that should never happen and encourages Winnipeg Transit to create a "priority boarding" policy.

Signs at bus stops wouldmake it clear that passengers with mobility challenges, requiring the priority and courtesy seating area, are to be the first allowed to board.

Titled "9 STEPS: A community-based approach towards accessible public transportation," the report also looks at:

• Removingbarriers aroundbus stops, due to snow or other reasons, by directing bus drivers to immediately reportbarriers to Winnipeg Transit control, who must address the situation within a reasonable time frame.
• Providing alternative transportation services when a passenger with a disability is not able to board a bus due to a physical barrier, faulty equipment or overcrowding.
• Providingtraining for bus drivers to assist passengers with disabilities, such as guiding those with sight challenges.
• Developing guidelines for maximum sizes of baby strollers allowed on board.

The barriers cited in the reportmean people can't take part in daily lifebecause they can't get where they need to go, Stewart said.

The report is coming out now, but theurgency has been in place for decades, he said.

"Many people with disabilities have waited far too long and deserve action. There always seems to be another report at city hall, but nothing ever changes," Stewart said.

However, there are a couple of things in the works right now that make it more urgent than ever, he said, notingthe Accessibility for Manitobans Act, which became law in December 2013, is undergoing some review.

"There's going to be a transportation standard, hopefully, that passes legislation next year, and our recommendations buildupon those standards," Stewart said.

"But, you know, we're really encouraging the City of Winnipeg not to wait to the last minute until they're [compelled] with other pieces of legislation to make these changes."

As well, the city is in the process of creating aWinnipeg Transit Master Plan, which will redesign the bus network. It could include blending regular service with Transit Plus.

Stewart said that could mean a fixed-route service replacing the currentdoor-to-door service for users of Transit Plus.Instead, riders would be picked up and taken to a transit hub tocontinue to their destination on a regular bus.

"We just can't sort of flip a switch and do that overnight. There's some major changes that need to happen first to ensure that passengers with disabilities have equal access to the bus," he said.