Minutes

Brampton Transit Advisory Committee

The Corporation of the City of Brampton

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Council Chambers - 4th Floor, City Hall - Webex Electronic Meeting
Members Present:
  • Regional Councillor M. Palleschi (Co-Chair)
  • Regional Councillor P. Vicente (Co-Chair)
  • Sarbjeet Sani
  • Sylvia Menezes Roberts
  • Todd Letts, Representative, Brampton Board of Trade
  • Alina Grzejszczak, Representative, Cycling Advisory Committee
  • Franco Spadafora, Representative, Accessibility Advisory Committee
Members Absent:
  • Rafiqul Islam
  • Akinade Oduntan
  • Ameek Singh
  • Myrna Adams, Representative, Age-Friendly Brampton Advisory Committee
Staff Present:
  • Alex Milojevic, General Manager, Transit
  • Vincent Rodo, Director, Transit
  • Doug Rieger, Director, Transit Development
  • Ivana Tomas, Director, Transit Services
  • Peter Fay, City Clerk
  • Shauna Danton, Legislative Coordinator

1.
Call to Order
 

Note: In consideration of the current COVID-19 public health orders prohibiting large public gatherings of people and requirements for physical distancing between persons, in-person attendance at this Brampton Transit Advisory Committee meeting was limited and physical distancing was maintained in Council Chambers at all times during the meeting.

The meeting was called to order at 7:11 p.m., and adjourned at 8:25 p.m.

As this meeting of the Brampton Transit Advisory Committee was conducted with electronic participation by Members, the meeting started with the Chair calling the roll for attendance at the meeting, as follows:

Members present during roll call: Councillor Palleschi, Councillor Vicente, Sarbjeet Saini, Sylvia Menezes Roberts, Todd Letts, Alina Grzejszczak, and Franco Spadafora

Members absent during roll call: Rafiqul Islam, Akinade Oduntan (regrets), Ameek Singh, Myrna Adams

2.
Approval of Agenda
 

Committee consideration of the matter included consensus to delete Item 7.2, as it relates to Item 7.1, and defer Item 7.7 to staff for a report back at a later date.

The following motion was considered:

  • BTAC006-2020

    That the Agenda for the Brampton Transit Advisory Committee Meeting of November 2, 2020, be approved as amended as follows:

    1. To delete Item 7.2; and,

    2. To refer Item 7.7 to staff to report back at a future meeting

    Carried

3.
Declarations of Interest under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act
 

4.
Previous Minutes
This item has attachments. 

1.20200203btacmn.pdf
The minutes were considered by Committee of Council on February 19, 2020, and were approved by Council on February 26, 2020.  The minutes were provided for Committee’s information.

5.
Presentations\Delegations
 

5.1
Presentation by Alex Milojevic, General Manager, Transit, re: Transit Advisory Committee Presentation
This item has attachments. 

1.Transit Advisory Committee .pdf
2.Transit Advisory Committee Presentation.pdf

Alex Milojevic, General Manager, Transit, provided a presentation that highlighted the following:

  • ebus Trial - Phase I and II
  • Transit Fleet Electrification
  • Third Maintenance and Storage Facility
  • Hurontario LRT
    • Brampton Gateway HuLRT Stop
  • Main Street LRT - Environmental Assessment 
  • Downtown Mobility Hub 
  • Queen Street/Highway 7 BRT
  • Transit Business Plan Update
    • 2023-2027 Business Plan 
    • Long Term Fare Policy
  • Covid-19 
    • Timeline 
    • Impacts
    • Communications
    • Relief funding 

Committee discussion included the following:

  • electric buses
    • fleet size
    • timeline
  • Steeles Avenue rapid transit corridor
  • zero emissions
    • target date
    • funding and financing
  • Accessibility with resect to the Downtown Mobility Hub 
  • LRT route plans
  • Covid-19 impacts and recovery plans
  • student ridership influx - accommodation and  collaboration with academia partners

The following motion was considered:

  • BTAC007-2020

    That the presentation by Alex Milojevic, General Manager, Transit, re: Transit Advisory Committee Presentation, to the Transit Advisory Committee Meeting of November 2, 2020, be received.

    Carried

6.
Reports/Updates
 

7.
Other/New Business/Information Items
 

7.1
Brampton Transit Advisory Committee 2021 Schedule of Meetings
This item has attachments. 

1.Transit - Schedule of Meetings 2021.pdf

In response to a question from Committee, staff noted that the frequency of meetings will be reviewed to determine if more meetings can be accommodated, and report back at a later date.  

7.2
Discussion at the request of Sylvia Menezes Roberts, Member, re: Frequency of Brampton Transit Advisory Committee Meetings
 

Dealt with under Approval of Agenda - Recommendation BTAC006-2020

7.3
Discussion at the request of Sylvia Menezes Roberts, Member, re: Collecting Transit Rider Information via a Rider Survey
 

In response to a question from Committee, staff noted that transit rider customer satisfaction surveys are conducted every 2-3 years, and the results include (non-personal) rider details. Information from the latest survey will be provided to Committee at the next regular meeting. 

7.4
Discussion at the request of Sylvia Menezes Roberts, Member, re: Improving Communication with Transit Riders - Adopting Transit App
 

Committee consideration of the matter included the following:

  • Using transit apps, such as Triplinx, to provide real-time transit updates to riders 
  • Using transit apps to conduct customer satisfaction surveys and collect rider data 
  • Request for transit apps to be more user-friendly for elderly riders and provide schedules and real-time updates in multiple languages

In response to a question from Committee, staff noted that the City has launched the Magnusmode app, which assists riders with cognitive disabilities, and demonstrates how to board, pay and ride transit. 

7.5
Discussion at the request of Sylvia Menezes Roberts, Member, re: Transit User Comfort and Usability, i.e. longer and more straps on busses, and information for travelers with kids in strollers
 

Sylvia Menezes Roberts, Member, noted the following :

  • Shorter transit riders are unable to reach the straps
    • request for staff to review the length and increasing the number of holding straps
  • Bus aisles are often blocked by strollers; communication on how to fold a seat to accommodate a stroller is needed 

Staff noted that the comments and requests will be investigated, and information will be provided to Committee at a future date. 

7.6
Discussion at the request of Sylvia Menezes Roberts, Member, re: Carshare/Bikeshare Programs
 

Whereas residents of Brampton pay among the highest car insurance rates in Canada

Whereas the Term of Council Priorities include “Equalize all forms of transportation”

Whereas the TOCP seeks to plan for sustainable growth

Whereas the TOCP seek to lower Brampton’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and the 59% of Brampton’s emissions come from transportation

Therefore be it resolved that the Brampton Transit Advisory Committee recommends

  1. That City Council considers implementing a bikesharing program in Brampton, with recommendations from the Brampton Cycle Advisory Committee as to location and implementation
  2. That City Council considers implementing a carsharing program in Brampton, at locations including, but not limited to, by transit stations, community centres, other community centres, with a plan towards an electric fleet.
  3. That carsharing and bikesharing in Brampton should be accessible through a shared platform with transit, as implemented in other cities like Montreal
  4. That this motion be forwarded to the Brampton Cycle Advisory Committee

Committee consideration of the matter included the following:

  • Logistics and details of car sharing programs 
  • Request for staff to investigate integration of car sharing locations in close proximity to major transit hubs and stops
  • Bike and eScooter sharing; ability to pay with presto card

In response to suggestions from Committee, staff noted that the potential opportunities and logistics of implementing sharing modes into the transit system will be investigated and a report will be presented to Committee at the next meeting. 

The following motion was considered:

  • BTAC008-2020

    That the following be referred to staff for a report back at a future meeting:

    "Whereas residents of Brampton pay among the highest car insurance rates in Canada

    Whereas the Term of Council Priorities include “Equalize all forms of transportation”

    Whereas the TOCP seeks to plan for sustainable growth

    Whereas the TOCP seek to lower Brampton’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and the 59% of Brampton’s emissions come from transportation

    Therefore be it resolved that the Brampton Transit Advisory Committee recommends

    1. That City Council considers implementing a bikesharing program in Brampton, with recommendations from the Brampton Cycle Advisory Committee as to location and implementation
    2. That City Council considers implementing a carsharing program in Brampton, at locations including, but not limited to, by transit stations, community centres, other community centres, with a plan towards an electric fleet.
    3. That carsharing and bikesharing in Brampton should be accessible through a shared platform with transit, as implemented in other cities like Montreal
    4. That this motion be forwarded to the Brampton Cycle Advisory Committee"
    Carried

7.7
Discussion at the request of Sylvia Menezes Roberts, Member, re: Bus Stop Statistics
 

Brampton Transit Advisory Committee requests:

  1. The number of bus stops in Brampton
  2. The number of bus stops in Brampton that are Accessible
  3. How many bus stops Brampton is making Accessible per year
  4. Brampton Transit to estimate the year that 95% of bus stops will be Accessible
  5. This motion, and subsequent information, be forwarded to the Brampton Accessibility Advisory Committee

Dealt with under Approval of Agenda - Recommendation BTAC006-2020

8.
Correspondence
 

8.1
Correspondence from Tammi Jackson, Legislative Coordinator, City Clerk's Office, dated October 28, 2020, re: Cycling Advisory Committee Representative on Brampton Transit Advisory Committee
This item has attachments. 

1.Correspondence re. Cycling Advisory Committee Representative.pdf

The following motion was considered:

  • BTAC009-2020

    That the correspondence from Tammi Jackson, Legislative Coordinator, City Clerk's Office, dated October 28, 2020, re: Cycling Advisory Committee Representative on Brampton Transit Advisory Committee, to the Brampton Transit Advisory Committee Meeting of November 2, 2020, be received. 

    Carried

9.
Question Period
 

In response to a question from Committee, staff noted there is a generally high compliance rate with respect to transit riders wearing masks on busses. 

10.
Public Question Period
 

The public was given the opportunity to submit questions via e-mail to the City Clerk’s Office regarding any decisions made under this section of the agenda.

P. Fay, City Clerk, read the following questions from Chris Drew, Co-founder, Fight Gridlock Brampton: 

1. On February 20, 2020 there was a Metrolinx Board Meeting where there was a report on the agenda entitled "Advancing Transit Priorities". This report makes reference to future transit lines in Brampton, including Main LRT, Queen BRT, and several "priority bus routes" in Brampton. Can City staff please distribute this report to committee members so they are aware of its contents given the references to these routes in the presentation given by the GM of Brampton Transit? Also, there was a letter sent by the Mayor of Brampton to this February Metrolinx Board meeting and a letter sent by the CAO respecting the Advancing Transit Priorities Report. The letter from the CAO included a map of current and future transit routes in Brampton. Can these two letters please be distributed by City staff to Committee members so they are aware? Committee members might be interested in noting that there is an almost perfect alignment of routes in Brampton between the map in the CAO's letter and the map in the Advancing Transit Report.

2. Since it's not legible in the agenda package or on the livestream, on the "Brampton Gateway HuLRT Stop" slide what does the text say in the upper left image in the middle of the intersection? Was this image presented during the previous term of Council?

Staff noted that the report will be provided at the next meeting, and the details of the Brampton Gateway HuLRT Stop will be provided to committee and circulated to Mr. Drew. 

11.
Closed Session
 

12.
Adjournment
 

The following motion was considered:

  • BTAC0010-2020

    That the Brampton Transit Advisory Committee do now adjourn to meet again on Monday, March 1, 2021, at 7:00 p.m., or at the call of the Co-Chairs.

    Carried
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