MLPD is a cross-disability systemic advocacy organization with interests in making all of society’s systems accessible to persons with all types of disabilities. Terms of reference for the Transportation Committee include all parts to the transportation systems in Manitoba. These transportation parts are the sidewalks, streets, and transit facilities including rapid transit, regular transit, Handi-Transit and private taxi services.

This year, the Transportation Committee started off with a lot of enthusiasm from the 2009 MLPD AGM workshop. This enthusiasm wore off in the early winter of 2009. The number of issues to deal with is huge, but we did manage to meet with the City of Winnipeg to consult on active transportation pathways and better designs for intersections. We also participated in the Province of Manitoba’s consultation on Opening Doors strategic plan. In addition, we communicated with Greyhound about their threat to discontinue service in rural areas, and dealt with other emerging transportation issues. In one case, shoppers and participants at the ILRC were being refused Handi-Transit drop offs in the safer back entrance of Portage Place. To assist the ILRC’s Mary-Lynn Hamilton, the Chairperson of the MLPD Committee sent a letter to The Forks, North Portage Partnership Corporation’s Toby Chase who moved swiftly to resolve the issue.

At the 2009 AGM, We covered a number of transportation topics, but we had insufficient time to delve into a critical Handi-Transit issue: a new trip cancelation policy being created by Handi-Transit. Before explaining the situation around the new trip cancelation policy, we should take time to thank Laurie Helgason who is not able to serve on the Handi-Transit Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) on behalf of MLPD due to health related issues. She has served on a number of committees and boards pushing for better transportation over several years. Thanks for your advocacy efforts Laurie! MLPD will be seeking a new PAC representative shortly.

Since attending PAC meetings on behalf of MLPD, we have dealt with little more than talking with Handi-Transit about trip cancelations, with Handi-Transit utilizing a “blame perspective”. Trip cancelations directly reflect on the ability of Handi-Transit to meet the transportation needs of Manitobans with disabilities. One way trip bookings, unreasonable trip times, and changes in work meetings lead to persons with disabilities canceling trips. Although there are a few individuals who abuse the system, the vast majority of individuals cancel out of frustration and disappointment in not being able to have their “real transportation needs” met.

The City of Winnipeg (Handi-Transit) tells people that this blame-based system is okay due to a trade off for door to door service. They will tell you that this service was created to correct a situation of discrimination brought to their attention in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. From my perspective (and hopefully yours), a blame based system has led to energy being expended to catch the bad users while positive actions such as investing dollars saved from low floor buses are not re-invested to provide better trip bookings.

A Transportation Committee meeting was called for December 9, 2009 to deal with the trip cancelation policy and problem. Other organizations were invited along with MLPD members through the Alert e-mail newsletter. However, this cold day only drew MLPD’s Co-Chairperson, a Canadian Paraplegic Association representative and a senior’s organization member to the meeting. We discussed launching a human rights complaint on the issue of the blame system not solving the systemic discrimination related to the regular transit system; convincing the City of Winnipeg and Province of Manitoba to invest in a trial of bus routes that could meet many people’s needs in a fashion similar to regular transit; expanding a Dart system, used in suburbs, to meet persons with disabilities needs; and investing more money in having more vehicles available for better trip bookings. The CPA representative also brought up the need to just quit the PAC if they will not actually listen to our positive ideas for solutions.

In early 2010, a new committee was proposed by the ILRC to deal with transportation issues due to some persons with disabilities not getting involved with the MLPD’s Committee. Some people want faster action as well. A lot of time goes into dealing with the many issues of transportation, and MLPD’s Transportation Committee wishes the ILRC good luck in meeting the needs of persons with disabilities. They might want to consider the ideas that came out of the December 9, 2009 meeting.

MLPD will continue to attend the annual settlement meetings for Dave Martin’s and Ainley Bridgeman’s human rights mediation on accessible pedestrian signals dealing with a test of non push button activation of signals. A number of emerging issues are picking up steam, and MLPD will make sure things like traffic circles meet our access needs. Handi-Transit has sent us a draft trip cancelation policy, and we will vet it through people to get their input. At the same time, the CPA representative on the PAC and I will be challenging the PAC to change the way it operates.

Ross Eadie
Chairperson