Despite a complete lack of public participation, Bradford’s accessibility advisory committee has some ideas for future improvements.
Offering on-demand transit, adding accessible parking spaces to Holland Street and providing mobility mats to make trails and forest tracts more accessible were all proposed during the committee’s public meeting held virtually on Monday evening.
While the main focus was to explain how the town is achieving accessibility goals and gather public feedback, Paul Dubniak, transportation specialist for the town, also showed how BWG Transit could evolve as the town’s population grows, the 400 employment lands become busier and Bond Head sees “huge amounts of development.”
The system currently follows fixed routes on a set schedule, but that makes it difficult to serve areas with low ridership, and one solution could be moving to an on-demand transit service, which Dubniak is seeing in other municipalities.
“This almost operates similar to a taxicab where you call it and they would come out, so it would offer us more flexibility,” he said.
Residents will have the opportunity to provide input at future public information and consultation meetings for the proposed transit master plan.
Committee member Tracey Doncses recommended BWG Transit adopt a similar model to the County of Simcoe’s LINX system, which only requires users of the LINX PLUS+ specialized transit program to requalify for their passes once every four years, instead of annually.
On parking, Ward 1 Coun. Cheraldean Duhaney suggested adding some accessible spaces to Holland Street or some nearby roads to help improve accessibility to the downtown business area.
Robert Belsey, manager of enforcement for the town, said the current accessible parking bylaw only provides standards for spots in off-street locations. He suspected it could be extrapolated to create provisions for on-street spots as well, and Mayor James Leduc suggested the committee could recommend the idea be included as part of the Holland reconstruction project currently undergoing design.
The mayor also asked if it would be possible to partner with other agencies like the county’s accessibility committee or the Lake Simcoe Regional Conservation Authority to come up with accessibility standards for trails through county forest tracts and Scanlon Creek Conservation Area.
Shan Tennyson, landscape architect for the town, explained that an accessible standard for forest tracts would likely include surfacing made with limestone screening and would need to avoid cross slopes of more than one or two per cent and longitudinal slopes of more than five per cent.
“We would also try to include resting spots for people to stop and take a break,” she said.
Doncses suggested that for events like the Mayor’s Hike at Scanlon Creek the town consider purchasing mobility mats, which can be rolled out to temporarily increase wheelchair accessibility over terrain, and the mayor agreed that it was a great idea.
The meeting also included a presentation from Valerie Vicary, committee coordinator, detailing many of the town’s efforts to ensure services and facilities meet the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) as well as Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and Environments (GAATES) standards including:
The BWG Leisure Centre
- Meets requirements under building code
- Accessible equipment and facilities
- Automatic sliding doors
- Doorless public washrooms
- Grab bars
- Elevators
- 360-degree turning radius to accommodate wheelchairs in washrooms
- Monthly health and safety inspections of: stairs, ramps, landings and elevator
- Inclusion support staff during summer camps
- Adaptive aquatics programs which provide specialized instruction to meet accessibility needs of persons with disabilities
- Passes offered to assist individuals who may need support to participate in drop-in programs
- E-assistant for residents experiencing any financial difficulties due to low income
- Fitness centre appropriately aligned with clients who use wheelchairs or have a support worker providing assistance
- Centre has two ice rinks and the green rinks has been designed with ground-level ice entrance and it is flush with the ice
- Centre has three swimming pools, including a relaxation pool that is heated to about 34 C, to accommodate those with any muscular or circulatory problems
- Updated pool lift to allow safer access for higher weight capacities
- Water wheelchair for clients to use between the change room and the pool
- Planning to add two new automatic door openers for access to staff area to accommodate new staff member in wheelchair
Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library
- Barrier-free accessible parking spaces
- Wider doorways and automatic door openers at both entrances
- Wide aisles between book shelves
- Accessible washrooms
- Elevator
- Reader pens
- Large-print books
- Literacy collections
- Audio books and e-audio books
- DAISY book players
Recreational trails
- Include trail amenities such as rest areas, passing areas and viewing areas
- Trail signage for wayfinding
- Appropriate length, width, steepness, cross slopes and ground surface coverage
- Electronic trail system on town website providing information about each of the trails
- Some of the trails are paved while others are granular
Outdoor play spaces
- Town has 25 parks
- Some have accessible swings which are maintained monthly
- Two playgrounds are designed to maintain compliance with the Act through the inclusion of accessible features such as sensory and active play components and consideration to clearance around play structures, running slops, cross slopes and the ground surfaces
- Town continuing to incorporate accessible features into new and upgraded playgrounds, parks and trail systems
- Accessible, natural playground was recently added to Taylor Park
- Sports courts and access ramp recently added to Lion’s Park
- Upgrades currently being considered through public feedback for Luxury Park
Outdoor paths of travel
- Consideration is always made towards curb ramps, obstacles, changes in level, ground surface, barrier free entrances and pedestrian signals
- Town staff complete urban road assessments to determine which sidewalks, roadways and curbs require rehabilitation and the town is currently implementing roadway improvements such as maintenance, minor reconstruction and surface treatment
- Ongoing sidewalk inspections are being completed for safety issues pertaining to the municipal maintenance standards
BWG Transit
- Each town bus offers accessible features such as ramps with audible and visual warning indicators, mobility aid spaces, reachable stop request buttons in the priority seating areas, and of course a visible electronic route information sign
- BWG Transit offers programs and features such as the support person pass program, Taxi-to-GO and easyPASS re-loadable fair cards
- Transit stops and shelters located to minimize walking distance and incorporate proper lighting at all stops
Taxis services
- Town has three taxi brokers, Singh Taxi, Town Taxi and BB Taxi
- BB Taxi currently the only taxi broker offering an accessible taxicab adhering to Act standards
Parking
- All site plans are reviewed to ensure compliance with town's accessible parking bylaw
- Bylaw provides standards for minimum accessible parking spaces available, the signage required and pavement markings
For more information about the town’s accessibility efforts or to provide feedback, contact Vicary at 905-775-5366, ext. 1105, or [email protected].
