York Region transit users say Mobility Plus system is inconvenient

Richmond Hill, Maple residents latest to voice concerns with Mobility Plus

Yorkregion.com
June 27, 2018
Lisa Queen

Richmond Hill’s Rob Dollin and Maple’s Elaine Williams lean on their canes in the food court at Vaughan’s Promenade Shopping Centre, as they talk about their disappointments with York Region’s Mobility Plus transit system, during a break from their walking group.

The stroke Dollin, 71, suffered in 2003 left him with an acquired brain injury, difficulties walking, problems using his left arm and hand and a speech impairment.

The six strokes 71-year-old Williams has had since 2003 have also caused an acquired brain injury that has robbed her of peripheral vision in her left eye and her balance.

Dollin and Williams both rely on Mobility Plus, a transit system for people with disabilities run by York Region Transit (YRT).

'I want independence' but York Region Mobility Plus transit impedes her
Both are frustrated with the system, which they say has deteriorated over the last few years.

In large part, that’s because they are now forced to use YRT’s “family of services,” an umbrella of transit options including Mobility Plus, YRT, Viva Rapid Transit, community bus and Dial-a-Ride.

Rather than relying exclusively on door-to-door service, Dollin and Williams are now sometimes required to use conventional transit for part of their trips.

That’s daunting for clients who fear not getting a seat during rush hour or losing their balance if the bus lurches, Dollin said.

Williams, who constantly hears similar complaints from her peers, praised drivers who treat clients with respect.

“But dealing with YRT is a struggle to get them to understand that we are human beings who just need the help to use the system,” she said.

Both Dollin and Williams say they have missed many outings, or had them cut short, because of hardships using Mobility Plus.

For a time, Dollin quit visiting his girlfriend in Sutton, and decided to skip a March of Dimes Halloween party last year rather than struggle with transit.

For the last two years, Williams has missed the March of Dimes Christmas party in Newmarket because the thought of tackling conventional transit for hours in winter while in evening wear was overwhelming.

“They don’t realize that (outings) is what keeps us from depression, isolation and the stigma that goes with being disabled,” she said.

Former Ontario lieutenant-governor David Onley, a champion of rights for people with disabilities who is now conducting the third review of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, isn’t surprised by their complaints.

He regularly hears clients saying transit systems for people with disabilities in the Greater Toronto Area aren’t meeting their needs.

“I have come to the conclusion it is mostly an ablest society,” Onley said.

“Something has to be done to make this far more seamless and integrated than it is.”

However, Leslie Bolt, a 51-year-old Markham resident with an acquired brain injury, and Kirsten Hill, a blind 65-year-old Stouffville resident, are thrilled with Mobility Plus.

The women, members of York Region’s accessibility advisory committee, always get door-to-door service rather than YRT’s family of services.

“As our disabilities change and often increase and our needs are more demanding of our significant others, it’s just so refreshing to have independence to get out, … and Mobility Plus allows me to do that,” Bolt said at YRT’s Richmond Hill office.

Hill said Mobility Plus “changed my life,” recalling she used to be at the mercy of her husband or friends to drive her as she raised her children in Mount Albert.

With clients making more than 400,000 trips a year on Mobility Plus, manager Sharon Doyle maintains the majority of users are satisfied.

Staff work with clients to ensure they are comfortable using conventional transit if they are capable of doing so, she said.

Pushing a family of services is also better for taxpayers, Doyle said.

“Mobility Plus is a very expensive service. It costs on average about $6 for a person to take conventional transit. On Mobility Plus, about $44 is the average trip,” she said.

Viva buses are accessible, provide designated seating for people with disabilities and drivers are trained to secure passengers using wheelchairs and walkers, she said.

“We have all these accessible buses. What are they accessible for? They are accessible because the community asked for it. They said we want to be able to take spontaneous trips like everyone else,” Doyle said.

“Is it convenient all the time? No but transit isn’t that convenient to be frank.”

While Doyle called Mobility Plus is a leader in North America, she stressed that it is a transit system, not a taxi service.

Tyler Barker, chair of Aurora’s accessibility committee and the winner of a town inclusivity award, wasn’t impressed with Mobility Plus’s “restrictive” service before he stopped using the system more than two years ago.

“I know for a fact the group I was in there were people who could not go out to appointments. They get very isolated,” said Barker, a quadriplegic.