'People have a right to transit': Huron University College students hope to bridge gap between LTC and paratransit users
A group of students from Huron University College are working to bridge the gap between the London Transit Commission (LTC) and paratransit users across the region.
An event was held on Tuesday to connect paratransit users with members of London Transit for an open discussion.
"It's really exciting, it started with a group of students who came, they were given a mission to solve a few of our problems, or our issues today — paratransit being one of them — where there's a challenge with the way we use it and the service,” said Mary Bee Haworth, community leader of L'arche London.
L'Arche or 'The Ark' is an international federation of non-profit organisations working to create networks of community where people with and without intellectual disabilities live and work together.
Huron College student Noah Walker, along with some of his fellow classmates, have spent a semester working with L'arche, looking at some of the challenges they face with paratransit.
“It’s important for so many reasons, people have a right to transit,” said Walker, who hopes the discussions help find solutions to some of the existing problems with specialized transportation. "I think bringing more awareness to this issue, and understanding the impact that transit actually has on people’s lives is really important in terms of fueling potential solutions.”
Shawn Wilson, LTC's director of operations and Brandon Goldstone, manager of services, were on hand as L'arche staff and community provided input on current services.
Jackie Madden is an LTC commissioner. However, on Tuesday she spoke as a mother and long-time paratransit advocate.
She said a lot of concerns have been expressed over paratransit of the past year but she feels the LTC is making meaningful changes.
"We're going to see a lot more hours of paratransit buses on the road and I think that is ultimately key, the other thing we're going to see is the introduction of smartcard readers on the paratransit buses and that is suppose to be coming up in mid-June this year, and we're also looking forward to a new booking system that will hopefully be a more efficient system that allows people to book in a variety of ways," explained Madden, whose paraplegic son has been relying on paratransit for over a decade.
L'arche, along with the Huron College students, hope that the LTC takes the feedback and progress can be made in future policy decisions.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Family of toddler found dead at small-town Ont. daycare no closer to answers after year of investigation
A year has passed since two-year-old Vienna Irwin was found on the property of a home-based daycare in small-town Ontario, but her family says they are no closer to answers of what happened that day.
Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dead at 30
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
Humboldt Broncos crash victims and families react to decision to deport truck driver
The family of one of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018 says they are 'thankful' for a decision by a Calgary immigration board to deport the driver of the truck involved.
Fatal plane crash reported near Squamish, B.C.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has confirmed it is working with local Mounties and the BC Coroners Service after a plane crash near Squamish, B.C. Friday night.
'God forgives but we don’t': Loud outburst from stabbing victim’s family during sentencing hearing
An emotional outburst in a London, Ont. courtroom Friday disrupted the sentencing hearing of a woman who pleaded guilty for her part in the death of 29-year-old Mohammed Abdallah.
Three dead after vehicle plunged down a 100-foot embankment in Shediac, N.B.
Three people have died after a vehicle veered off the road in Shediac N.B., Friday morning.
Appeal denied for Edmonton soldier accused of trying to kill her 3 children
An Edmonton woman found guilty of trying to kill her three children has been denied an appeal.