Staff Report #1
March 17, 2026
To All Members of the Accessible Public Transit Service Advisory Committee
Re: Specialized Service Key Performance Targets 2026
Recommendation
That the Committee RECOMMEND the Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) for 2026 for the specialized service as set out below:
| Indicator | Measure |
| % of Customers Utilizing Online Portal | 20% |
| Average Wait Time on Booking Line | 3 minutes |
| Non-Accommodate Trips | 0.5% |
| Trip Cancellations | 20% |
| Trip No-Shows | 1.9% |
| Pick-ups under 30 Minutes | 99% |
| Rides under 60 Minutes | 98% |
Background
A key aspect of measuring service performance is the establishment of key performance measures and tracking actual performance against same throughout the year. Regular assessment against key measures provides the opportunity to identify issues that may be impacting service performance and implement changes to address performance that is not meeting targets. These measures are also collected on an annual basis by the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) for all transit providers in Canada, which allows for comparison between providers.
This process was placed on hold during the pandemic period given the significant shifts in the operating environment. In 2025, subsequent to the completion of the implementation of the new scheduling software, key metrics began being tracked and reported on notwithstanding no targets had been established. The remainder of this report provides context with respect to each of the performance measures, results from 2025 as applicable, and proposed targets for 2026 based on the approved budget and Voice of the Customer survey results.
Performance metrics for the specialized service are broken down into two categories, one relating to the trip request/booking process, and one relating to the trip experience. Proposed metrics for the measures in each of these categories are discussed further in the remainder of this report.
Trip Request/Booking Process
With the launch of the new booking software in 2025, customers of the specialized service now have two options for requesting trips; calling the booking line, or requesting the trip through the online portal. When a customer requests a trip through the online portal, there is no “wait time” associated with the request, rather, they receive a notification from the system once the trip has been scheduled and assigned to a vehicle. Those customers choosing to call the booking line to request a trip may be subject to a “wait time” in the queue if they call during the first hour that the booking lines are open.
The 2025 Voice of the Customer survey indicated an 88% satisfaction rate with the ease of trip booking, an increase of 22% from the 2024 result of 66% satisfaction. This improvement is directly tied to the new scheduling software and the expansion of options for trip booking. This improved rating is likely the combination of the number of customers utilizing and liking the online booking portal and the resulting decline in the number of customers relying on the booking line, which has resulted in shorter phone queues and wait times.
The Voice of the Customer survey provides some valuable insights into customer perspectives on the new system features, noting:
- 94% of customers surveyed indicated they had not signed up for access to the online customer portal. Reasons for not utilizing the new feature are broken down as:
- 71% indicating they prefer to call a booking agent
- 19% indicating they were not aware of it
- 14% indicating they don’t have access to internet/smartphone
Of the customers who indicated they were making use of the online customer portal, 92% indicated they were satisfied. In terms of the features respondents indicated liking most:
- 74% indicated the ability to make a trip request online
- 53% indicated the ability to manage their trips without calling the booking line
- 29% indicated the trip notifications
Wait Time on Booking Line
The other manner in which customers of the specialized service can book trips is via the telephone booking line. In these cases, customers speak directly with a booking agent, who will confirm whether the requested trip has been booked or placed on the waitlist, during the call. Prior to the implementation of the new scheduling software, the booking line was the only option for customers to request a trip. This placed significant pressure on the booking line each morning as customers attempted to call as soon as the booking lines opened in an effort to ensure their trip request would be accommodated. This pressure resulted in long wait times in the phone queue, and in some cases, phone queues that were at capacity resulting in customers receiving a busy signal and having to call back.
The following table provides the average wait times for the months of May through December 2025.
Booking Line Average Wait Times
| Month | Avg Wait Time |
| May | 3.8 min |
| Jun | 3.0 min |
| July | 3.4 min |
| Aug | 2.6 min |
| Sep | 2.4 min |
| Oct | 3.0 min |
| Nov | 3.0 min |
| Dec | 3.8 min |
As discussed earlier, the combination of the switch to a new scheduling system and the ability for customers to make booking requests online has reduced the number of customers calling the booking line each day, which in turn has reduced the overall wait times in the queue. However, a high percentage of respondents indicated their preference for speaking directly with a booking agent over the use of the online portal, and the goal is to provide customers with options for booking trips, not to force them into a mechanism they are not comfortable with.
The combination of the aforementioned dynamics have been considered when developing the recommended KPI’s relating to the booking process as set out below.
Non-Accommodated Trips
Non-Accommodated trips are defined as those trips that have been requested by a registrant of the service, but were unable to be accommodated given the service capacity has been reached. Tracking of this data is important as it provides valuable insight into the days of the week and times of day when demand for service is outpacing availability. This data is utilized each year when growth hours are applied to service schedules to ensure that service is being expanded where it is most in demand.
Typically this metric is measured as a percentage of the total trips provided. The non-accommodated rates over the period May through December of 2025 (once the new system had been fully implemented) are set out in the table below.
| Month | Total Non-Accommodated | % Non-Accommodated | Avg. Daily Non-Accommodated |
| May | 594 | 2.0% | 19 |
| Jun | 684 | 2.4% | 23 |
| July | 327 | 1.1% | 11 |
| Aug | 57 | 0.2% | 2 |
| Sep | 65 | 0.2% | 2 |
| Oct | 75 | 0.1% | 2 |
| Nov | 98 | 0.1% | 3 |
| Dec | 127 | 0.1% | 4 |
Recognizing that travel patterns are subject to shift, and there is a strong possibility that some trips will not be able to be accommodated on any given day, and as such, this has been considered in the development of the recommended KPI’s for 2026 as set out below.
Trip Booking Process – Recommended KPI’s for 2026
Percentage of Customers utilizing Online Portal for Booking Requests – 20%
Average Wait Time on Booking Line – 3.0 minutes
Non-Accommodated Trips – 0.5% of total booked trips
Trip Management
Trip management relates to the manner in which customers manage the trips they have booked, and included measures such as trip cancellations and trip no-shows, each of which is discussed further below.
Trip Cancellations
Given the nature of the specialized service is that trips are booked in advance, trip cancellations are inherent. While it is understandable that, in some cases, trips that have been booked need to be cancelled, it is also important to recognize that a trip that is cancelled too close to the time of travel will result as a vacancy in a schedule that may go un-used. As such, customers are encouraged to cancel any trip they no longer require with as much advance notice as possible.
With the launch of the new scheduling system, and the ability to request trips online, a trend has been identified which sees customers requesting multiple trips for the same day at slightly different times, likely in an effort to ensure that a trip is secured. In many cases all of the requested trips are scheduled, resulting in the customer cancelling all but the trip that best meets their needs. Unfortunately, this practice leads to other trip requests being initially denied due to capacity issues. In addition, the rate of cancellations for subscription trips has also climbed, noting in many cases, more trips are being cancelled than taken, which is contrary to the rationale for having a subscription trip.
The table below sets out the cancellation rates for 2025 when the new system was fully implemented. For context, in 2019, which is the last comparable period prior to the pandemic and related impacts on services, the average trip cancellation rate was 10.7%
| Month | Trip Cancellation % |
| May | 24.2% |
| Jun | 24.9% |
| July | 24.1% |
| Aug | 22.5% |
| Sep | 22.6% |
| Oct | 22.6% |
| Nov | 26.2% |
| Dec | 31.2% |
Enhanced monitoring of high cancellation rates and follow up communications with customers experiencing same, coupled with general communications to all customers reinforcing the negative impacts on the service as a whole of high cancellation rates will be implemented in 2026 in an effort to reduce the overall cancellation rate, which will, in turn, provide for greater access for the registrant base at large. It is however recognized that shifting this behavior will take time, and as such, the KPI’s need to give consideration of same.
Trip No-Shows
Trip no-shows occur when a vehicle has arrived at the designated pick-up location, waited for 5 minutes past the scheduled pick-up time, and the customer has not shown up. Each no-show results in time in the schedule that cannot be filled with another trip, as it occurs in real-time. Trips cancelled within 30 minutes of the scheduled pick-up time are also considered no-shows.
The implementation of the new scheduling system includes trip notifications, which was hoped to reduce the incidents of no-shows, as the customer is provided with multiple reminders of the trip (time of booking, the night prior, 20 minutes prior to vehicle arrival, and when the vehicle arrives). At time of report writing, approximately 98% of customers are signed up for trip notifications.
The table below sets out the no-show trip percentages for each of the months in 2025 that the new system was implemented. For context, the average no-show rate in 2019 was 1.9%, noting the previous system did not have any trip notification functionality.
| Month | Trip No-Show % |
| May | 2.1% |
| Jun | 2.7% |
| July | 2.8% |
| Aug | 2.3% |
| Sep | 2.5% |
| Oct | 2.5% |
| Nov | 2.6% |
| Dec | 2.9% |
Continued monitoring of high no-show rates and follow up communications with customers experiencing same, coupled with general communications to all customers reinforcing the negative impacts on the service as a whole of no-shows will be implemented in 2026 in an effort to reduce the overall no-show rate.
Trip Management – Recommended KPI’s for 2026
Trip Cancellations – 20%
Trip No-Shows – 1.9%
In addition, the review of the Cancellation and No-show policies will be prioritized as part of the review of specialized service policies given the potential for policy changes to improve access to service for customers and improve efficiency of the overall service.
Trip Experience
The overall experience for customers once a trip has been booked is another key element that should be measured through KPI’s. Trip experience includes total trips provided, on-time performance, length of time on vehicle, and average ride time.
Trips Provided
The targets associated with trips provided are based on the number of service hours in operation and the estimated number of trips per hour that can be provided (based on historical statistics). The following provides the budgeted trips for each month of 2026 based on the monthly scheduled service hours.
| Month | Eligible Passenger Trips | Companion Trips | Total Trips |
| Jan | 29,500 | 3,400 | 32,900 |
| Feb | 26,100 | 3,000 | 29,100 |
| Mar | 29,100 | 3,300 | 32,400 |
| Apr | 28,400 | 3,200 | 31,600 |
| May | 29,000 | 3,300 | 32,300 |
| Jun | 27,800 | 3,200 | 31,000 |
| Jul | 28,700 | 3,300 | 32,000 |
| Aug | 27,500 | 3,100 | 30,600 |
| Sep | 28,400 | 3,200 | 31,600 |
| Oct | 29,500 | 3,400 | 32,900 |
| Nov | 28,000 | 3,200 | 31,200 |
| Dec | 28,800 | 3,300 | 32,100 |
The trip provided targets are not included in the report recommendation as they are a direct result of budgeted hours included in the already approved 2026 Operating Budget.
On Time Performance
On-time performance is measured as pickups that occur within 30 minutes of the scheduled time. Of note, on-time reliability has been the highest ranked service element in each of the Voice of the Customer surveys undertaken for the specialized service. The new scheduling system includes a component that re-optimizes schedules frequently in an effort to ensure all system parameters are met, and the maximum number of trips are being accommodated.
The table below sets out the on-time performance statistics for each of the months in 2025 when the new system was fully implemented.
| Month | Pick-ups Under 30 minutes |
| May | 98.7% |
| Jun | 99.5% |
| July | 99.2% |
| Aug | 99.7% |
| Sep | 99.3% |
| Oct | 99.3% |
| Nov | 99.3% |
| Dec | 99.3% |
As the table sets out, virtually all of the trips provided under the new software have been delivered within the 30 minute timeframe. For context, the average number of monthly trips that are not provided within this timeframe is approximately seven trips per day. Given the potential for external factors to impact on-time reliability (e.g. traffic, weather, construction), a target of anything higher than what is currently occurring is not recommended.
Length of Time on Vehicle
Length of time on vehicle is measured as the time a customer spends on the vehicle for each trip. When reviewing these numbers, it is important to recognize that the trip distance plays a direct role in the length of time a customer spends on the vehicle. The specialized service serves all addresses within City of London boundaries, and as such, many trips have the potential to be lengthy. Notwithstanding these factors, the scheduling system has been configured to mitigate lengthy trips to the extent possible when assigning trips to vehicles.
The table below sets out the percentage of trips taken under one hour noting this measure is collected by CUTA and utilized when comparing services between peers.
| Month | % Trips under 60 Minutes |
| May | 98.1% |
| Jun | 98.0% |
| Jul | 97.9% |
| Aug | 98.7% |
| Sep | 98.0% |
| Oct | 98.0% |
| Nov | 98.0% |
| Dec | 98.0% |
As indicated previously, external factors have the potential to impact these measures, and as such, setting these measures significantly different from current experience would not be responsible.
Trip Experience – Recommended KPI’s for 2026
Pick-ups under 30 Minutes – 99%
Trips under 60 Minutes – 98%
Next Steps
Subsequent to the establishment of KPI’s for 2026 for the specialized service, performance against these indicators will be provided on a quarterly basis as part of the departmental quarterly updates.
Recommended by:
Brandon Goldstone, Manager of Service Integration
Shawn Wilson, Director of Operations – Specialized
Concurred in by:
Kelly S. Paleczny, General Manager