Staff Report #2
September 15, 2026
To All Members of the Accessible Public Transit Service Advisory Committee
Re: Accessible Conventional Transit Stops
Recommendation
That the report be RECEIVED for information.
Background
As set out in Staff Report #1 dated June 9, 2026, one of the key initiatives as part of the 2026 workplan is to assess the accessibility of conventional transit bus stops and determine what modifications can be made to make them more accessible for passengers with visual impairments to use independently.
Feedback was received from the Committee with regards to the initial options under consideration to improve accessibility at the bus stops.
Following the meeting, London Transit Administration had further discussions with the CNIB and Vision Loss Rehabilitation to gather more information on what has been helpful in other jurisdictions to help improve accessibility of transit infrastructure to make navigating the areas more accessible. The main takeaway from these discussions was that consistency in the stop design and placement of bus stops amenities is the most critical component to ensuring bus stops are easily navigable for all passengers.
In order to help ensure consistency across the network, an update to the London Transit Bus Stop Standards and Technical Guidelines is currently underway. As part of this update, all stops across the network will be categorized into a hierarchy of stop classification based on location of the stop, type of routes serving the stop, ridership, etc. The classification will inform which types of amenities should be included at the stop. Regardless of stop classification all bus stops are recommended to have the following elements:
- U-channel bus stop poles- This will make identifying a bus stop easier than it currently is as all poles will be standardized as opposed to using a mixture of U-channels, hydro poles, light posts etc.
- 9 m to 14 m concrete pad connecting the curb to the sidewalk. The length of pad is determined based on the road and route classification. Nine meter pads allow for both the front and rear doors to have a hard landing surface on a 40 foot bus and 14 meter pads allow for all three doors on an articulated bus to have a hard landing surface.
- Standardized placement of bus stop amenities- a standard bus stop amenity placement guide will be recommended as part of the Bus Stop Standards and Technical Guidelines update to ensure that items such as benches, shelters, bus stop lighting etc. are placed in a consistent location at each stop.
Figure I below, provides an example of the standard design that will be strived for at locations with a grass boulevard. A 9 or 14 meter concrete pad will be installed between the curb and sidewalk. A U-channel bus stop pole will be installed on the far side of the platform approximately 0.3 m from the curb. For locations that warrant additional bus stop amenities, a bus stop amenities zone has been established locating the amenities on the nearside of the platform adjacent to the sidewalk.
Figure I
Figure II, provides an example of the standard design that will be strived for at locations where the sidewalk is adjacent to the curb and there is no grass boulevard. As there is a sidewalk to the curb, a concrete pad is not installed at the roadway in this configuration. Instead a 2.4 m pad is installed behind the sidewalk to allow additional space for mobility aides to maneuver when boarding and alighting the bus. The bus stop pole will still be placed approximately 0.3 meters from the curb and any amenities at the stop will be installed on the pad behind the sidewalk.
Figure II
Once the updated Bus Stop Guidelines are approved by the Commission, all new bus stop pad and amenity installations would follow the approved guidelines. Any existing bus stops would be upgraded either as part of the annual bus stop upgrade program or through road rehabilitation projects.
Further review is still required on some of the other proposed changes including;
- The addition of textured sleeves to the bus stop poles to make them more easily identifiable
- The introduction of Apps to aid navigation such as NaviLens
Through discussions with CNIB and Vision Loss Rehabilitation options such as colour contrast at the curbs and directional tactile plates were not recommended due to issues with snow coverage during the winter months reducing the useability of these aids. In addition these options were very expensive with limited return for making the stop more accessible. At this time, London Transit will not be exploring the implementation of these options at bus stops.
Next Steps
Administration is looking for the APTSAC Committee to provide any additional feedback on the above options for improving accessibility at bus stops. Feedback will be assessed to be included as part of the updated Bus Stop Standards and Technical Guidelines document to be presented to the Commission at the October 19, 2026 meeting.
Recommended by:
David Butler, Director of Operations – Conventional
Katie Burns, Director of Planning
Concurred in by:
Kelly S. Paleczny, General Manager