Staff Report #5
February 27, 2019
To All Commissioners
Re: Commission Work Programs – 2018 (Status) and 2019 (Draft)
Recommendation
The Commission APPROVE in principle the direction of the draft 2019 Work Program as set out in Enclosure I.
Background
Enclosure II provides a final status of the 2018 Work Program. Two columns have been added to the report indicating the project status at December 31, 2018 as well as additional commentary where applicable. The majority of the programs were completed or are considered in progress/ongoing with the remainder deferred to the development of the 2019 Work Program.
The work program identifies the major activities/programs that require significant resource commitment and/or are considered critical to the development, growth and/or direction of London Transit as a business. The work program defines timelines and resources (both internal and external) for the various initiatives. Set out in Enclosure I is the 2019 Draft Work Program including only those initiatives that are mandatory or on-going in nature. Staff reports 1 through 3 dated February 27, 2019 all have the potential to significantly impact the 2019 work program, and until such time as the Commission provides direction, they cannot be incorporated/scheduled. The status of the Bus Rapid Transit project and path forward is currently unknown, and the determined direction will also have a significant influence on the 2019 Work Program.
The following provides an overview of a number of projects, either deferred from the 2018 Work Program, or new initiatives which are being considered for inclusion on the 2019 Work Program. As indicated above, a number of key outstanding decisions are required prior to determining which initiatives will be included on the final recommended Work Program for 2019. When determining the final 2019 Work Program, consideration will also need to be given to the following:
- the number of critical initiatives on the work program
- that a number of the initiatives are transformational in nature requiring the assignment of significant resources
- continued staff development and transition given ongoing organizational changes
Each of the project descriptions includes administration’s assessment of the level of LTC resources required to complete the project as well as the priority for the 2019 Work Program. Projects may be rated as a lower priority not because they are considered unimportant, but rather more appropriate for consideration on the 2020 or future Work Programs given resource limitations. Subsequent to Commission discussion and direction on the projects under consideration, the final recommended 2019 Work Program will be tabled with the Commission at its March 27, 2019 meeting.
Projects Deferred from 2018 Work Program
The following projects were included on the 2018 Work Program and were not undertaken given competing resource issues or conflicts and scheduling issues with other projects.
Identification of Stops – Visually Impaired
While not a specific regulatory requirement, LTC has, and continues to receive customer contacts with respect to making LTC bus stops more identifiable to customers with vision impairments. Given that LTC bus stop signs are located on their own post, or on other existing infrastructure, it can be difficult for a customer with a visual impairment to know if they are standing at an LTC bus stop. A preliminary review of transit system solutions in place revealed that none had proved particularly effective for various reasons and as such none were recommended for consideration. This project was included on the 2018 Program with an implementation date to be determined given the review of Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Transportation Standards was underway and it was determined this project be held in abeyance until such time as the recommended changes to the Transportation Standards were finalized, which were to occur in late 2017. The final amendments to the Transportation Standards are now not anticipated to be adopted until sometime in 2019.
| Strategic Outcome | LTC Resource Requirements | Priority for 2019 |
| Integrated, Affordable Mobility | Minimal – outsourced | High |
Assessment of Live Streaming Commission Meetings
This project involves assessing and putting in place the appropriate infrastructure to allow for the live streaming of Commission meetings. The project was deferred from the 2018 Work Program given competing priorities for the staff resources required.
| Strategic Outcome | LTC Resource Requirements | Priority for 2019 |
| Open, Transparent & Understood | Medium | Medium |
Rapid Transit Branding
The branding of London’s future Rapid Transit system has been included on the Commission’s Capital Budget Program as a placeholder for a number of years, dependent upon the progression of the Environmental Assessment (Shift). This initiative, and the ultimate results, will provide the opportunity to begin a communication strategy around the actual rapid transit system versus continuing to rely on the Shift brand, which is tied to the EA process. While LTC administration will take the lead on this initiative, civic administration will participate.
The scheduling of this initiative will be contingent on Municipal Council’s decision with respect to moving forward with the Bus Rapid Transit project.
| Strategic Outcome | LTC Resource Requirements | Priority for 2019 |
| Open, Transparent & Understood | Moderate – outsourced | TBD |
Process Review – Time Tracker– The customized software utilized for Operator payroll has been in use for 4 years and over the period, a number of adjustments with respect to staff responsibilities for various aspects of the system have been made. This process review will revisit the program and supporting processes to ensure the appropriate resources are being applied to the appropriate tasks.
| Strategic Outcome | LTC Resource Requirements | Priority for 2019 |
| Fiscal Accountability | Moderate | High |
Process Review – Organizational Impacts of Smart Card Implementation – the introduction of stored value in 2019 will result in impacts to a number of roles in the Treasury department, noting at some point in the future, paper passes and tickets will no longer be utilized. The introduction of the children’s fobs as well as the subsidized Income-Related transit pass and the rollout of POS machines to other locations will also have impacts, noting more ridership has moved to the smart card environment. This review will consider the necessary realignment of duties in the department to ensure the appropriate resources are being applied to each of the new tasks associated with the eventual move to a full smart card system.
| Strategic Outcome | LTC Resource Requirements | Priority for 2019 |
| Fiscal Accountability | Moderate | High |
Projects Carried Forward from 2018 Work Program
The following projects were included on the 2018 Work Program fit into two categories, projects that were initiated but not completed, and projects that are part of a multi-year plan with numerous elements.
Implementation of Process Review Recommendations – Standardization Kilometer Tracking & Reporting System
The goal of this process review was to identify any issues associated with the move to rely on the AVL data vs. the traditional Hubo readings for bus mileage tracking, including the impacts on various departments in terms of resource requirements (Hubo readings currently completed manually as part of the fuelling process each night) and the potential impacts on preventative maintenance programs should the two systems provide slightly different numbers.
The review was completed in 2016 with a finding that in order to proceed in a manner that would ensure consistent reporting and align with the preventative maintenance program, a system enhancement would be required for the asset management system utilized in Fleet and Facilities. In addition, an upgrade to the AVLC system was required to streamline the process for downloading the data. The upgrade in 2018 took significantly longer than planned, and as such, this project was carried forward for implementation in 2019.
| Strategic Outcome | LTC Resource Requirements | Priority for 2019 |
| Fiscal Accountability | Minimal – subsequent to system upgrade | Medium |
Mental Health Strategy Initiatives
The Mental Health Strategy was introduced in 2017, and is one that will span a number of years. In 2018, Human Resources and the LTC Wellness Committee with assistance of external resources developed a custom training program on the topic of “Mental Health Resiliency” (i.e. tips and strategies to manage mental health) tailored to address issues consistent with those experienced by the London Transit employee group. As done so in the past, this transit-specific approach will aid in the transfer of knowledge from the classroom to on-the-job situations. The curriculum focuses on the following:
- Mental Health and Wellbeing introduction, “the continuum of mental health”
- Self-awareness /understanding your mental health/self-assessment of level of mental health
- Recognizing stressors
- Resiliency
- Who do you call when it’s not OK
In addition, the training includes video-embedded portions, addressing mental health issues trending with London Transit employee groups and how best to deal with same. This training module will be rolled out in 2019.
| Strategic Outcome | LTC Resource Requirements | Priority for 2019 |
| Engaged, Diverse & Respectful Workplace | Moderate | High |
New Projects Under Consideration
The initiatives included in this section represent new projects that are under consideration for inclusion in the 2019 Work Program. Further assessment of available staff resources and possible competing projects will be undertaken prior to finalizing the list of projects to be included, noting some may be deferred for consideration on the 2020 Work Program.
Ridership Growth Strategy Initiatives
As set out in Staff Report #3, dated February 27, 2019, a number of initiatives in the Ridership Growth Strategy are anticipated to be considered for further assessment and/or implementation in 2019.
| Strategic Outcome | LTC Resource Requirements | Priority for 2019 |
| Integrated, Affordable Mobility | Moderate | High |
Five Year Service Plan – Conventional Service
As set out in Staff Report #2, dated February 27, 2019, a number of initiatives in the Five Year Service Plan for Conventional Service are anticipated to be considered for future annual service plans.
| Strategic Outcome | LTC Resource Requirements | Priority for 2019 |
| Integrated, Affordable Mobility | Moderate | High |
Strategic Assessment of Facility Needs and Path Forward
As set out in Staff Report #1, dated February 27, 2019, moving forward on the recommended path has the potential to introduce initiatives requiring significant resources to the 2019 Work Program.
| Strategic Outcome | LTC Resource Requirements | Priority for 2019 |
| Effectively Utilized Infrastructure | Moderate | TBD |
Contract Negotiations
The current collective agreement with the ATU Local 741 is set to expire on March 31, 2019. Consistent with past practice, negotiations between the parties commence in advance of the current contract expiration and can span a period of several months.
| Strategic Outcome | LTC Resource Requirements | Priority for 2019 |
| Fiscal Accountability | High | High |
Process Review of Night Shift Operations
The review is intended to assess the various tasks completed on the night shift in the Fleet and Facilities department relating to the preparation and maintenance of buses for next service day.
| Strategic Outcome | LTC Resource Requirements | Priority for 2019 |
| Integrated, Affordable Mobility | Moderate | High |
Mutual Respect in the Workplace Review
A working group will be established to review concerns from LTC employees regarding respect in the workplace relating to interactions with the public. The group will be tasked with identifying issues and trends, and recommending programs or policies with the intent to mitigate negative interactions going forward.
| Strategic Outcome | LTC Resource Requirements | Priority for 2019 |
| Engaged, Diverse & Respectful Workplace | Moderate | High |
Process Review of Operator Recruitment
Over the past several years, LTC’s annual Operator recruitment needs have grown by approximately 30%, equating to upwards of 40 new employees per year; this is attributable to attrition and growth in service. It is essential that LTC continue to maintain a generous pool of qualified applicants to select from. Human Resources and Operations will complete a review of the current job requirements, hiring process and training to ensure this pool of qualified applicants continues to meet the organization’s needs.
| Strategic Outcome | LTC Resource Requirements | Priority for 2019 |
| Engaged, Diverse & Respectful Workplace | Moderate | High |
Enclosures
II – 2018 Work Program – Status
Recommended by:
Mike Gregor, Director of Finance
Shawn Wilson, Director of Operations
Joanne Galloway, Director of Human Resources
Craig Morneau, Director of Fleet & Facilities
Katie Burns, Director of Planning
Concurred in by:
Kelly S. Paleczny, General Manager