Latest news with #BradLoroff
CBC
29-05-2025
- General
- CBC
How this Thunder Bay, Ont. bus terminal is setting a new standard of accessibility
One of Thunder Bay's transit terminals is set to receive a long-overdue upgrade, one that transit officials and accessibility advocates say is as much about inclusion as it is about infrastructure. The Water Street bus terminal has long served as a key hub for city transit in the city's north core. Now, it's poised for major renovations. The project includes refurbishing the building envelope, installing electronic signage, upgrading lighting and enhancing both passenger waiting areas and driver facilities. The indoor space will be about 50 per cent larger, and a new covered canopy will offer protection for riders beyond the building itself, according to the city. The terminal upgrade is part of a broader series of transit infrastructure projects planned across Thunder Bay. It's funded in part through the federal government's Investing in Canada infrastructure program. The final contract has yet to be awarded, so the cost and timeline of the project have not been announced. The city expects construction to begin in July and wrap up by late October before winter sets in. Transit operations will temporarily move nearby during construction. While further details will be released in the coming weeks, Thunder Bay Transit Services Manager Brad Loroff said the goal is clear: to modernize the aging building with a focus on accessibility. "The terminal building is well past its service life," Loroff said, explaining that the building has seen limited improvements over the last decades. "It is tired and it is beyond its life expectancy. So it's certainly in need of building improvements, renovations and an overall refresh for people." Accessibility has been a central consideration in the redesign, not an afterthought, Loroff said, noting that it is part of the standard process for capital projects. "One key component of that is to consult and seek feedback on ways to incorporate the work so that things meet all accessibility requirements," he said More room to move independently Samantha Zrobin, chair of Thunder Bay's Accessibility Advisory Committee, said she's been impressed by the city's commitment to implementing suggestions from the committee's built environment working group. "There'll be more room for mobility devices, guide dogs and other devices that people may need to be able to access the buildings, more room to move around," she said. There will also be automatic door controls, "so people with any type of accessibility needs can access indoors and outdoors freely without having to have anyone else help them," Zrobin added. Active Commute Challenge kicking off June 1st Zrobin, who uses a mobility device, said the upgrades will have a significant impact on her daily commute, as well as that of many others in the city. "It'll just be a lot easier, like 100 per cent easier to access the buses and access everything they need to be able to travel safely and independently," she said. Zrobin hopes the Water Street terminal will serve as a blueprint for future infrastructure improvements across the city.
CBC
07-03-2025
- CBC
More safety measures coming to Thunder Bay Transit buses this year, manager says
A new report shows the overall number of safety-related incidents on Thunder Bay Transit buses have dropped over the past three years, but concerns remain, city's transit manager says. The report, which is being presented to city council for information on Monday, shows there were a total of 275 safety-related incidents and/or negative interactions, reported by transit operators in 2022. That dropped to 146 in 2023, and 128 in 2024. However the report notes, the numbers pertain to incidents that were reported by operators, and more may have gone unreported. "The data does show that while there's been progress made on reducing some negative interactions — such as things like fare disputes — things like acts of aggression, assaults, verbal altercations, negative interactions that fit into those categories remain top of mind as ongoing concerns," said Brad Loroff, city transit manager. "So we want to use Monday night as an opportunity to just talk about some of the key initiatives that we'll be focusing on throughout 2025, to seek some improvement in those areas." The report shows that in 2022, operators reported: 40 acts of aggression; 16 assaults; 47 fare disputes; 46 incidents of harassment; 80 involving intoxication, and 46 verbal altercations. Meanwhile, in 2023, operators reported: 26 acts of aggression; nine assaults; 28 fare disputes; seven incidents involving harassment; 30 incidents involving intoxication, and 46 verbal altercations. In 2024, acts of aggression rose to 38, while the number of assaults returned to 2022 levels, with 16 reported. There were only 10 fare disputes, two incidents of harassment, and 18 involving intoxication reported last year. The number of verbal altercations dropped slightly in 2024, to 44. One factor in the drop, Loroff said, is de-escalation training provided to all transit staff in 2024. "The purpose of that training is to equip frontline staff with the skill set and some of the tools they can use to help better manage passenger public interactions that have the potential to become contentious," he said. And 2025 will see more steps taken to increase safety on city transit buses, Loroff said, including more training for frontline staff. "We've made some modifications to our operations section, where we'll be able to provide better and more-enhanced dispatching for buses, as well as some on-street supervision," he said. "We're providing more dedicated support in those areas." New operator safety shields are also coming to city buses, he said; currently, buses are equipped with thin plastic shields, which were installed to project drivers during the COVID-19 pandemic. "They're being replaced with permanent, engineered safety security barriers to provide some coverage and protection around the operator's compartment," Loroff said. The report states the shields have been ordered, and are expected to be installed by the end of 2025. Fred Caputo, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 966, which represents transit staff in Thunder Bay, said the union is happy to see the new safety measures being put in place. In an email to CBC News, Caputo noted that a new fare box management system being introduced on city buses will also help, as it will "reduce fare evasion and operator passenger interaction." "As always we will continue to work with transit management to make transit safe for all users," Caputo stated. Transit tap cards now available Thunder Bay Transit also announced Wednesday the new electronic smart cards, which can be used to pay for bus fare, are now available. The reloadable card, called Lift Pass, can be loaded with day passes, 10-ride multipasses, or monthly passes, and passengers can tap the cards on the farebox to pay for their ride. However, the cards can't be used yet, as the city is launching the new system later this month. Anyone who wants to get their Lift Pass cards early can do so at the Thunder Bay Transit Office at 870 Fort William Road (the city says it will announce more locations where the cards can be purchased in the coming weeks). While it will normally cost $5 to purchase a new reloadable Lift Pass card, the city is waiving that fee until April 30 to encourage passengers to get the cards early. Cash, paper tickets, and traditional monthly passes can still be used to pay for bus fare, the city says.
