Wheel-Trans

Wheel-Trans
Parent Toronto Transit Commission
Founded 1975
Headquarters Lakeshore Bus Garage
Service area Within the City of Toronto limits and to Pearson Airport
Service type Door-to-Door Paratransit
Web site www3.ttc.ca/WheelTrans

TTC Wheel-Trans is a specialized accessible transit service provided by the Toronto Transit Commission within the City of Toronto, Canada.

Contents

History

The para-transit system was created in 1975 and operated on behalf of the TTC, Metropolitan Toronto and the province of Ontario. Service was initially contracted to All-Way Transportation Corporation of Toronto before being taken over by the TTC. Service is provided by accessible buses and contracted accessible taxi mini-vans. Wheel-Trans is a door-to-door service. Rides are reserved one day in advance, by calling the reservation line, or by using the automated Ride-Line touch-tone phone service.

Operations

Fleet

Wheel-Trans currently operate a fleet of 129 buses. With 540 wheel chair accessible buses in the regular fleet the TTC operates one the of the largest para-transit systems in North America, behind New York City's MTA Access-A-Ride with a total of 2116 buses.

Numbering of buses prior to 2010 used the same 4 digit format as the TTC regular fleet. Starting in 2010, Wheeltrans' newer buses used a numeric format starting with W and followed by three digits.

Product list and details (date information from TTC)
 Make/Model   Description   Fleet size   Year acquired   Year retired   Notes 
Dalls Smith Corporation Friendly Buses - with Ford F-450 Lo-Floor Chassis-Cab custom built wheelchair accessible vehicle 110 2009–2010 Still active; new Marketing by American Bus Products Incorporated, body by Supreme Corporation Startrans; option for 88 additional buses for deliver 2011–2014; expected to replace ELF and remaining Orion II Community buses
Overland Custom Coach ELF custom built wheelchair accessible vehicle 124 1998–2000 Still active; retirement by 2014 Retiring after Friendly Bus delivery completed and buses reach retirement
Ontario Bus Industries Orion II custom built wheelchair accessible vehicle 88 1985 1998 - all retired Buses experienced mechanical problems and was deemed too costly to fix
Ontario Bus Industries Orion II Community bus custom built wheelchair accessible vehicle 5 1987–1991 Still active; retirement by 2014 Will be retiring after Friendly Bus delivery completed and buses reach retirement
Thomas Built Buses Mighty Mites custom-built wheelchair-accessible vehicle 62 late 1970s - by contractor Allways Transportation 1985 - all retired by TTC Buses did not have regular TTC livery (cream with red and white stripe); all buses owned by contractor
Thomas Built Buses Transette custom built wheelchair accessible vehicle 5 late 1970s - by contractor Allways Transportation 1985 - all retired by TTC Buses did not have regular TTC livery (cream with red and white stripe); all buses owned by contractor
Accessobus Mark II (likely a Prevost Car H3 series suburban bus) 48 seat highgway coach-custom built wheelchair accessible vehicle 1 1986 N/A Demonstrater bus only
Dutcher Motors Corporation Para Transit Vehicle (PTV)[1] custom-built 7-passenger van based wheelchair accessible vehicle 1 1987 - demonstrator bus only N/A Dutcher Motors founded 1984 and failed to make any production PTV and later acquired by MedNet Inc of Battlefield, Michigan[2]
Chevrolet Caprice Classic wheelchair accessible station wagons 22-27 early 1980s 1989 Cars were not painted with TTC livery

Contracts

Most of Wheel-Trans operations are provided by the TTC, but some of the services are contracted out to private operators.

Able Atlantic Taxi

Make/Model Description # passengers Year acquired Year retired Notes
Chrysler Caravan Converted van 2

Bee Line Taxi

Beck Taxi

Make/Model Description # passengers Year acquired Year retired Notes
Chevrolet Uplander Converted van  ?

Celebrity Taxi/Dignity Transportation

Make/Model Description # passengers Year acquired Year retired Notes
Ford E350 minibus Converted van

Royal Taxi

Make/Model Description # passengers Year acquired Year retired Notes
Dodge Grand Caravan Sport Converted van 2
Pontiac Montana Converted van 2

Scarboro City Cab

Make/Model Description # passengers Year acquired Year retired Notes
Dodge Grand Caravan Sport Converted van 2

Toronto Para Transit

Make/Model Description # passengers Year acquired Year retired Notes
Chevrolet Venture-Kino Maxi Shuttle Converted van 2
Chrysler Caravan Converted van 2

Wheelchair Taxi

Make/Model Description # passengers Year acquired Year retired Notes
Ford E350 minibus Converted van
Chrysler Caravan Converted van 2
Chrysler Sprinter van Converted van 2

See also

References

  1. ^ http://publicdocs.lodi.gov/Docs/COUNCIL_COMM/2010/06-05-1991_07.pdf
  2. ^ http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-1995-06-19/html/95-14904.htm

External links

Buses
Blue Night Network • Fleet • Routes • Wheel-Trans • York University Busway


Subway/RT
Streetcar system
Facilities
History
Miscellaneous
Italics indicate a proposed route or project under construction