Members Present:
- Diane Bomar-Aleman, Chair Access Committee, Member MetroAccess Subcommittee
- Dave Patterson, Vice Chair Access Committee, Chair Fixed Route Subcommittee
- Boone J. Blocker, Secretary Access Committee, Member Fixed Route Subcommittee
- Jane Lansaw, Member Fixed Route Subcommittee
- Ann Nelson, Member MetroAccess Subcommittee
- Mary Ellen Sanchez, Member MetroAccess Subcommittee
- Queen Walker, Member Fixed Route Subcommittee
- Michael Zitz-Evancih, Reserve Member, Access Associate
Members Absent
- Malcolm Graham, Chair MetroAccess Subcommittee
- Sandra Seekamp, Member Fixed Route Subcommittee
- Charles Shavers, Member MetroAccess Subcommittee
Capital Metro Staff Present
- Inez Evans, Director Paratransit
- Rafael Villarreal, Assistant Director of Paratransit
- Dianne Mendoza, Director Business and Community Relations
- Meredith Highsmith, Planning
- Chad Ballentine, Superintendent Paratransit
- Jeff Denning, Transportation/Field Supervisor
Guests Present
- Capital Metro Board Member John Langmore
- Carlos Aleman
- Weldon Kelburn
- Leona Kelburn
- Pat Bartel
- Sam Howard
Call to OrderThe meeting was called to order at 5:31 pm by Chair Diane Bomar-Aleman.
Citizen’s CommunicationCarlos Aleman restated his concern with the ongoing eligibility and recertification problems that are affecting so many MetroAccess users. He then relayed his account of a trip from the Lighthouse that occurred several weeks ago. His ride was over an hour late and he called in to MetroAccess dispatch to report the incident. When the driver finally arrived to pick him up, the driver told him that the previous client had died and that because the dead client had not called to cancel the ride, this made everyone else’s trip late.
Weldon Kelburn talked about his difficulties in getting his sister recertified with MetroAccess. When she received the denial letter, no specific reason was given for her inability to use MetroAccess services. Mr. Kelburn stated that his sister could not walk for more than ½ a block and that she is unable to stand without rapidly tiring. He expressed his frustration about not knowing what next step to take to get his sister’s MetroAccess services reinstated.
Pat Bartel spoke of his concern with changing conditions regarding the recertification of those with psychological disabilities. He also talked about the way in which Capital Metro had eliminated recertification for MetroAccess services using the traditional postcard method. He said that the federal judge who had presided over the 2008 lawsuit would find this unsatisfactory and not in compliance with the Metro Mobility Working Group (MMWG) which was setup to deal with such matters.
Sam Howard voiced his displeasure with the new 30 minute pickup window policy. He stated that the MetroAccess drivers have more rides crammed into their schedules and that as a result, some passengers were being left on the vehicles for an inordinate amount of time.
Approval of Minutes for January 6, 2010Jane Lansaw moved and Vice Chair David Patterson seconded a motion to approve the Minutes from the January 6, 2010 Access Advisory Committee Meeting. The motion passed.
AnnouncementsVice Chair Patterson reported that the next Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) Transportation Policy Board Meeting will be held at the Joe C. Thompson Conference Center in Room 2.102 on UT’s Campus on February 8, 2010 at 6:00 pm.
Access Committee ReportsVice Chair Patterson stated that the next Customer Satisfaction Advisory Committee (CSAC) Meeting would be on Wednesday, February 10, 2010 at 323 Congress at 6:00 pm. He also stated that there are currently several vacancies on CSAC and that any interested parties should apply.
Vice Chair Patterson talked briefly about the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission. While the Sunset Commission doesn’t issue any policies, they play an important role in providing recommendations for Capital Metro. They are interested in processes that improve public input. Chair Bomar-Aleman has a list of questions that was given to the Commission regarding MetroAccess and general accessibility issues involving Capital Metro.
Chair Bomar-Aleman gave a brief description of the Access Report that was presented at the January 2010 Capital Metro Board of Directors Meeting. The report talked about the history and challenges that have faced MetroAccess. Chair Bomar-Aleman also read a letter from Jeremy Mayfield, Executive Director of the Lighthouse, which talked about the organization’s concerns about recent problems with MetroAccess policies.
Secretary Boone Blocker reported on the last meeting of the Urban Transportation Commission (UTC). The commission was given a presentation by Dinita Caldwell of Capital Metro regarding the January 2010 fare increases. Several members of the public gave testimony on a possible taxi cab rate increase. In addition, City of Austin staff gave an update on the Strategic Mobility Plan (SMP).
Secretary Blocker also talked about the last meeting of the Mayor’s Committee For People With Disabilities (AMCPD). During the meeting, the AMCPD received a presentation from Texas Rowing For All, a company located on Town Lake with an adaptive rowing program for nearly all disabilities.
In the discussion of the last Metro Mobility Working Group (MMWG) Meeting, Chair Bomar-Aleman stated that Andrea Lofye, Vice President of Capital Metro, had permanently replaced Nancy Crowther in the Working Group. The Chair said that the addition of Lofye was a positive development due to Lofye’s senior management position with Capital Metro. The Group discussed the possibility of a 3rd party doing functional assessments to determine a MetroAccess applicant’s eligibility to receive services. The Group discussed the pros and cons of this proposal and more study and discussion will be needed to address this topic. The Group also talked about the urgent need to have an accessible MetroAccess application on Capital Metro’s website. The next MMWG Meeting will be February 25, 2010 at 323 Congress from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm.
During the MetroAccess Subcommittee Meeting, a resolution was passed to be read at the next MMWG Meeting. The resolution stated that the MetroAccess Subcommittee was in favor of making open returns or full-paid taxi cab vouchers available to MetroAccess users for all public meetings. The resolution’s purpose was to fully include MetroAccess users and make it easier for them to stay for an entire meeting and not have to leave at a specified time before a meeting was over.
The Fixed Route Subcommittee Meeting did not have a quorum of Access Committee members and as such a formal meeting was not held. Several of the Subcommittee members went over to the Stephen F. Austin Hotel to attend a reception for new members of the Capital Metro Board of Directors.
Capital Metro Staff ReportsMeredith Highsmith gave a presentation of Service Plan 2020 which included an overview of the project, details of the Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA) of the fixed route bus service and details of the All Systems Go portion of the project. Service Plan 2020 looks at the needs of the entire system, the addition of bus stops, the amount of transfers needed to use the system, future methods of transportation, improving service for the region, increasing ridership, alleviating traffic and preserving air quality. Perteet Incorporated has experience in doing this type of transportation system analysis and is overseeing the Service Plan 2020 project.
In 2009 Perteet conducted stakeholder meetings and a comprehensive field review which was then submitted for approval to the Capital Metro Board of Directors. The review looked at heavily used routes, UT Shuttle routes, inconsistent routes and underutilized routes. The routes were looked in terms of zones, whether the routes had anchor points, the schedule of the routes, market research of route users and traffic patterns. The findings of the field review were presented to user advisory groups and are posted on Capital Metro’s website. As a result of the field review, some routes were run with increased frequency and some routes were redirected to have better effectiveness.
Also as a result of the review, Perteet came up with recommendations for each area of Austin. East Austin routes will have better connectivity to north Austin and the area will have a cross-town route added. A few west Austin routes will be consolidated and some UT Shuttle routes that were seasonal were combined with the bi-annual regular service changes. North Austin routes will connect better with high density areas, and as stated above, a cross town route to east Austin will be added. South Austin will have some routes eliminated, although in areas like Southpark Meadows, additional routes will be created. Capital Metro is studying the feasibility of adding a new transit center in the area. The Authority is also looking into adding routes that will better service Austin Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) and the Del Valle area.
Several members of the Access Committee mentioned their concerns with the elimination of routes. If routes are eliminated or changed even in only a minor way, a current user of MetroAccess might have their service cut off. Chair Bomar-Aleman stated that if a fixed route bus has one stop moved or eliminated, a MetroAccess rider may then live outside of the ADA minimum required ¾ of a mile. She also said that other cities like Denver be studied and evaluated for their model and easy to use transportation systems.
At this point of the meeting, Capital Metro Board Member John Langmore had to depart to attend another meeting but expressed his willingness to listen to issues and pledged he would return for a future Access Advisory Committee Meeting. He stated that as a new Board Member he is using this time to learn more about the Authority’s business and to get up to speed regarding critical issues. In December of 2009 and subsequently in January of 2010, he has heard from various members of the public about several challenging MetroAccess issues. He also commented that he was a victim of a service realignment himself, but that he wouldn’t move because he loves his current neighborhood.
Inez Evans and Chad Ballentine gave a quick update on several MetroAccess technology issues. Evans stated that the Capital Metro IT Department was still working on the web comment/concern input form. Ballentine said that the Ride Notification System was still not working properly and that work was still ongoing.
Old BusinessSecretary Blocker stated that he and Vice Chair Patterson are in the process of formatting the existing bylaws into a plain text document that is easily read by text or screen readers. Secretary Blocker emphasized that no changes were being made to the content of the bylaws and that the current process was only a starting point so that all Access Committee members could address the proposed changes for themselves.
New BusinessChair Bomar-Aleman stated that Secretary Blocker had previously sent out the 2010 Access Work Plan and asked for the other Access Committee members to review and comment on the document.
Chair Bomar-Aleman again mentioned the idea of inviting MetroAccess drivers to the Access Committee Meetings to solicit their valuable input. She also stated that if drivers are listening to the radio on their vehicles, they should have the volume adjusted to where only they could hear it.
Chair Bomar-Aleman stated that she would like to see a motion come out of the MetroAccess Subcommittee which says that rides arriving more than 30 minutes early be counted in the MetroAccess on-time report data. She also mentioned that the Texas State Capital MetroAccess pickup location at 12th & Brazos was not correct because the location is actually inside the Capital Grounds and not easily accessed by the MetroAccess drivers.
Jane Lansaw stated her concern about the possibility of Capital Metro using trip or travel trainers and having them being adequately qualified to perform such a task. Chad Ballentine stated that it might be beneficial for members of the Access Committee and the staff of Capital Metro to work together to go over ADA approved travel training.
AdjournmentSecretary Blocker moved and Jane Lansaw seconded a motion to adjourn. The motion passed and the meeting was adjourned at 7:38 pm.
The next Access Advisory Committee Meeting will be held March 3, 2010 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at 314 W. 11th, the Ned Granger Building- Travis County Commissioner’s Courtroom, 1st Floor.
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