Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority 323 Congress Avenue, First Floor ACCESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES January 3, 2005
Members Present: Ron Burzese, Jerry Doran, Linda French, Julie Maloukis, Scott Meyer, and Robert Raines.
Members Absent: Randall L. Glock, Judy Watford, Shelly Brisbin, and Juan Munoz
Capital Metro Staff Present: Nancy Crowther, Denise Guerrero, Patty Guajardo and John Anciria.
Guest(s): Christine Guevara and Audley Blackburn
The meeting was called to order at 5:15PM. All decisions are voted upon and all votes are unanimous unless stated otherwise.
ANNOUNCEMENTS.
Nancy Crowther announced that several members and key Capital Metro staff were absent and explained the circumstances. She stated that Shelly Brisbin asked Julie Maloukis to chair the meeting.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
The minutes of the December 1, 2004 ACCESS Advisory Committee Meeting were approved as written.
CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.
There was none.
ALL SYSTEMS GO UPDATE.
Members of ADAPT requested a meeting with Capital Metro to discuss the accessibility of rail stations and trains. Members of ACCESS were also invited and Julie Maloukis attended the meeting on December 16, 2004. Mr. Jim Graeber, a project manager with commuter rail, fielded questions. Julie Maloukis relayed information gathered at the meeting.
- Mr. Graeber reported that Capital Metro is only considering train cars that have been a proven service records. Those under consideration are currently in service in Germany. The double doors will slide horizontally to a 53" opening. The platform to car interface will be "level loading" but the train will shift slightly over time do to engineering/physics.
- Mr. Graeber stated that he felt it would be necessary to build a "to scale mock up" of the platform to train interface and that he would invite members of ADAPT and ACCESS to "test" it out.
- Mr. Graeber stated that the platforms would be identical in signage, way finding and boarding. However, the individual stations will most likely be designed differently so that the appearance will "fit" the neighborhoods. He noted that the neighborhood to platform design would most likely vary from station to station.
- Julie Maloukis reported one concern from information gathered at the meeting. The trains will have a button of some sort next to the door. Passengers will need to push the button to open the doors. (She reported a similar concern about exiting the train cars but was not sure of the exact design.) She stated that she voiced her concern at the meeting because people with physical disabilities may not be able to push the button and people with visual disabilities may not be able to locate the button. Mr. Graeber stated that the button could be made to blink for easier location but this is still a concern.
In summary, Ms. Maloukis stated that she felt comfortable that ACCESS will be included in the design of the platforms and on the process of boarding trains. She stated that Mr. Dwight Ferrell, Capital Metro's Chief Operations Officer, had considerable experience with trains in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and that Mr. Graebner seemed well oriented toward the needs of citizens with disabilities.
SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS.
STS Subcommittee
Scott Meyer gave the report. More discussion took place about how to reduce cancellations and no shows. More discussion will be needed. It is more important for Capital Metro to have an efficient system than to cover costs for no shows. Also, any "penalty" system implemented to encourage riders to avoid no shows and cancellations would hopefully be simple to understand. The Interactive Voice Response System (IVR) is still not ready so more time is available to keep working on these issues.
Nancy Crowther mentioned that Enable America will be sponsoring a town hall meeting about ADA in Austin in March 2005. She recommended that we could use this meeting as one of our public hearings to discuss our changes to the STS policies and guidelines. ACCESS was in agreement with this recommendation.
Julie Maloukis stated that the tour was extremely helpful in providing insight into the process that STS operators must go through in order to book and/or cancel reservations. She also expressed concerns that the current software being used may not be the best or that perhaps it is being under utilized. She stated that she would like to learn more about the capabilities of the software. She also stated that it might be helpful to "script" the reservation operators' greetings and questions to make the reservation process more consistent for customers.
The IVR Project Manager is tentatively scheduled to attend the STS subcommittee meeting on January 26 do provide an update. The system has had difficult understanding various accents and continued work is needed.
The tour of the STS facility was great. It was a slow day so everyone had an opportunity to sit with operators to see what they do and the operators were able to answer questions. It was a very enlightening experience and will help ACCESS better understand how STS works.
Fixed Route ADA Subcommittee.
Nancy Crowther reported on the December meeting with Denise DuCharme, the manager of Information Technology. She reported on the 50 projects on the list, some continuing and some are new.
CHAIR REPORT.
Julie Maloukis gave the report.
Downtown Austin Alliance Meeting.
In previous ACCESS meetings, it was noted that the Downtown Austin Alliance has had some discussion about removing buses from Congress Avenue. It was decided that ACCESS would attend a DAA meeting to voice concerns. Shelly Brisbin and Julie Maloukis an informative presentation to alert Alliance members of the many inaccessible areas along the side streets (6th, 10th and Brazos) and to express concerns about the potential loss to businesses along Congress.
ANNOUNCEMENTS.
- Ron Burzese announced that he attended the Urban Transportation Committee regarding the taxi cab fare increase. He stated that it appears that taxi fares will go up and that most people present, including drivers, were in favor. Nancy Crowther stated that this will require Capital Metro to make changes to the amount they would have to pay for taxi vouchers.
- Julie Maloukis will be out of town and unable to attend the next ACCESS meeting on February 2, 2005.
- Scott Meyer asked about the $1.00 All Day Pass for fixed route services. Nancy Crowther stated that there will be a $1.00 pass. This will be in addition to all the passes and cards that already exist. This all day pass will serve to eliminate the need for passengers to get transfers if they buy the $1.00 pass.
- The "Mobility Impaired ID Card" is getting a face lift. The new card will be called the "Disability Fare Card" and it is anticipated that they will be issued as early as March 2005. They will be "smart cards" and will cost customers a little more. There will also be a change in the way they are issued, with stricter requirements and control. Temporary cards will continue to be issued but on a much more limited basis.
Any future agenda items should be submitted to Shelly Brisbin.
Next ACCESS Advisory Committee Meetings:
Wednesday, February 2, 2005 - 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 2, 2005 - 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Next Subcommittee Meetings
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
- STS - 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.
- Fixed Route - 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
- STS - 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.
- Fixed Route - 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Capital Metro and/or the chairperson will communicate any changes to upcoming meetings via e-mail.
Respectfully Submitted by: Scott Meyer, Secretary Julie Maloukis, Co-Secretary
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority
2910 East 5th Street | Austin, Texas 78702 | (512) 389-7400
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