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Capital Area Metropolitan Transit Authority
Access Advisory Committee
November 4, 2009 Minutes
314 W. 11th Street, Ned Granger Building

Members Present:


  1. Diane Bomar-Aleman, Chair Access Committee, Member MetroAccess Subcommittee
  2. Dave Patterson, Vice Chair Access Committee, Interim Chair Fixed Route Subcommitteee
  3. Boone J. Blocker, Secretary Access Committee, Member Fixed Route Subcommittee
  4. Jane Lansaw, Member Fixed Route Subcommittee
  5. Sandra Seekamp, Member Fixed Route Subcommittee
  6. Malcolm Graham, Member MetroAccess Subcommittee
  7. Ann Nelson, Member MetroAccess Subcommittee
  8. Mary Ellen Sanchez, Member MetroAccess Subcommittee
  9. Queen Walker, Member Fixed Route Subcommittee
  10. Charles Shavers, Member MetroAccess Subcommittee
  11. Michael Zitz-Evancih, Reserve Member, Access Associate

Members Absent


  1. Darcus Scott, Reserve Member, Access Associate

Capital Metro Staff Present


  1. Rafael Villarreal, Assistant Director of Paratransit
  2. Kirk Talbott, Chief Information Officer
  3. Olivia Jones, Assistant Manager of Operations for Star Tran
  4. Chad Ballentine, Superintendent Paratransit
  5. Nancy Crowther, Accessible Transportation Specialist
  6. Inez Evans, Director Paratransit
  7. Jeff Denning, Transportation/Field Supervisor

Guests Present


  1. Capital Metro Board Member Chris Riley
  2. Capital Metro Board Member Mike Manor
  3. Kenneth Martin, Texas Sunset Advisory Commission
  4. Misty Bradley
  5. Heather Albright
  6. Eric Williams
  7. Kyle Keith
  8. Carlos Aleman
  9. Robert Frank
  10. Larry Graunard
  11. Patty Timmerman
  12. Jeanine Lineback
  13. Kristy Durham
  14. Brenda Conley

Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 5:32 pm by Chair Diane Bomar-Aleman.

Citizen’s Communication
Carlos Aleman talked about the implementation of the new 30 minute pickup window policy and how he has so far been disappointed with it. He stated that he understands that the effort was to try to keep the MetroAccess vehicles moving and to assist some impatient riders. However, he stated that more rides are being packed in the same schedule which has led to, among other things, some clients being late to their appointments. He hopes the policy is rescinded and asked that when decision makers are debating new policies they put themselves in the position of an elderly family member or a disabled passenger who uses the system.

Misty Bradley spoke of the start of the new 30 minute pickup window policy and how it is sometimes difficult to adhere to the policy with a two year old child. Sometimes her daughter is not ready and it is hard to wait in the same place for 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after the scheduled ride. She also talked about her displeasure with arriving to an appointment too early and having to wait outside before the business or destination is open. She relayed that due to a cut to the ADA MetroAccess Service Area she is now dropped off at an IHOP on I35 and forced to walk from the location to her daughter’s school with her daughter in tow.

Eric Williams also spoke of his displeasure with the new 30 minute pickup window policy and his opinion that the new change is one-sided. Now, instead of having to be ready five minutes before his scheduled ride, he is required to be ready 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after his scheduled ride which he finds unacceptable.

Malcolm Graham spoke on behalf of Mark Noble who was one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit which led to the Metro Mobility Working Group (MMWG). He stated that he believes when the Capital Metro Board voted for the recent changes to MetroAccess policies they were given faulty information to justify the policy changes. Specifically, the Capital Metro staff stated that the pre-ride call notification system had been thoroughly tested when in fact it hadn’t been.

Secretary Boone Blocker read a letter from Mary Agnes-Kunz, another signatory to the MMWG, about her discomfort with the new 30 minute pickup window policy. She has five small children and is finding it more and more difficult to get the children to their necessary appointments. In addition, the new 30 minute pickup window policy is making it harder for her husband to get to and from his place of employment. When making a recent trip a reservationist told her “that Capital Metro was not there for her convenience and if transportation were that important to her, as much as she uses the MetroAccess services, she would arrange her schedule accordingly.” Agnes-Kunz expressed her extreme displeasure with this statement and asked that her subsequent letter be read at the meeting. The full text of her letter can be obtained by contacting Secretary Blocker.

Robert Frank also stated his displeasure with the new 30 minute pickup window policy, and while he found Malcolm Graham’s words reassuring, he still wishes that the policy will be reversed.

Sandy Seekamp spoke of her role in helping the residents of her apartment complex, which houses a large number of senior citizens, fill out their applications to receive MetroAccess services. She stated her displeasure of hearing from fellow MetroAccess clients that being blind would no longer be considered a disability worthy enough for one to be approved for services. She also talked about the limitations of the wheelchair spaces (two) on fixed-route buses. While able bodied passengers can stand when riding the buses, if the two wheelchair spaces are full, persons in wheelchairs cannot board and have to wait for the next bus.

Vice Chair David Patterson talked about the importance of putting complaints in writing and going through the formal Capital Metro procedure to receive a Customer Complaint Reference (CCR) number. This way the complaint can be properly followed up on by Capital Metro and members of the Access Advisory Committee. While it might take the person a little extra time to accomplish this, it’s vitally important to go through the proper channels so the item may be included in examining possible problem trends with MetroAccess and other Capital Metro services.

Jane Lansaw of the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) spoke of issues with MetroAccess services and their relation to fixed-route bus issues. She stated that when increased ridership on a fixed-route bus route occurs it is followed by providing more service and more buses for these routes. However, when increased ridership on MetroAccess vehicles happens, it is instead met by Capital Metro trying to decrease the ridership and reduce services. She asked that Capital Metro examine the disparity and to reassess the priorities of the Authority.

Approval of Minutes for October 7, 2009
Secretary Blocker moved and Malcolm Graham seconded that the minutes from the October 7, 2009 Access Advisory Committee Meeting be approved. The motion passed.

Announcements
Vice Chair Patterson announced that the next Access Subcommittee Meeting is scheduled for November 25, 2009, which is the day before Thanksgiving. In order to accommodate the holiday and to have both the fixed-route and the MetroAccess/STS Subcommittee Meeting before the next MMWG session, he suggested that the Access Subcommittee Meeting be moved to November, 17 2009 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. He offered a motion to change the meeting date, a vote was taken, no objections were raised, and the motion passed.

Access Committee Reports
Vice Chair Patterson reported that the last Customer Satisfaction Advisory Committee (CSAC) Meeting did not have a quorum and as such, no meeting was held. The next meeting will be held next week at City Hall in the Staff Bullpen Room.

Capital Metro Staff Reports
Kirk Talbott, Chief Information Officer of Capital Metro gave a detailed presentation on existing technology fixes and the new technology rollout for the November 1, 2009 policy changes to MetroAccess services. The presentation covered the ride call notification system, the Interactive Voice Response System (IVR), web based reservations and cancellations, changes to the Capital Metro website and the list of pickup and drop off locations for MetroAccess vehicles. First, he apologized for giving the Capital Metro Board incorrect information when he stated that only 30% of MetroAccess users had cell phones at the October 29, 2009 Board Meeting. Since the application form for MetroAccess doesn’t specifically ask for the user’s cellphone, this statistic was misleading. There are three levels of testing the ride call notification system and Capital Metro is currently in the second level of the testing. Members of the Access Advisory Committee were under the impression that the notification system would be rolled out at the same time as the implementation of the 30 minute pickup window and expressed their displeasure that the notification system was still not working.

He reported that the IVR is still not working correctly and while the new vendors brought in to help address flaws with the system were still committed to fixing it, Capital Metro has not ruled out junking the system and creating a new IVR system in house.

Chad Ballentine talked about the 165 documented drop off and pickup locations and Capital Metro is in the process of formally documenting the conditions of each location. There are levels of priority given to each location which among other things include vehicle safety. Several Access Committee members have taken part in these evaluations and reported on the seating and safety features at the locations.

There have been several modifications made to the Capital Metro website and Chair Bomar-Aleman is going to the Capital Metro Building at 2910 E. 5th Street to review the changes with Metro personnel. Reservations for MetroAccess trips can now be made online, but they have to be made by 2:00 pm for next day trips so a Capital Metro employee can take the information and input the trip requests into the scheduling system.

Old Business
There was no old business discussed.

New Business
There was no new business discussed.

Adjournment
Vice Chair Patterson moved and Sandy Seekamp seconded a motion to adjourn. The motion passed and the meeting was adjourned at 7:37 pm.

The next Access Advisory Committee Meeting will be held December 2, 2009 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at the 314 W. 11th, Ned Granger Travis County Commissioner’s Courthouse Building.


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