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CAPITAL METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY
2910 EAST FIFTH STREET
AUSTIN, TEXAS 78702
512/389-7400

ACCESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

BY-LAWS
Adopted April 2004, Revised February 2006

Purpose
The purpose of the Capital Metro Access Advisory Committee is to: 1) promote successful implementation by Capital Metro of the transportation provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and related federal and state legislation or regulations, and 2) to pursue full access to Capital Metro services for disabled citizens of the authority's service area. The Committee reviews and responds to issues pertaining to access and the implementation of the ADA and other federal and state legislation, and facilitates information sharing on topics of interest to the Membership (e.g., special technical or policy-related issues). It makes recommendations for improving accessible public transportation, and monitors and reports to staff on issues involving the implementation of the ADA that affect Capital Metro and the transit industry. The Committee also promotes cooperation between the disability community and transportation industry.

Section I Membership of the Committee
The Capital Metro Access Advisory Committee shall consist of ten (10) people who represent the concerns of persons with a diverse range of disabilities. The Capital Metro Board of Directors appoints the Committee's Members. All Members serve on a volunteer basis. At least fifty (50) percent plus one (i.e. 6) of the Members shall be persons who have a disability. In selecting Members, priority will be given to transit users.

Each Member shall serve a two (2)-year term, with a maximum of two (2) terms. The term shall begin on the first day of October, the first month of Capital Metro's fiscal year, and shall end 24 months later, on the last day of September. A Member who elects to serve a second term on the Committee may do so by submitting a letter of intent to the Chair of the Access Advisory Committee by August 31 of the year in which the Member's term is due to end. A Member who wishes to leave the Committee before the expiration of his or her term shall submit a letter of resignation via the Chair of the Access Advisory Committee to the Board of Directors of Capital Metro.

Half of the Committee's Membership (five Members) shall be appointed during the month of September of each year for a 24-month term of service beginning on October 1 of that year. This will create a staggered system of member terms, which will provide for both continuity of Membership and annual opportunities to add new perspectives to the Committee.

Application for Membership
An individual may apply for Membership on the Access Advisory Committee by submitting an application to the Capital Metro staff liaison. Membership applications shall be available from the Staff Liaison when there is a vacancy on the Committee. All communication concerning the application process will be provided in an accessible format upon request. A nominating committee shall be comprised of the following: a past Chair of the Access Advisory Committee, the current Chair of the Access Advisory Committee, and a current Member elected by the Access Advisory Committee. The Staff Liaison will facilitate the process. The nominating Committee will present its recommendations to the Capital Metro Board of Directors. The board will make final selections.

Section II Proxies and Attendance at Meetings
Each Member of the Committee is expected to attend every regularly scheduled meeting of the Access Advisory Committee. Members are expected to arrive promptly, prior to the beginning of the meeting and to remain throughout the entire meeting. A Member arriving more than 15 minutes after the meeting starts shall be considered absent. Regular attendance is also expected at Subcommittee meetings. Members must inform the Committee Chair and/or the Staff Liaison prior to any planned absence. The Chair of the Committee shall grant the Member an excused absence in the event of illness, urgent personal business, or other critical need.

Each Member may appoint one proxy to attend and vote on the Member's behalf when the Member must be absent. The Member must notify the Chair and/or the Staff Liaison of the proxy via personal contact or in writing.

If a Member misses three (3) or more regularly scheduled meetings of the Access Advisory Committee in a single fiscal year, beginning on October 1 and ending on September 30, without an excused absence, the Member shall be removed from the Committee. The Chair will direct the Staff Liaison to make notification of removal in an appropriate accessible format. A Committee Member may be granted a two (2) month leave of absence due to work, school, or family commitments if he or she submits a letter to the Chair of the Committee prior to the proposed leave of absence. The Member requesting leave shall appoint a proxy to serve during the absence. The Member's proxy shall vote during the leave of absence. No Member may take more than two (2) leaves of absence during a single term.

If a Member chooses to leave the Access Advisory Committee before the end of the term, the Membership of the Committee shall be diminished by one for quorum purposes until the Capital Metro Board of Directors appoints a replacement.

Section III Meetings
Access Advisory Committee meetings will be convened on at least a quarterly basis. Additional meetings may be scheduled at the discretion of the Chair and/or Members of the Committee.

All Access Advisory Committee meetings will be held in designated Capital Metro facilities or in other ADA accessible public venues. All Access Advisory Meetings are open to the public. Materials shall be provided in appropriate accessible formats whenever possible to facilitate communication during the meetings. Reasonable requests for accommodation must be submitted to the Staff Liaison at least five (5) business days prior to a scheduled meeting.

The Chair of the Committee shall conduct meetings according to Robert's Rules of Order. Meeting agendas and minutes of the previous meeting shall be provided to Members and posted on the Capital Metro Web site prior to each meeting. Each regular meeting of the Committee will include an opportunity for Citizen Communication to the Committee. If a citizen wishes to be included on the Citizen Communication agenda, he or she must sign up to speak in accordance with the Access Advisory Committee's published Citizen Communication procedures.

Agendas and meeting notices must be posted five (5) days prior to the meeting date. Regular meeting agendas will typically include Subcommittee reports, staff updates, community events, and action items developed by the Committee. Other topics may be added, based on the Committee's needs. Each Member is responsible for assisting the Chair in the development of meeting agendas.

Section IV Voting
The Access Advisory Committee may only meet and vote when a quorum is present. (A quorum is defined as a majority of current Membership of the Committee.) The Chair shall only vote to break a tie. If a Member has designated a proxy, the proxy may vote in place of that absent Member.

Quorum rules apply to standing Subcommittees. (A quorum is defined as a majority of the current Membership of the Subcommittee.)

Section V Officers
The following officers shall be elected during the November meeting of the Access Advisory Committee:

  • Access Advisory Committee Chair
  • Access Advisory Committee Vice Chair
  • Access Advisory Committee Secretary

Officers shall serve a term beginning after the conclusion of the November meeting and ending 24 months later, on October 31. The election to a Committee Officer position will not serve to extend a Member's term of service on the Access Advisory Committee.

Officers shall be elected by the Access Advisory Committee using the following criteria:

  • The Chair shall be a person with a disability.
  • Officers shall commit to serving for at least twelve (12) months.
  • Officers shall be active Members of the Access Advisory Committee.

Duties of Committee Officers

  • The Chair of the Access Advisory Committee shall conduct all Committee meetings. The Chair shall approve meeting agendas prior to public posting. The Chair shall assure representation of the Access Advisory Committee at all meetings of the Capital Metro Board of Directors and at other public functions.
  • The Vice Chair shall fulfill the duties of the Chair when the Chair is absent.
  • The Secretary shall take attendance at each meeting, record minutes, and work with the Staff Liaison to coordinate communication. The Secretary shall present minutes of the previous meeting for approval at each regularly scheduled Committee meeting.

Section VI. Subcommittees and Meeting Schedules
Each Member of the Committee shall serve on one (1) Standing Subcommittee. The Chair of the Access Advisory Committee will appoint Members to serve on the Standing Subcommittees.

The Access Advisory Committee will have two Standing Subcommittees: the Special Transit Service (STS) Operations and ADA Paratransit Compliance Subcommittee and the Fixed Route Subcommittee.

  • The Special Transit Service (STS) Operations and ADA Paratransit Compliance Subcommittee shall review and address policies and procedures used by STS to provide transportation service in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Paratransit regulations. It shall address the unique needs of citizens with disabilities and senior citizen who, because of their disability, cannot use Capital Metro's accessible fixed route services on a regular basis. It shall provide recommendations for budget and operational improvements.
  • The Fixed Route Subcommittee shall review and address policies and procedures of Capital Metro's Fixed Route Operations to provide accessible fixed route service in compliance with the ADA. Accessible fixed route issues include, but are not limited to: operator training, vehicle designs, sidewalk programs, technology, safety, passenger training programs, customer service, vehicle maintenance, and contract services, and provides recommendations for budget and operational improvements.

Members of a Standing Subcommittees will elect the Chair of the Subcommittee. Subcommittee Chairs shall conduct Subcommittee meetings. Formal recommendations and resolutions shall be developed at the Subcommittee level and presented to the Committee as a whole. Subcommittee Chairs shall work closely with the Chair of the Access Advisory Committee and shall provide the Committee with regular reports.

The Access Advisory Committee Chair shall appoint Members to serve on an Ad Hoc Subcommittee, as he/she deems necessary or at the request of Committee Members. The Chair shall appoint a Member to serve a Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee.

Section VII Relationship with other Capital Metro Advisory Committees
The Capital Metro Board of Directors is served by a number of advisory Committees. All meetings of these Committees shall be open to the public and advertised on the Capital Metro Web site. Members of the Access Advisory Committee are encouraged to attend the meetings of other advisory bodies in order to interact with and gain perspectives from other community Members.

VIII Amendment to By-Laws
Recommendations for amendments to the Access Advisory Committee by-laws may be submitted to the Committee Chair at any time. The Chair shall distribute copies of such request to the Vice Chair and Secretary. The Chair may choose to appoint a By-law Review Subcommittee to consider requests for major amendments and consider them for possible adoption. Requests for minor amendments shall be presented to the Committee for possible adoption on an annual basis or as necessary.

The by-laws may be amended by majority vote of the Access Advisory Committee. The Access Committee's by-laws as adopted and amended must be consistent with the mission statement of the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Revised, February 2006


line seperatorCapital Metropolitan Transportation Authority
2910 East 5th Street | Austin, Texas 78702 | (512) 389-7400
Specific Route Information | (512) 474-1200