Long-Time Paratransit Rider/
Volunteer Paralegal Researcher for the Texas Civil Rights Project (2008)
Before you read the report below written by Diane Bomar Aleman, Access Advisory Committee
chair, please read the following details pertaining to the deception and falsification of facts on the
part of Capital Metro management, when they presented proposed changes to MetroAccess to the
board last fall.
Specifically, Andrea Lofee, Capital Metro management, stated to the board that a call notification
system to notify paratransit passengers that their ride would be arriving soon was already working
and would be in place when the board would approve the change to a 30-minute pickup window.
However, it is abundantly clear from the minutes of the Access Advisory Committee, November and
December 2009, that 1) no working call notification system was in place; and 2) Capital Metro
officials were quite aware that this system was not in place, and in fact, was only in the testing stage.
Furthermore, proof exists that at least one board member who voted to approve changes to the
pickup window was upset that Capital Metro slanted and manipulated the facts before the October
board vote.
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.
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.
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.
December 2009 Access Advisory Committee Minutes
In the discussion of the last Metro Mobility Working Group (MMWG) Meeting, Chair Aleman
talked about an internal Capital Metro memorandum that was brought to the meeting by Inez Evans.
The memo stated that it was Capital Metro’s wish to rapidly deal with the outstanding issues in the
MMWG, for the Group to finish its mission and to be brought to an end.
Several members of the Access Committee stated that this issue should be brought up in more detail
in the meetings of the MMWG and then the members of Access who are on the MMWG would have
to bring back any motion to conclude the MMWG back to the full Access Committee.
Capital Metro Staff Reports
Chad Ballentine gave an update on the technology tools that are being tested and rolled out by
Capital Metro to assist MetroAccess in running more smoothly. He stated that the ride notification
call software patch has still not been delivered by the company assisting in building this tool. The
pilot testing of this tool is ongoing and he said that Capital Metro would not be rolling out this tool
on a system wide basis before the testing is completed.
I am appending the text of the report that I attempted to read to the new Capital Metro Board of
Directors, yesterday, January 25, 2010. Mike Martinez, must have thought that I was striking a
nerve, because he tried to cut me off several times, and finally succeeded two paragraphs from the
end. Unfortunately, Mayor Pro Tem Martinez, who we used to hope was our friend, was nominated
by Leander Mayor John Cowman, and we know where his sentiments lie. I hope that having Mike
Martinez as chair does not steer the board into "business as usual".
-Diane
CAPITAL METRO ACCESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE BOARD REPORT 01/25/2010
My name is Diane Bomar Aleman, and I am the chair of the Access Advisory Committee. I would
like to take this opportunity to welcome all of the new Board members, and extend an invitation to
each board member to come to our meetings, which are held on the first Wednesday of the month
in the Travis County Commissioners' Courtroom located in the Ned Granger Building at 314 W. 11th
St. We meet between 5:30 and 7:30 P.M.
As I am sure you are aware, we had many people with disabilities present today. We had hoped that
they would be present to hear my remarks, but, because MetroAccess does not allow open returns
from public meetings, all of us had to schedule specific return times by 5 pm yesterday afternoon.
This is an example of how MetroAccess is not responsive to the needs of its customers.
I was unable to attend our last meeting, because my ride was scheduled for 3:30 for a 5:30 meeting
that was 9 miles from my house. I was not feeling well, and knew that I could not endure waiting
for 1 and a half hours for the meeting to begin then chair it for 2 hours. Had my ride been scheduled
for 4:30, I probably could have gone. No one should have to leave 2 hours in advance for a 2 hour
meeting. The draft minutes for our January meeting are attached to this report. Rather then reading
them, I would prefer to use my time to discuss some issues that need immediate attention, and offer
a challenge to the board.
Let me start by saying that all of us on the Access Committee are also volunteers, and, unlike CSAc,
we don't get free sandwiches or monthly passes. We want to be a part of the solution, not part of the
problem. Many of us spend several hours a day, talking with MetroAccess users, answering
questions and advocating for them in appeal hearings.
We are counting on you to be stewards of the public trust, and return Capital Metro to its investors
and consumers, namely the public who pay for its existence through sales tax and Federal taxes.
Those of us who are transit dependent are depending on you to make decisions that will enhance the
quality, quantity and efficiency of public transit in our community. We count on you to listen to the
public and direct management to fulfill its obligations to those who pay their salaries.
Although it is true that sales tax revenue is down, we want the board to be aware that the economic
downturn is being used by Capital Metro's senior management as an excuse to escalate the agenda
that was begun when there was over $200 million in the bank. Examples abound, but I will limit
them to those experienced by the disability community.
In the 2004 referendum, the public approved an expenditure of $60 million for a commuter train
between Leander and Austin. At that time, Capital Metro had over $200 million in cash reserves.
$30 million of the cost of the train was supposed to be paid for by a Federal grant. This grant was
never applied for, and though the final figure for the true cost of the train is unknown, by the public,
we know that it exceeds $120 million! Contrary to what Capital Metro senior management seem to
think, The public did not give them a blank check for a commuter train, nor did the voters agree to
have existing services reduced to pay for the train.
In 2005, the service area for STS, now called MetroAccess, consisted of all of Austin, Lago Vista,
Pflugerville, Rollingwood, Cedar Park, Leander, San Leanna,West Lake Hills, Jonestown, Manor,
Sunset valley, and the unincorporated areas of Travis County. Some of these locations had never
paid the 1% sales tax. Shortly after the commuter train was approved in the 2004 referendum, the
STS service area was decreased to locations within 3/4 mile of a bus stop, or the minimum required
by ADA. In 2007, a "director of paratransit" was hired. The change in title, though unnoticed by
most people, probably even by the Board of Directors was significant because it was management’s
attempt to change the mission of STS from providing transportation to people with disabilities
throughout the metropolitan area to one of providing service which is only parallel to the fixed-route
system. Although ADA had been in effect for over 13 years, Capital Metro did not start using
minimum ADA requirements as an excuse to reduce service until after the train referendum was
approved.
The past year offers more examples of this behavior. One year ago, when it was realized that sales
tax revenue would be significantly lower than projected, the immediate response from Capital Metro
management was how can we get more money for the train from economic stimulus funds, and also
how can we reduce the bus system and how much can we raise the fares?
In the meantime, MetroAccess has suffered tremendously. Wait times have increased because the
pickup window has doubled, people are being dropped off even earlier for appointments, being
picked up later than the 30 minute window, the fare has risen 71%, and now people who have been
dependent on the system for 20 years, are being denied re-certification. For others who are being
re-certified, there eligibility is being reduced to one of several types of conditional eligibility such
as eligibility between May and August (though we know that temperatures in Austin can reach over
90 and even 100 in other months), only being taken to a bus stop, or "trip by trip"
eligibility, which entails someone else determining if the person is able to reach their final
destination by bus or by MetroAccess. The people being denied re-certification are blind, have
severe seizure disorders, osteoarthritis preventing them from walking even a half a block, use
wheelchairs, and others that I don't even know about. Since, at least October, of 2009, appeals have
been occupying the time of 3 salaried Capital Metro employees. Most people who have their
eligibility denied, don't know what to do. The application is inaccessible to those of us who cannot
read print. Agencies who have helped people with disabilities fill out these applications, have been
filling them out the same way they always did, but, now the clients are being denied eligibility. But,
yet, the director of Paratransit insists that the people are not filling the application out correctly! The
Access Committee is told that nothing has changed, no policy has changed, the practice is the same,
but, people just aren't filling out the application correctly. We need intervention by the Board in this
matter.
The 30-minute window, which we tried to stop, has caused many more issues. In 2007, when the
new director was hired, she promised me, in a public meeting, that no expansion of the pickup
window would take place until a ride arrival notification system was in place. The pickup window
was increased in November, and we still don't have a working ride arrival notification system.
People have to wait outside, or in areas with no seating. People are being dropped off for
appointmen s, such as doctor's offices or work, as much as 2 hours before the building even opens!
When I have mentioned this to Capital Metro staff, the response is "safety is not a concern for public
transit".
In hiring a new CEO, please take this history into consideration, because this is coming from the very
top of Capital Metro. Those below are just doing their job. It is the responsibility of the board of
directors to set the direction for management, and make sure that their directives are followed. For
far too long, the tail has been wagging the dog, and management has been directing the board with
pretty slide shows and a lot of great spin. We, the public, need a board that can read between the
lines and not be swayed by pretty pictures and speeches from consultants, or an agenda that focuses
more on answering to the business community than meeting the needs of the public.
During the next month, we challenge each member of the board to put your car, and/or bike, in the
garage for one week; a full 7 days and exclusively ride the bus. It is crucial that each of you
understand what our current transit system really is. Can you get your kids to daycare, get to the
store, get to meetings, fully participate in the community on the bus? Can you endure the waiting,
the heat, the cold, the rain, etc. If not, how do you expect others to do so? A motto I try to live by
is "don't advocate for something that you cannot live with yourself."
If you take on this challenge,
take it one step farther. Each day imagine that you have a severe disability. One day imagine that
you are getting to the bus stop in a wheelchair, another imagine that you are totally blind, or partially
blind, and the different light (hazy, sun) etc., makes it difficult to see holes Imagine what it is like
to get across parking lots, cross busy streets without audible pedestrian signals, go through sand and
no sidewalks, or steep hills or stairs along the route in a wheelchair. Imagine one day that you have
severe seizures that are more likely to occur with stress or heat, and that you have one while waiting
at the bus stop. Imagine being in constant pain, and having to wait for the bus. Only by improving
the bus system for everyone, can dependence on Metro/access be reduced. Take notes, share your
experience, maybe on the Capital Metro blog, or send them to me so that we can share and learn
from all experiences. Let's work together to develop a transit system that you will use, not just when
it is convenient, but all of the time. If you cannot do this, please write down why you are unable to
do this, and share it with us.
Last summer, a board member asked Ms. Evans if MetroAccess eligibility is granted for those who
have a bus stop very close to their residence. This is typical of the thinking of someone who does
not use the system or understand the issues. Getting to a bus stop is the first step, but the destination
is the goal. If the goal cannot be accessed with the bus, then it doesn't matter how close the bus stop
is to the person's home.
Please do not let business or management distract you with stigmatized terms like "social service
agency". Capital Metro is a Public Service Agency. We need a CEO who wants to develop a world
class transit system that will maximize riders, by providing the most quantity, quality and efficiency
using all available resources. We need someone who is willing to"clean house and not continue
business as usual. We need a CEO who will really ride the bus, and doesn’t need a car allowance,
and is more interested in accomplishment than compensation. Maybe performance bonuses could
be offered for increased ridership and customer satisfaction.
I beseech you to stop the 30-minute window, require that a ride notification system be put in place,
demand that MetroAccess stop denying re-certification to those who have already proven the need
for the service in their original certification. Most of all, I beg all of you to let management, and the
public you serve, know that a new era has begun! Can we count on you to return public transit to the
public?
Thanks.
Diane Bomar Aleman
Chair of the Access Advisory Committee
and chair of the MMWG (Metro Mobility Working Group)
The Bus Riders Union - ATX
Plan for a Transit Grid System in Austin, Texas
October 2009
The Bus Riders Union-ATX endeavors to replace the current costly, outdated, and inefficient Austin transit system with a modern, fair and economical system based on a grid with IH35 and the Cesar Chavez Blvd. as its axes.
The current "hub and spoke" transit system in Austin is a vestige of a system designed during the Jim Crow era.
Over time, a cumbersome, inefficient and still essentially segregated system has evolved through a long time patchworking of the system in relation to the growth of the city. In fact, even the original "hub" in front of the Texas Capitol has been removed from the system.
A grid system better suits the modern infrastructure and social realities of today's Austin. The best examples of a grid system can be found in Portland, Oregon, and Chicago, Illinois.
Our Goals
* Racial and economic desegregation of the system
* Better efficiency
* Expanded coverage
* Financial sustainability
* Environmental sustainability
Benefits
* More understandable
* Quicker trips
* Simpler navigation which should a facilitate a)less hesitancy for first time users, b)higher tolerance for long trips, c)better opportunity for multiple stop trips, and d)closer approximation of car mobility.
* Reduced bus congestion on Congress Ave.
* Facilitates system expansion
Long term goals as a result of maximized efficiency and increased ridership
* 24 / 7 / 365 service
* Societal integration
* Reduced traffic congestion
* Increased mobility for all
* Potential for wide regional coverage
* Return Congress Avenue to a motor vehicle-free promenade as originally intended
The Grid
The north/south axis of the grid is IH35.(Route "D") This is the primary artery for Austin. The master plan for Austin for decades is predicated on growth to be guided in a north and south orientation along this interstate highway. The intent is and was to discourage growth into the environmentally sensitive ares to the west of Austin. The corridor has however lacked a bus route despite it's attractiveness. This IH35 route is the starting point for this system.
The east/west axis of the grid is along Lake Austin Blvd. and Caesar Chavez Blvd. (Route "NN") The recent conversion of Caesar Chavez Blvd. to a two-way street signals the the City of Austin's intent to emphasize this natural corridor.
Route "X" is the only diagonal route. It runs along Airport Blvd. which is an irresistible natural corridor serving Crestview Station, Meuller, the river crossing at Montopolis Dr. and ABIA.
The rest of the grid plays off these axes and the primary arteries that have developed over time. The distribution is even from north to south, and east to west.
There are 8 north/south routes, 21 east/west routes, and 1 diagonal route for a total of 30 primary grid routes.
All of the current service area is served and the straighter alignments along with reduced overlay allow for expansion to areas that are under served using the current number of revenue hours.
The grid system facilitates better and less frequent transfers and acknowledges the decentralization of modern Austin.
The Route alignments
Legend:
single letters are north/south routes
double letters are east/west routes
"X" is a northwest/southeast diagonal route
route : alignment
A : Mesa Dr. - Balcones Dr. -35th St. - Exposition Blvd.
B : Burnet Rd. - 45th St. - North Lamar Blvd. - Manchaca Rd.
C : North Lamar Blvd.- Guadalupe St. - South First St.
D : IH 35
E : Dessau Rd.- Cameron Rd. - Red River St. - South Congress Ave.
F : Pleasant Valley Rd. - Burleson Rd. - Todd Lane - Pleasant Valley Rd.
G : Springdale Rd. - 7th St. - Montopolis Dr.
H : Ed Bluestein Blvd.
____________________________________________________________________________
X : Airport Blvd. - Bastrop Hwy
____________________________________________________________________________
AA : Parmer from State farm Way to Dessau Rd.
BB : Braker Lane from 183 to Dessau Rd.
CC : Rundberg Lane- Rutland Blvd - Ferguson Lane
DD : Spicewood Springs Rd. - Anderson Lane
EE : Justin Lane - St. John's Ave.
FF : RR 2222 - US Hwy 290
GG : Hancock Dr.- North Loop Blvd. - 51st St.
HH : Perry - Lane - 45th St.
II : 35th St. - 38th St.- 38 1/2 St.
JJ : Windsor Rd. - 24th St.- Dean Keeton St. - Manor Rd. - Loyola Lane
KK : Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
LL : Enfield Rd.- 15th St. - 12thSt.
MM : 5th St./6th St. - 7th St.
NN : Lake Austin Blvd. - Cesar Chavez St.
OO : Bee Caves Rd. - Barton Springs Rd. - E. Riverside Dr.
PP : Southwest Parkway - South Lamar Blvd.-Oltorf St.
QQ : Ben White Blvd.
RR : Jones Rd. - Stassney Lane
SS : William Cannon Dr.
TT : Davis Lane - Dittmar Rd. - Foremost Dr.
UU : Slaughter Lane
The plan assumes:
An integrated system without separate Dillo, UT, or exclusive Express buses.
Maintenance and eventual expansion of current service levels, or "revenue hours."
Eventual adoption of the Bus Riders Union - ATX Fare-free proposal of April 2008 to maximize system efficiency.
Engagement of the transit authority on refinement of the plan. This includes:
a) Secondary arterial routing in the central city. Examples of this are Speedway, Rosewood Ave., and Duval Ave. These corridors are currently served and portions of the current alignments are already highly efficient.
b) Connection of routes to create "loops" for maximum efficiency.
c) Turnarounds at route endpoints.
d) Satellite routing of smaller more efficient vehicles in outlying areas.
e) A demand response system for the most outlying areas.
f) Amenities.
Conclusion
Proper implementation of this plan will further the stated mission of the Capital Metro Transportation Authority. It will improve mobility for all residents, including motorists. Through fuel savings and greater efficiency it will improve air quality and stave of EPA clean air non-attainment and the resultant penalties.
The plan removes so many inefficiencies through streamlining, straighter alignments, reduction of overlays, maximized utilization of arterial infrastructure, and structural integration of the UT Shuttle, Dillo and Express routes, that enough service, will be freed up to immediately run a 24 hour system with 10 minute frequencies on the basic grid.
The positive impact will be immediate in terms of mobility, air quality and congestion. Over time, the plan will steadily improve the quality of life for all Austin area residents.
Route Maps Here
N/S axis map (route "D")
E/W axis map (route "NN")
Turns and Mileage Here
Help Us Improve the System!
We at BRU-ATX are serious about improving the Capital Metro transit system. We are kicking off a number of campaigns to this end. Stay up to date on our efforts to make improvements and point out deficiencies. Feel free to weigh in on any issue we're tackling, such as redesigning routes or picking the worst bus stop in town.
-
Demanding Higher Services
- More wheelchair space inside bus
- Bicycles
- Moratorium on raiding of service from Eastside and other working class neighborhoods
- Proportional spending between bus and rail
- A genuine seat at the decision making table for the Bus Riders Union-ATX
Our goals include: a) Desegregation of the system; b) More east and west routing; c) 365/24/7 service; d) Better overall frequency; and e) Maximum transfer synchronization, among other issues
- New Route Ideas: Scrapping the Old System
- Name the Worst Bus Stop in Town
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Our Free and Faster Buses Proposal
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Bus Riders Union's Free and Faster Buses Proposal
-Endorse the proposal
-See other endorsements and
comments
How It Would Work
All buses, vanpools, and trains would be fare-free. Passengers would simply board without paying any fare through the front and back doors.
Fares are paid by those who need buses to get to work and home, and they are only a very small fraction of Capital Metro's budget.
Transportation costs usually cost working people the second most amount of their monthly paycheck, after housing costs.
The effects of fare-free policy would be easier access to buses, getting people out of their cars and into buses. Also, bus performance would increase because riders won't have to scrounge for change. This would reduce congestion for cars, buses, ambulances, and fire trucks too.
Free buses would also improve our decreasing air quality. Less cars means less emissions for the growing Austin area.
As bus riders, we are the true owners of the bus company in town. Taxes pay for 80% of Capital Metro's budget. Eliminating the small amount of money that fares make up would provide much, much larger benefits than just not paying for buses: buses and cars would be faster, air quality would improve, Capital Metro could cut back on unnecessary spending, and working people could get to work and home faster. It is time that we show them that we want a better bus company.
Read the Bus Riders Union's full proposal. Or contact us and we can talk to you about it.
Our meetings happen at least once each month.
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