10
Park Plaza, Suite 2150, Boston, MA. 02116-3968
Voice:
617-973-7100, Fax: 617-973-8855, TDD: 671-973-7089, E-mail: AACT@ctps.org
AACT
Meeting Minutes
Wednesday,
August 22, 2012
The
AACT Executive Board meeting will meet from 10:00 AM to Noon and the Membership
meeting will meet from 1:00 PM to 3 PM on the fourth Wednesday of the month
except when noted.
AACT
has a page on the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization’s website at
www.bostonmpo.org; click on AACT.
Links can be found there for the following items: agendas, upcoming meetings,
past meeting minutes, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the MBTA
and AACT, and the AACT bylaws, the AACT brochure, and ADA regulations. There
are also links to the MPO’s newsletter, TRANSreport, the MBTA’s Office for Transportation Access, and the AACT
Coordinator.
Comments
and questions concerning AACT should be directed to the Acting Interim Chairman
James White by contacting the AACT Coordinator, Ms. Janie Guion, at
617-973-7507 (voice); 617-973-7089 (TTY); 617-973-8855 (fax); or at AACT@ctps.org (email).
The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning
Organization (MPO) meetings are conducted in accessible locations, and
materials can be provided in accessible formats and in languages other than
English. If you would like accessibility or language accommodation, please
contact the MPO at 617-973-7100 (voice), 617-973-8855 (fax), 617-973-7089
(TTY), or publicinformation@bostonmpo.org (email).
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MPO fully complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related
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income, religious creed, ancestry, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation,
gender identity or expression, or military service. Any person who believes
herself/himself or any specific class of persons has been subjected to
discrimination prohibited by Title VI or related statutes or regulations may
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MPO. A complaint must be filed no later than 180 calendar days after the date
on which the person believes the discrimination occurred.
Members
needing service information or wanting to inquire about MBTA services should do
so through the MBTA Marketing and Communications Department at 617-222-3200 or 800-392-6100, TTY 617-222-5146,
Monday through Friday 6:30 AM to 8:00 PM and Sat/Sun from 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM, or the MBTA
website at www.mbta.com/customer_support/feedback/.
Please
sign in at all meetings.
Announcements
are always welcome. Please be prepared to give as many details as possible:
date, time, location, contact person, and phone number. A written notice is
appreciated.
Ian
Perrault, James White, Bob Carr, Tyler Terrasi, Rick Morin, Angela Manerson,
Beverly Ann Rock, Mary Ann Murray, Nancy Miller, Donnie Summerfield, Merrian
Williams, Jonathan Gale, Dianne Sisco, Sharon Harrison, Nancy Murray, Reginald
Clark, Allen Karon, and Ellen Frith
Daniel Amstutz and Janie Guion
Erik
Scheier, Frank Oglesby, Mike Festa, Mike Hulak, Carol Joyce-Harrington, and Tim
Davis
Kevin McDonald – Veterans
Transportation, LLC
Jackie
Dunlop – Greater Lynn Senior Services
Claire
DiPillo and Phil McGuire – The Joint Venture of Thompson Transit and YCN, LLC
Marilyn
Cole – Innovative Paradigms
Myra
Berloff – Massachusetts Office on Disability
Ann
Hartstein - Executive Office of Elderly Affairs
Interim Chairman James White called the
meeting to order at 1:05 PM
Members,
friends and guests introduced themselves
Interim Chairman (IC) White reported:
Mike Lambert, Special Assistant to the
Acting General Manager Davis, is organizing a roundtable date to discuss the
implementation of THE RIDE In-Person Assessment Program. He stated that the
participants will come from the disability community and other organizations.
He thanked Board Member Rick Morin for
representing him (IC White) at the MBTA Board of Directors where he spoke on
his behalf about how the fare increase is negatively impacting daily
subscribers of THE RIDE.
He also emphasized that there will be
an impact study of the fare increase which is being done by a number of
agencies. He stated that when the study is completed he will pass on the
information.
He discussed the issue of the vendors’
performance and penalty assessment in THE RIDE 2009-2014 contract that they are
required to comply with.
He
then asked for questions. There were none.
Meeting
Minutes for AACT on July 25th were presented and approved with one
abstention.
Correction to
the July 25 minutes: This question was mistakenly not reported.
K. Piccard asked for the
treasurer’s report.
IC White incorrectly
reported that there is $1,995. 95 in the account. The correct amount is $1,997.52.
Erik Scheier, MBTA Project Manager for the Bus Stop
Improvement Project.
He
stated the following:
The MBTA began the Bus Stop
Improvement Project three to four years ago after receiving federal funds to
improve the bus stops and bus corridors on key routes.
The program goals are:
(1) To make
service more reliable and eliminate the problem of buses bunching together
(2) To make routes
more accessible for persons with disabilities and elderly/senior riders
(3) To improve and
create more amenities such as trash bins, signage and shelters
They have encountered many challenges:
(1) Many stops
have obstructions such as guard rails and newspaper boxes
(2) Sidewalks are uneven
(3) Signs must be
redesigned for ADA Compliance
-contrast
must be increased
-size
of the sign is a consideration
-the
letters may be too small
-space
limitations
(4) Not all stops can
be updated
(5) Determining
the greatest need
He
also discussed the following:
· The MBTA received ten million dollars to
implement the improvements
· Public
meetings have been held
· There are one
hundred eighty bus routes in the system
· Fifteen key
routes have been identified as high ridership with frequent service
· Eight hundred
stops have been reviewed
· The MBTA is proposing
the elimination of twenty-five percent or two hundred of the bus stops
· Construction
will begin in the fall with routes #23 and #39
· Project
completion is targeted for 2013
He
then asked for questions.
D. Summerfield thanked the
MBTA for securing funds for this project. He gave notice that according to the
settlement agreement of Boston Center for
Independent Living (BCIL) vs. the MBTA all bus stops are to be made
accessible. He stated that he has notified System-Wide Accessibility and
Customer Service on numerous occasions that Route #71 is inaccessible.
E. Scheier stated that
Route #71 is a key route in the program and will be made accessible.
IC
White commented on the photos of the Fourth
Avenue site which showed parking spaces that they would like to eliminate but
would be a problem with business owners. In Cambridge and Somerville they have
extended the sidewalk which is useful for everyone. This way, the businesses
will not lose any parking spaces.
R. Clark commented that being visually impaired
he finds it difficult to maneuver after getting off at a stop and there are so
many obstacles in the path-of-travel.
E.
Scheier
stated that fixing that is part of the
project.
N.
Miller asked if the MBTA would have dedicated
lanes as in other cities.
E.
Scheier stated that dedicated lanes are used
for the Silver Line. There is no space for dedicated lanes in many of the other
areas.
A.
Karon stated that he travels by fixed route
on occasion and finds that bus stops are not near commuter rail stations such
as the Fairmont Station. He would like to see bus stops closer to the stations.
E.
Scheier stated that they would be looking at
making stops more convenient.
R. Morin asked how many bus stops would be eliminated.
E.
Scheier stated that it would be twenty-five
percent or two-hundred out of eight-hundred stops.
B.A. Rock commented that she is annoyed when she
sees her bus waiting at Ashmont Station and the path-of-travel is inaccessible
to reach the bus and it leaves before you can get to it.
E. Scheier
commented that he is
aware of that station’s situation. He stated that public safety is a priority.
J.
Gale asked how curb cuts would be addressed
to make sure they are accessible at bus stops. He also wanted to know if the
accessible curb cuts would be on the MBTA website.
E. Scheier commented that when work on the bus
stops is completed there will be a level landing pad at the front and rear
doors for the bus to deploy the wheelchair ramp. He stated that they are making
sure that any stop they are altering will be level when they are completed. All
stops will be accessible, even though the ADA does not require that every stop
be accessible.
R. Clark requested that he have the presenters’
information on audio tape.
L.
Haile stated yes it is available.
D.
Summerfield asked for better training of operators
who start up before passengers are secure in their seat. It is especially
necessary for people who are disabled.
E.
Scheier
recommended that passengers take down
the bus number (time is not necessary) and stop location to report the
information to Customer Service so that the MBTA can take action. Operators are
required to wait.
IC White thanked Mr. Scheier for his presentation.
Larry
Haile, SWA Corrdinator, presented and distributed his report.
He thanked the members of AACT for attending
the countdown at South Station and giving their meaningful feedback.
J. Gale
asked for a one-minute overview of the new countdown system for commuter rail.
L. Haile stated that the MBTA unveiled
the new count-down system last Wednesday. The system features a display board
which reports a train’s destination and the amount of time until its arrival in
the station. He stated that the display screens in the station have been
modified and that the audio function will differ a little from the video. He
was pleased with the feedback.
IC White asked for an update on the arrival of the new
Assistant General Manager for System-Wide Accessibility.
L. Haile stated he did not have any
information but says that Ms. Marie Trottier is still undergoing a background check.
D.
Summerfield
stated the announcement of the MBTA “train arriving” in increments of every
five minutes does not comply with the BCIL
settlement agreement. The settlement states that all trains will be announced.
L.
Haile stated that train
announcements are set within five minute increments due to the frequency from
the lobby of other announcements.
E. Frith identified the following problems at Porter Square:
the elevator and signage illumination are no active. She also stated that operators lack the
necessary training for proper scooter securement and that operators are not
wearing seatbelts. She also noted issues with the bus stop at Assembly Square
Mall. The curb cut is located awkwardly and she took a tumble.
L. Haile reported that the elevators at Porter Square are
still under construction; they will be back in service tentatively in
winter/spring 2013. He recommended that she report all other issues as well as
the training concerns to Customer Service.
He
then asked for questions.
Frank
Oglesby, MBTA Deputy Director of Paratransit Operations – OTA, THE RIDE
Mr.
Oglesby distributed the July 2012 reports for THE RIDE and stated the
following:
He
announced that the MBTA Charlie Card Store opened on August 13 at Downtown
Crossing.
He
also reported that a van from Veterans Transportation was in an accident
involving a motorcycle. It collided with the van and resulted in a fatality. No
passengers were aboard the vehicle. The driver of THE RIDE vehicle was not
injured but went to the hospital for stress-related treatment.
He
then asked for questions.
IC White asked
for the address to mail checks to THE RIDE.
C. Harrington
stated that checks should have their THE RIDE rider’s ID number listed and be
addressed to:
MBTA
Office
for Transportation Access
10
Park Plaza, Suite 5000
Boston, MA 02116
IC
White
asked what would happen if the number of THE RIDE subscribers continues to
drop.
F. Oglesby
stated that they would continue to provide THE RIDE service.
J. Gale
commented on the decrease in ridership for all vendors. He mentioned that
drivers are having their hours cut as a result of the decrease in ridership. He
wanted to know if the group was aware that owners may be cutting back on driver
wages and also asked about how the vendors were compensated for their service.
M. Hulak
stated that the vendors are paid on a per trip basis and there is also an
administration overhead fee. If ridership is falling, so is their payment.
Kevin
MacDonald, Project Manager, distributed his report and announced VTS’s Passenger Assistance Training (P.A.T.)
classes schedule.
He also gave a more detailed description of the
motorcycle accident that occurred earlier in the month.
He
then asked for questions. There were none.
IC White thanked Mr. MacDonald for his report.
Jackie Dunlop, Director of Transportation, distributed her report and announced
GLSS’s P.A.T. classes and
stated that the schedule is included in the handout.
She
then asked for questions.
B. Carr asked about the location
of the training.
J. Dunlop stated the training is in
their Lynn location.
IC
White thanked Ms. Dunlop for her report.
Claire DiPillo, Manager for the Joint Venture, distributed her report and reported
that the JV would not be having P.A.T.
classes at this time.
She
then asked for questions. There were
none.
IC
White thanked Ms. DiPillo for her report.
Myra
Berloff, Director of the Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD), and Ann
Hartstein, Secretary of the Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA), requested
a meeting with the AACT membership on Tuesday, August 21 to discuss their role
as Co-Chairs to conduct a study of the impact of the fare increase on
persons with disabilities and the elderly.
In June the legislature passed the transportation bill to provide
additional funding to the MBTA; it included a section that charged the EOEA and
MOD to conduct this study.
The
study will focus on the impact of the MBTA fare increase on riders’ finances,
employment and the quality of life. The
deadline for getting the study completed is January 1st, 2013. They are looking not only at how to best
accomplish this study in a short period of time but also to have it make a real
impact in terms of reflecting what is happening for people since the fare
increase on July 1st.
The
Co-Chairs stated that legislation requires that they work together with the
MBTA to provide the data needed to develop the study. The Co-Chairs stated that
the MBTA staff has been very helpful in getting information to them.
The
Co-Chairs would like to know how this is impacting people’s lives. They are
asking the MBTA to select a sample of customers from the following programs:
THE RIDE, the Transportation Access Pass and the Senior Pass so that they can
get a wide variety of people to participate in the survey. They are looking to
have an on-line or mail survey that people can respond to.
The
MBTA staff will be in charge of the mailing due to privacy concerns.
She
urged the membership to participate if they are one of the members chosen and
to remind others that if they receive a survey they should respond and return
it immediately.
Ms.
Berloff stated to the membership that she and Ms. Hartstein cared about how the
fare increase is impacting everyone. She made a strong appeal that it is very
important that they get the hard data showing whether it is meeting their
expectations or not. It is very important that if you do receive a survey you
respond and return it. They can only know what is happening with your help.
They then took
questions from the membership.
B.
Rock suggested that while they are considering the random
sample of users from THE RIDE, Transportation Access Pass (TAP) and Senior Pass
Programs, they should survey the general ridership as well since they can
easily do that now and have data to compare to the study target sample.
A. Hartstein stated that they have
expectations of what the impact will be, especially after working on the
Governor’s 530 Commission. With this study they want to quantify and support
their expectations with the information so they can make solid recommendations.
B.
Rock stated that she feels it is important to have the
data from the general population for further validation.
A.
Hartstein stated that the MBTA will be working on the issue
also. She stated that neither EOEA nor MOD have the resources.
R.
Morin stated that it is very important to know why people
are taking fewer trips. He also stated that there are a number of organizations
in the disability and elderly community who would be happy to distribute the
information; they would like to be part of the team to help develop and
interpret the information. He feels it is important to include the disability
and elderly communities, that they should be part of the process and contribute
as well.
A.
Hartstein stated that they have been connecting with elderly
affairs in communities across the state and have been collecting information
over a two-year period.
R.
Morin states that they need to have people from the
community working with them unlike the way the Governor’s Executive 530
Commission was formed.
D.
Summerfield stated that he attended five of the fare increase
hearings and testified. He also stated that he has heard rumors that people are
foregoing doctor or dialysis appointments to buy food. He feels that the
elderly and disabled have been unfairly targeted.
M.
Berloff indicated that’s why the state legislature mandated
the study.
E.
Frith asked if the study would be shared for additional
comments. The benefits have not changed but the fare has. She asked what is
going to be the outcome of the study: will the fare increase be dismissed? She
also wanted to know what the point is if there is no practical outcome.
A.
Hartstein stated that the study is required by the state
legislature to report findings by January 1, 2013. She stated that the report
will go to the Joint Committee on Transportation, the Senate and House
Committee on Ways and Means, and the MBTA Board of Directors. She believes
that, along with the required MBTA studies and studies by other advocates, this
information will be analyzed as part of the next step.
M.
Berloff offered to have people email her with information
they would like to see addressed in the study.
J.
Gale stated that the study came about as a result of
anger from the community due to the fare increase; the mandate by the
legislature was an amendment to the transportation package the MBTA was
requesting. He asked if the study would be all-inclusive. He is concerned that
no one has reached out to the disability community for their input.
M.
Berloff stated that’s the reason it was important that they
attend the AACT meeting. They want to hear the concerns of the people being
impacted. She also stated that they can only do what they can. She refused to
make any promises she felt she couldn’t keep. She asked that questions be sent
to her office and she will include them in the discussion.
R.
Morin indicated that the Co-Chairs should look at the
disability community as resources and not as a group that would bog down the
process.
IC
White stated that he met Ms. Berloff at a Community
Monitoring event over thirteen years ago and has complete confidence that the
study will be done fairly.
M.
Berloff thanked him for the support.
IC White thanked Daniel Amstutz for assisting at the meeting today.
The meeting ended at 3:05 pm.