Access Advisory Committee to the MBTA Executive
Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
State
Transportation Library, 10 Park Plaza, State
Transportation Building, Boston, MA
Please note: AACT
meetings are public and open to all. They are
conducted in full compliance with the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Open
Meeting Law, M.G.L. c.30A, §§
18-25 (effective July 1, 2010)
The meeting opened
at 10:11 A.M.
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 (MPO) 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).
Meeting locations are accessible to people with disabilities
and are near public transportation. Upon request (preferably two weeks in
advance of the meeting), every effort will be made to provide accommodations
such as assistive listening devices, materials in accessible formats and in
languages other than English, and interpreters in American Sign Language and other
languages. Please contact the MPO staff at 617.973.7100 (voice), 617.973.7089
(TTY), 617.973.8855 (fax), or publicinformation@ctps.org.
The
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) fully complies with Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes and regulations in all programs
and activities. The MPO does not discriminate on the basis of race, color,
national origin, English proficiency, 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, herself/himself or via a representative,
file a written complaint with the MPO. A complaint must be filed no later than
180 calendar days after the date on which the person believes the
discrimination occurred. A complaint form and additional information can be
obtained by contacting the MPO (see above) or at www.bostonmpo.org.
Attendees:
Executive
Board of Directors:
Acting Interim Chairman James F. White
Ian Perrault, Rick Morin, Beverly A. Rock,
and Mary Ann Murray
Public: Allen M. Karon
and David Kingsberry
MPO Staff/AACT
Coordinator:
Janie Guion
Introductions
and Reading of the Agenda
All
AACT Executive Board of Director members were issued the Summary of Conflict of
Interest Law information for review. Each was given a copy of the Acknowledge
Receipt, at which time they signed and returned.
IC White is thinking
that since they are not employees of the MBTA members should be exempt from signing
the form. He is seeking more clarification.
He
stated that AACT is non-profit and he believes that an all-volunteer
organization is considered an exception. He also stated that he did not have a
problem with complying.
Committee
Reports
MA Murray stated that
she attended two meetings of the Regional Transportation Advisory Council. She discussed
that Advisory Council voting privileges for some members had been challenged.
She is going to monitor the situation so that AACT will be informed.
She
also commented on the Advisory Council’s addressing a recent study that
suggested people in the suburbs should be thinking Green and suggested that public
transit be promoted as a way to travel into or around the city.
She
expressed concern about the MassDOT statewide meeting in the city of Lynn; she
felt more information should have come from the representatives. She noted a
general theme from the public was the discussion of the increased transit fare
and the fact that riders are having problems with knowing how to properly load
their Charlie Cards.
IC White summarized I.
Perrault’s reports from the meetings of the Rider Oversight Committee (ROC) and
with Judge Patrick King:
There
was a report from Scott Hamwey, of the MassDOT Planning Department, regarding a
study on the Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan areas to convert Key Route Bus
Route #28 to a rapid transit route somewhat similar to the Silver Line.
IC White also discussed Judge Patrick King’s update
regarding compliance with the MBTA/Boston Center for Independent Living
settlement. He stated that Judge King gave high marks for the MBTA’s compliance.
He expressed that he thought that the rating was too generous. He noted that Judge
King is well aware of his concerns.
Open
Discussion
MA Murray expressed concern
as to whether or not Paradigm is the best company to run THE RIDE Eligibility
Center.
IC White stated his
concern whether a representative will be assigned to attend AACT monthly
meetings to answer questions.
R Morin expressed
concerns whether or not the In-Person Assessment for THE RIDE Eligibility had begun.
IC White is concerned that
he has not heard from Mike Lambert.
He
thanked Larry Haile for giving prior notification to diversions in MBTA service
in his monthly report.
D. Kingsberry, AACT member,
asked to address the AACT Board with his dispute of being overcharged by Joint
Venture (JV) and Veterans Transportation for (transfer) rides from the South
Shore to Cambridge. He stated how it has been difficult to get a trip history
from the vendor. He has tried to address this issue with both the Office for
Transportation Access (OTA) and JV but to no avail.
He
stated that since Oct 11th, he has been double charged for THE RIDE
services nineteen times. He stated he thought the problem was corrected until Dec.
18th and today. He is a member of the Bay State Council
for the Blind and they have addressed a letter to OTA since this is a systemic
problem involving many other people. He also said that information is not
coming in accessible format. He feels that information regarding people’s transactions
should be made available on-line.
IC White stated that
this is not a new problem. He referred
Mr. Kingsberry to OTA for his trip history with THE RIDE. He asked that OTA
research accounts to see how many people had been overcharged and refund their money
to those accounts. He hoped that OTA would be more proactive and not wait until
a complaint is filed.
IC White recommended
that a letter be sent to the OTA regarding the overcharging of consumers who
transfer from one vendor to another. He also recommended that persons having
problems with their vendor contact the OTA contract administrator for that
vendor.
R Morin stated that
OTA has been cited by the Federal Transit Administration for not crediting
money to accounts the same day.
IC White stated that
THE RIDE is the only form of transportation at the MBTA that is not updated
with a phone “App.” He wonders why THE RIDE is the only service that takes two
to three days before money is applied to your account.
MA Murray stated she
has requested a copy of her trip history several times and only received a copy
of her transactions.
R Morin:
Made
a motion that the AACT Executive Board of Directors address a letter to Frank Oglesby,
the Deputy Director Paratransit Contract Operations, regarding the continued
issue of overcharges to the accounts of consumers. It should say the following:
that OTA has been informed of this problem before. The Board feels that OTA is
not taking the issue seriously. The Board is recommending that OTA resolve this
issue quickly. The Board is also proposing that OTA continue THE RIDE service to
consumers who may have a pending complaint of overcharges until the issue is
resolved. The AACT Executive Board of Directors will file a complaint with the
Federal Transit Administration if the problem is not corrected.
The
motion passed with one abstention.
R Morin introduced a
priority list of recommendations to be reviewed by the AACT Board for their
further comments. He is also recommending that a subcommittee be formed to
expand on the list.
The
AACT Board discussed the Charlie Card store at Downtown Crossing stating that
there is a lack of signage, knowledgeable platform staff, courtesy from store
staff, and limited seating for persons with disabilities.
Announcements
IC White was pleased to announce that Ian Perrault
will represent AACT on the Rider Oversight Committee (ROC).
A System-Wide Accessibility (SWA) new Orientation Training Program’s
first class is January 3; all classes will be held once a month, on the first
Thursday.
On Monday,
January 12 and Thursday, February 14, the Charlestown Garage Recertification Training will be conducted from 7 AM to 3
PM.
Please contact Larry Haile for both
trainings at 617-222-4258 voice; 617-222-5045 TTY, or by email at lhaile@mbta.com.
Meeting
Adjourned at 12 Noon