Access Advisory Committee to the Massachusetts
Bay Transportation
Authority
10 Park Plaza, Suite 2150, Boston, MA. 02116-3968
Voice: 617-973-7100, Fax: 617-973-8855, TDD: 617-973-7089, E-mail: AACT@ctps.org
AACT Membership Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, March
26, 2014
Board of
Directors:
Chairman - James F. White
Vice Chairman - Rick E. Morin
Executive Board
Mary Ann Murray
Ian Perrault Beverly Ann Rock Lisa Weber
Notables
The AACT Executive Board will meet from 10 AM to noon and the
Membership meeting will be conducted 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 “Get
Involved” then scroll down to “Access Advisory Committee
to the MBTA.” 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, and ADA regulations. There are also links to the MPO’s
newsletter, TRANSREPORT,
and information on accessibility at the MBTA. This page includes the contact information for the AACT Coordinator.
Comments and questions concerning AACT should be directed to the Chairman James White by contacting the AACT Coordinator, Ms.
Janie Guion, at 617-973-7507 (voice); 617-973-7089 (TTY); 617-973-
8855 (fax); AACT@ctps.org (email); or at c/o CTPS, 10 Park Plaza,
Suite 2150, Boston, MA 02116
(mail).
The AACT meeting location is accessible to people with disabilities and
is 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 MPO complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other federal and state non-discrimination 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, ADA, or other non-discrimination
statute or regulation 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
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 always appreciated.
Meeting opened
at 1:03 PM Reading of the Agenda
Introductions
Attendees:
James White, Rick Morin, Ian Perrault, Lisa Weber, Mary Ann Murray, Beverly Ann Rock, Allen M. Karon, Richard Mahoney, Kathryn
Piccard, Nancy Miller, Angela Manerson, Deanne Sisco, Reggie Clark
Also Audrey Armand, Gregory Harnett,
Josh Martin, Liam Flanagan, Shawn Mahady; Linda Shepard Salzer, Ways2Go Travel Trainer;
Theadora Fisher, Human Services Transportation; Theresa Casey,
Mass. Rehabilitation Commission;
Sharon Harrison, Mass.
Commission for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing
MBTA Staff:
Frank Oglesby, Larry Haile, Carol Joyce-Harrington, Mike Hulak, Kevin Vautour,
Charles Murphy, Susan Lebbossiere,
Heather Hume
Vendor Staff:
Victor Herrera, National Express-Joint Venture of Thompson Transit; Jacqualyn J.
Reynolds, Greater Lynn Senior Services; John Tuttle, Veterans Transportation; B.J. Finnell,
Keolis
Commuter Services
MPO Staff:
Janie Guion and Matt Archer
Approval of Minutes No minutes were presented.
Chairman’s Report
The Chair stated the following:
• He attended a PAT class at Joint Venture. He and Mr. Perrault attended recertification training in Charlestown, which trained 35 new bus drivers.
• He attended a meeting at Boston Center for Independent
Living regarding the new MBTA spider map. He stated that when the final version is available, he will distribute it to the AACT membership.
• He reminded users of the importance of updating their profiles with the Office for Transportation Access when there is an address
change, phone
number change, change in mobility device, or an important detail in their life.
• A new AACT Forum Committee has been formed. The chair will be Mr. Morin, and he will be joined by Ms. Weber and Ms. Rock; if
AACT
general members would like to participate, they should
contact the AACT Coordinator or Mr. Morin. The AACT Board would
like
the Forum to be an annual event.
Kevin Vautour, MBTA Bus
Operations, Senior
Training Instructor
Mr. Vautour
discussed the training of bus operators. He stated the following:
• Since 2007, the MBTA in conjunction with System-wide
Accessibility has devoted many hours to training bus operators.
• The current training is
called Phase 1. During Phase 1, every
new operator is required to train on all aspects of ADA. Approximately four hours are spent in a classroom setting; this time is spent reviewing special orders that are necessary for
drivers to perform their duties in a safe and effective way. They are also taught
customer service skills and sensitivity skills. New
drivers train on all the current fleet.
• One aspect covered in Phase 1 is pre-trip inspection, which
helps the drivers identify problems they may have with the bus. Busses that are not compliant are not put on the road.
• Phase 2 came into effect at the end of 2007 in conjunction with
the delivery of a
bus simulator system to Charlestown. During Phase 2, the morning is spent in the simulator, where drivers learn defensive driving techniques; the afternoon is spent with
busses, learning boarding and alighting procedures and securing passengers. Over 1,300 drivers have been trained in Phase 2.
These trainings are held every Tuesday, Wednesday, and
Thursday in Charlestown.
• Training classes are open sessions with the next class Tuesday, April 22.
He then asked for questions.
Chairman White stated that anyone who wishes to attend
a training class should contact the Larry Haile at System-Wide Accessibility at
617-222-4258 voice; 617-222-5045 TTY; lhaile@mbta.com.
MBTA System-Wide Accessibility Department
Larry Haile, SWA Coordinator, distributed his report.
In response to questions regarding wayfinding, Mr. Haile stated the
following:
pass them; this could be used for indoor navigation in stations.
Chairman White thanked Mr. Haile for his report.
MBTA Office for Transportation Access (OTA) -THE RIDE Program
Frank Oglesby, Deputy Director, submitted the OTA report and stated the following:
National Express
and the Joint Venture of
Thompson Transit and YCN Transportation (JV)
Victor Herrera, General Manager, distributed his
report and
K.
Piccard asked about the increased amount of missed trips in
February. Mr. Herrera stated that the missed trips were snow-related.
Chairman White thanked Mr. Herrera for his report.
John Tuttle, Operations Manager, distributed his report and had no
further updates.
Chairman White thanked Mr. Tuttle for his report.
AM to 11:30 AM, in the State Transportation Building Conference