Board of Directors:
Chairman - James F. White
Vice Chairman - Rick E. Morin
Executive Board:
Mary Ann Murray
Ian Perrault
Lisa Weber
The AACT Executive Board will meet from 10:00 AM to noon and the Membership meeting will be conducted from 1:00 PM to 3:00 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 857.702.3658 (voice); 617.570.9193 (TTY); 617.570.9192 (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 857.702.3700 (voice), 617.570.9193 (TTY), 617.570.9192 (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 www.bostonmpo.org.
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, TTY 617.222.5146, Monday through Friday 6:30 AM to 8:00 PM and Saturday and Sunday 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.
Nancy Miller, Pauline Downey, Robert Diaz, Reggie Clark, Cheryl Ravalli, Richard Mahoney, Elaine Hamilton, Rhoda Gibson, Allegra Stout, Linda Shepard Salzer, Barbara Garlington, Yasi Abdolmohammadi, Angela Manerson, Theresa Casey, David Brewington, Allen Karon, Lisa Weber, James White, Rick Morin, Mary Ann Murray, Ian Perrault, Kathryn Piccard, Deanne Sisco
Mike Hulak, Frank Oglesby, Kenneth Green, Paul MacMillan, Rashad Lyn
Thomas Mulligan, Jacqualyn Reynolds, John Tuttle, Claire DiPillo
Janie Guion and Matthew Archer
Chairman White requested a motion to approve the meeting minutes for August 27. A motion was made and carried with two abstentions.
The Chair stated the following:
Rick Morin, AACT Vice Chairman and Summit Chairman stated the following:
He then asked for questions. There were no questions.
Lisa Weber, AACT Board Member, representative to the MBTA Rider Oversight Committee stated the following.
Chairman Whiteintroduced Chief MacMillan and expressed his appreciation to the Chief for his loyal support over the years to AACT. He noted that among Chief MacMillan’s many actions were to reinstate the attendance of a Transit Police representative at AACT meetings. He also noted that the Chief worked alongside Mike Hulak of the Office for Transportation Access in discussions with the Boston Police to allow THE RIDE to travel through Downtown Crossing. He instituted the blocked bus stop report which has made a tremendous difference in bus access.
Chief MacMillannoted that the Transit Police worked on changing the legislation to allow them to write citations at bus stops. The MBTA sends the Transit Police a report on blocked bus stops every month, which helps them target problem areas.
Chief MacMillan stated the following:
He then asked for questions.
K. Piccard expressed concern about the blocked bus stop report; she noted that the frequency of service on some bus lines is higher than others, which may skew the data. Chief MacMillan stated that the Transit Police could possibly work with Bus Operations on this issue, perhaps by including a percentage in addition to a gross number in the report. He added that MBTA riders should report blocked bus stops when they see them.
P. Downey and Mr. Clark asked about bus stops blocked by snow. Chief MacMillan stated that this issue is handled by Bus Operations, which sends out crews to shovel out bus stops; he acknowledged that they cannot clear every stop. Individuals should contact their local communities as well. Vice Chairman Morin stated that this issue will be discussed at the AACT Summit.
Chairman White announced that Larry Haile has left his position at the Department of System-wide Accessibility. Rob Sampson will be the new SWA liaison to AACT.
Rob Sampson, MBTA Department System-Wide Accessibility (SWA)/Fixed Route Services said the following:
His responsibility at SWA is to track and report on complaints. Additionally, he assists on the development of employee training, policies, and procedures. He noted that Mr. Haile prepared the SWA report, which he distributed.
He stated the following:
He then asked for questions.
Chairman White stated the new buses have a wider aisle at the entrance, aiding those in mobility devices.
K. Piccard asked how many wheelchair users can ride the new buses at a time. Mr. Sampson stated there are two securement areas. Chairman White noted that one of the securement areas is large enough to accommodate oversized wheelchairs.
L. Shepard Salzer asked if the high-floor buses will be phased out. Mr. Sampson stated they will be kept for emergency purposes.
Chairman White thanked Mr. Sampson for his report.
Frank Oglesby, Deputy Director, submitted the OTA report and had no further updates.
He then asked for questions.
K. Piccard asked about OTA’s involvement in means testing. Mr. Oglesby stated that the MBTA is in the process of developing a pilot for a tiered fare program for THE RIDE. The pilot program will last six months. He noted the program is still in development.
A. Karon asked for clarification about OTA’s involvement in a Transportation Access Pass (TAP) meeting. Ms. Harrington stated there is internal discussion regarding the TAP pass and the suspended RIDE CharlieCard pilot from several years ago.
Vice Chairman Morin asked for data on trip violations; he noted that on-time performance has declined over the past year, and asked the vendors to speak about this issue. He expressed concerns that THE RIDE drivers have asked passengers to call dispatch during trips. He added that he has heard several reports of dispatch taking long periods of time respond to no-show messages.
Chairman White thanked Mr. Oglesby for his report.
Ronan Coatanea, Director of Customer Service, KCS stated the following:
He then asked for questions.
K. Piccard suggested that Keolis update the online commuter rail schedules to reflect the accessibility of Natick station; she noted that this can be done without waiting for the printed schedules to be produced. Mr. Coatanea thanked Ms. Piccard for the suggestion.
R. Clark stated that the elevator at the Framingham station is not functional. He raised the concern that individuals in mobility devices may not be able to access the train. Chairman White noted that commuter rail conductors ask passengers in mobility devices what their destination is; if the station is inaccessible, the conductor would inform them.
L. Weber asked for information about upcoming track work. Mr. Coatanea stated that the tracks need to be destressed; currently, the tracks expand in hot weather, and in colder weather they will not reform to their initial shape. Destressing involves cutting small portions of the rail. The destressing operation took place during the summer and will continue in the spring and summer of 2015. Currently, teams are high-pressure washing the tracks and deploying a gel that will improve adherence of the wheels.
T. Fisher stated that purchasing commuter rail tickets from a machine requires the purchaser to know which zone they are travelling to; there is no list of stops for reference. She suggested making a list available or providing a way to look up which zone a stop is in. Mr. Coatanea stated that zone information is available on the schedules on the MBTA website, as well as on the mobile app. Keolis is currently working with the MBTA on a passenger information plan; one suggestion has been to include the zone number on the station name signage at commuter rail stations.
Chairman White thanked Mr. Coatanea for his report.
Victor Herrera, General Manager, distributed his report and announced PAT classes. He stated the following regarding Mr. Morin’s earlier points:
He then asked for questions.
R. Clark raised an issue concerning the importance of on-time performance for customers travelling to a medical appointment. Mr. Herrera stated that this is a matter of procedure; if a person is scheduled to be dropped off at a certain time, they should be dropped off then. He suggested that THE RIDE customers schedule their drop-offs to be fifteen minutes before their appointment. Mr. Hulak noted that under the ADA guidelines, they cannot give priority to anyone, including those travelling to medical appointments.
Chairman White thanked Mr. Herrera for his report.
Kevin MacDonald distributed his report and announced upcoming trainings.
He stated the following regarding Mr. Morin’s earlier points:
Chairman White thanked Mr. MacDonald for his report.
Jacqualyn Reynolds, MBTA Contract Relationship Manager, distributed her report.
She stated the following:
She then asked for questions.
M. Hulak asked Vice Chairman Morin to give an overview of VT based on his recent visit.
Vice Chairman Morin stated that he was impressed with the operation, adding that he visited during a calm period. He was impressed with the distribution of work and the tools they utilize, found it to be very professional, and had positive interactions with two dispatchers. He stated he understands how there can be a “domino effect” when glitches occur, and asked how the distribution of work is handled in these situations.
K. MacDonald stated that VT is attempting to perform notice of arrival calls; when a driver is within a short distance of the pickup location, a phone call will be placed to the customer alerting them that the driver is about to arrive. He has spoken to organizations that do notice of arrival calls, and was told that this reduces no-shows and reduced calls to dispatch inquiring about driver arrival time. M. Hulak stated that OTA will approach AACT regarding this subject as they proceed.
P. Downing asked about the package policy on THE RIDE vans. Ms. Reynolds stated that there must be a manageable amount of packages, so that the driver can both assist the passenger and carry the packages.
Chairman White thanked Ms. Reynolds for her report.
Chairman White stated that a former deceased member left instructions to donate $1,280.00 to AACT’s general fund. He expressed his gratitude for the donation. He added that other individuals are free to donate money to AACT.
K. Piccard made a motion that AACT members receive a report of these donations each month. The motion was seconded and carried with one abstention.