10 Park Plaza, Suite 2150, Boston, MA. 02116-3968
Voice: 857.702.3658, Fax: 617.570.9192,
TDD: 617. 570.9193, E-mail: AACT@ctps.org
Chairman - James F. White
Vice Chairman - Rick E. Morin
Mary Ann Murray
Ian Perrault
Beverly Ann Rock
Lisa Weber
James White, Ian Perrault, Mary Ann Murray, Lisa Weber, Beverly Ann Rock, David Vieria, Jim Tozza, June Scott, Nancy Miller, Richard Mahoney, Dee Whittlesly, Betsaida Gutierrez, Paulette Whitaker, Gail Weinstein, Malvin Weinstien, Debbie Weathers, William Corcoran, Rev. Ellen Frith
Mike Hulak, Carol Joyce- Harrington, Rob Sampson, Jessica Podesva, Ithai Larsen, Dana Nye, Frank Oglesby
Ray Croteau, Steve Epps, John Tuttle, Jon Cristina, Armen Byzantine
Janie Guion and Matt Archer
He stated the following:
He asked for questions. There were none.
Lisa Weber, Co-Chair of the Summit on Transit Accessibility, gave a brief overview and noted the MBTA General Manager is the keynote speaker. She also discussed the list of external stakeholders such as the BCIL plaintiff group and the cyclist, legal, and pedestrian communities. The idea is to get these groups to the table at the same time and have a conversation together. She noted that the event takes place on May 25 from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM.
Dana Nye, Community Coordinator, Transit Police give no updates but did take questions.
R. Mahoney asked how MBTA buses are tracked. D. Nye stated that buses are tracked through the Operations Control Center. Chairman White noted that vehicles frequently park illegally in the bus stop outside the Charles Street entrance of the State Transportation Building. D. Nye stated that she would research the issue.
R. Dias asked if bus operators were logging the Route 43 bus at 10 Park Plaza as being illegally blocked. Chairman White noted that there is an activation box on the bus, depending on the severity of the issue, which alerts dispatch that there is a problem.
R. Clark stated that when cars illegally block stops it makes it very difficult for persons with visual impairments. He noted that buses usually do not stop for passengers. He also noted that there is a problem at 1637 Tremont bus stop. D. Nye noted that she will research the issues.
G. Weinstein asked if THE RIDE vehicles were allowed to let passengers exit at MBTA bus stops. M. Hulak noted that it is illegal for RIDE vehicles to park, drop-off or pick-up RIDE customers in bus stops or to park in ‘Handicap’ parking spaces. Chairman White stated that drivers who block bus stops can be fined, which would go against their driving record.
Rob Sampson, Manager for System-Wide Accessibility, distributed his report and gave a brief summary of the MBTA and MassDOT joint employee training to address the fundamentals of building an accessible document in Microsoft Word and PDF formats. In addition, SWA is updating the MBTA service animal rules. The new language is to clarify and augment existing policy, and to ensure consistent application by all employees across modes.
He then asked for questions.
R. Clark asked why service to Lechmere Station has decreased over the years. R. Sampson noted that most of the change is based on ridership.
E. Frith commented that there is no accessible press pad to open the outer doors of Conference Room 2 in the State Transportation Building. She noted that she has brought this to the attention of management. R. Sampson stated that he would look into her concern.
D. Vieira stated that on several trips to Back Bay Station he has found the accessible automatic doors locked at 10:00 AM and 10:30 PM. R. Sampson noted that those doors should be functioning during MBTA operating hours. He stated that he would look into his concern.
Chairman White thanked R. Sampson for his report.
Selena Walckner, Title Vl Manager, was unavailable due to illness.
Frank Oglesby, Deputy Director, submitted the OTA report and shared the following:
He then asked for questions. There were none.
Chairman White thanked F. Oglesby for his report.
John Tuttle, Manager, distributed his report. He noted NEXT has reached full employment, and added that there is no passenger training class scheduled.
He then asked for questions. There were none.
Jon Cristina, Training Manager, distributed his report and had no further updates.
He then asked for questions. There were none.
Chairman White thanked J. Cristina for his report.
Steve Epps, Director of Transportation, distributed his report and announced that GLSS is continually striving to hire drivers.
S. Epps asked for questions.
G. Weinstein commented that the office staff consistently logs her pick-up location at the wrong store entrance at Market Basket in Chelsea. R. Croteau stated that he will research the issue.
Chairman White noted that all AACT members are invited to attend Passenger Assistance Training (PAT) classes that are specific to ADA and paratransit. Travel to/from the training on THE RIDE must be arranged with Janie Guion, AACT Coordinator at 857-702-3658.
Chairman White thanked Mr. Epps for his report.
None was presented.
None was presented.
Chairman White announced that the MBTA will no longer provide services to several communities. He asked Mike Hulak to give more information. Mr. Hulak stated that Mr. Ed Carr, Administrator of the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA), will address the general membership on May 25th to update them on the impending transfer of RIDE services from MBTA to MWRTA for the communities of Wellesley, Weston and Dover on July 1st.
R. Dias asked where the transfer point will be located. M. Hulak noted logistics are still being worked out and Mr. Carr will have any additional information.
M. Hulak announced a pilot program designed to alert consumers by phone that their RIDE vehicle is about 15 minutes or 2 miles of arrival from their pick-up location. The MBTA, its RIDE contractors and software providers have worked on the program for approximately one year. He noted that there are 15 RIDE testers in the pilot program, and the program will go live once the data has been analyzed and any ‘bugs’ in the system corrected. The MBTA is expecting implementation in the near term.
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.
Notices of AACT meetings are posted on the website of the MBTA at http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/public_meetings/. Visit the MPO’s calendar page at http://www.bostonmpo.org/calendar/month to find AACT agendas, meeting minutes, and past meeting minutes. For more on AACT, see the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the MBTA and AACT, the AACT Bylaws, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations at http://www.mbta.com/aact.
Also, find articles about topics discussed at AACT meetings in the MPO’s newsletter, TRANSREPORT, at http://www.bostonmpo.org/transreport. For more information on accessibility at the MBTA, please visit www.mbta.com/accessibility.
Comments and questions concerning AACT should be directed to Chairman James White by contacting the AACT Coordinator, Ms. Janie Guion, at 857.702.3658 (voice) 617.570.9193 (TTY), AACT@ctps.org (email), or c/o CTPS, 10 Park Plaza, Suite 2150, Boston, MA 02116 (US 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.
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 her or himself or any specific class of persons has been subjected to discrimination prohibited by Title VI, ADA, or other non-discrimination statute or regulations may, her or 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 or 800.392.6100, 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.