Access Advisory Committee to the Massachusetts
Bay Transportation Authority
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
Members Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, May 25,
2016
Board of Directors:
Chairman - James F. White
Vice Chairman - Rick E. Morin
Executive Board
Mary Ann Murray
Ian Perrault
Beverly Ann Rock
Lisa Weber
Meeting opened at 1:05 PM
Reading of the
Agenda
Introductions
Attendees:
James
White, Lisa Weber, Rick Morin, Debbie Weathers, Jim Tozza, Rhoda Gibson, Reggie
Clark, Angela Manerson, Rob Dias, Gail and Marvin Weinstein, David Ryles,
Jeffery Magnet, Dee
Whittlesey, Mary Dennesen, Veronica Surrell, Lynn Surrel, Nancy Houghton, Bob
Hachey Joanne D. Daniels-Finegold, Esther Minor, Michelle Mitchell, Nancy
Miller, Bill Corcoran, Olivia Richards, Mary Ann Murray, Angela Francis, and
Tom Gilbert
MBTA Staff:
Mike Hulak, Carol J. Harrington,
Rob Sampson, Jessica Podesva, Ithai Larsen, and Frank Oglesby
Vendor Staff:
Selena Walckner, Steve
Epps, John Tuttle, and Kevin MacDonald
Other:
Scott
and Linda S. Salzer, Ellie Spring
MPO Staff:
Matt
Archer and Jennifer Rowe
Approval of Meeting Minutes
A motion to approve the meeting minutes of April 27, 2016 was made by M. Murray, and seconded by R. Morin. The minutes were accepted unanimously.
Chairman White’s Report
Chairman
White stated the following:
•
He attended a transportation summit at Holy
Cross College in Worcester, MA. The MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA)
transportation provided round-trip travel. He made contacts with representatives
of Uber, Lyft, and the police department.
He attended the MBTA’s Fiscal
Management and Control Board (FMCB) meeting where he spoke on behalf of the
Access Advisory Board to the MBTA and as a member of the Authority’s Selection
Committee in favor of the award to Global Contact Services (GCS) for the Centralized
Call and Control Center (CCCC) project. He
noted that Michael Lambert, the MBTA’s Deputy Administrator-Transit, gave a presentation
to the FMCB highlighting how the CCCC will improve RIDE service and save money. Mr. Lambert also detailed for the FMCB as to why
GCS was recommended for the award of the contract. The Chair then asked for
questions. No questions were asked.
Ed Carr, Administrator of the MWRTA, discussed how
the transfer of paratransit service from the MBTA to the MWRTA for several MetroWest
area communities would proceed. As of July 1, MWRTA will
assume direct responsibility for providing Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA)-required paratransit service to the towns of Dover, Weston and Wellesley. Customers
wishing to travel between the MBTA and MWRTA service areas will now transfer at
the Green Line’s Riverside Station. The old transfer point at Wellesley Farm
Commuter Rail Station has ceased to be a transfer point.
The MBTA has notified some 850 people who use
THE RIDE in Wellesley, Weston, and Dover of the transition. Ms. Lisa Long MWRTA
staff was introduced as the direct contact on this issue. New applicants can
continue to apply through the MBTA for dual coverage.
Fares for the MWRTA paratransit service will
continue to be $2.00 and the fare amount is unlikely to change. Customer’s that
were paying $5.00 for premium service will pay only $3.15 to the MBTA and $2.00
to the MWRTA. MBTA and MWRTA are working on a system where riders traveling west
to east will receive a free Charlie Card with access to Riverside Station (RS),
which is an accessible station. Service hours will be 5:00 AM to 1:00 AM, seven
days a week for existing MBTA users, but new applicants will need to conform to
MWRTA hours. MWRTA does not currently have Sunday service and limited Saturday
service. The MWRTA’s service area is Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, and Dover,
and portions of Wayland, Southborough, Marlborough, Ashland, Allston, and
Hopkinton. There will be direct trips into Newton, Needham, and Waltham for
customers in Wellesley, Weston, and Dover.
Note: Since this presentation Weston was not
included in the 7/1 transfer to MWRTA. A
later date is being discussed by MassDOT and the town.
A consumer asked if his ride service from
Hyde Park to Wellesley will be direct. M.
Hulak from the MBTA said that after July 1, there will be a transfer at Riverside
Station, although there is a small portion of Wellesley still within the ¾
mi. When making a reservation, a
reservationist would be able to tell customers if a transfer would be required.
T. Gilbert asked about paratransit services
in to Worcester from MetroWest. E. Carr
stated that direct trips are shared, but not many trips are requested.
A. Manerson commented about signing the MWRTA
release form. E. Carr noted that the
MBTA cannot handover her personal information without that person’s prior
approval. He noted that she should contact Lisa Long for further details.
A. Manerson asked about the elimination
of same-day request service. M. Hulak
responded by saying that same-day requests have become very difficult to
accommodate. The ADA does not require the accommodation of same-day requests,
but the MBTA has provided them for several years. The MBTA stopped allowing
them last week and notice to the public is being given at this meeting. He
noted that a notice to all RIDE customers will be mailed out in the next few
days about this and other RIDE changes.
R. Dais asked about eligibility and
recertification. M. Hulak noted that a
signed letter authorizing the MBTA to share a customer’s records with MWRTA is
required. E. Carr stated that when a
customer’s certification expires, the customer’s eligibility will be
automatically renewed with the MWRTA and the customer will become a visitor to
the MBTA’s RIDE program.
Chairman
White
thanked Mr. Carr for his presentation.
MBTA and Vendor Reports
MBTA System-Wide Accessibility
Department (SWA)/Fixed Route Services
Rob Sampson, Manager for
System-Wide Accessibility, distributed his report and
reported the following.
Beginning June 1, the Park Street elevator at the corner
of Winter and Tremont Streets will be closed down for approximately a year. The
elevator will be replaced and the shaft must be reconstructed. The replacement
will have a full glass enclosure. There is another elevator across the street
in the Boston Common and one at Winter and Washington Streets that goes to the
Orange Line and via a concourse to the Red Line. More elevator advisory updates
will be on www.mbta.com.
He then asked for questions.
T. Gilbert asked if the new elevator will have a
surveillance camera. R. Sampson will research the question.
J. Magnet asked
about signs in the area of the elevator directing people elsewhere and if they
would be in Spanish. R. Sampson said
that there are plans to post signs to direct the public. He offered to check on
whether the signs would be in other languages.
B.
Hachey commented
that he is pleased that the elevator outages have been at a minimum. R. Sampson noted that the contractor is doing
a very good job with maintenance.
T.
Gilbert asked about updates with the Davis Square elevator
intercom system. R. Sampson indicated
that it was restored today at 8:46 A.M.
Chairman
White thanked
Mr. Sampson for his report.
Keolis
Commuter Services
Selena
Walckner, Title Vl Manager, commented that last Monday
was an official schedule change day. Everyone had ample time to prepare. Copies
of the new schedule are available and Keolis is accepting feedback from
customers and conducting new passenger counts in the fall.
T.
Gilbert said
that his friend who is hearing and visually impaired has had trouble with the variable
message system (VMS) LED displays on the commuter rail cars. S. Walckner mentioned that she can speak
to the Engineering Department about an audit, and customers should contact the
customer service department.
R.
Clark asked
for confirmation that two new stations were
adding to the Fitchburg Line. S.
Walckner said she would look into it.
A.
Francis noted that she should be getting a reduced fare rate and
that she is overcharged when she rides the commuter rail. S.
Walckner explained how she could get a Transportation Access Pass.
Chairman White thanked Ms. Walckner.
MBTA
Office for Transportation Access (OTA) -THE RIDE Program
Mike
Hulak, Manager Paratransit Operations, in for Frank Oglesby, Deputy Director,
submitted the OTA report.
He also mentioned that the information about the same-day
service changes on the mass mailer was incorrect. He corrected the statement to
clarify that same-day requests are not guaranteed, but if possible would be
provided at a Premium non-ADA fare rate.
He then asked for questions.
A
consumer asked about premium fare prices in Beverly when the buses
are not running on Saturday and Sunday but still being charged. M. Hulak said that the commuter rail and
express buses are not included in the ¾ mile rule. She also asked if there could
be printed notes placed on RIDE vehicles dashboard requesting occupants to be
“fragrance free.” M. Hulak noted that this issue has been
addressed many times. He noted that he would take her suggestion under
advisement. He also reminded her that there is nothing that can be done about
passengers who choose to wear fragrances.
N.
Miller asked for an explanation regarding minimum balance in
THE RIDE account. M. Hulak noted that
you always need to have funds to cover your trip; for persons on subscription
service or someone who uses THE RIDE multiple times in a week this now reduces
the amount of funds that you would need in your account.
M.
Hulak reminded THE RIDE users that the information about the
same-day request is on all vendors’ telephone systems.
R.
Gibson commented that same-day service is being eliminated, are
other options for persons in mobility devices to contact.
C. J. Harrington responded that a joint letter was prepared between the MBTA and Health and Human Services that recommends few options for folks using THE RIDE such as MassHealth’s Human Service Transportation if eligible. She also commented that a joint task force with members from AACT (Jim and Rick); Boston Center for Independent Living, Bay State Council for the Blind, Massachusetts Senior Action Council, to name a few, assisted in the creation of the letter. M. Hulak noted that some riders have the option to use the City of Boston’s Mayor’s Shuttle that can accommodate some riders. Others should contact their city or town’s Council on Aging to see what transportation they could provide. He noted that those who need immediate transportation service should not hesitate to dial 911 in an emergency.
Chairman White thanked Ms. Joyce-Harrington and Mr. Hulak for the report.
Veterans
Transportation (VT)
Kevin MacDonald,
Project Manager,
distributed his report and announced that the passenger assistance training
(PAT) class will be held in June.
A
consumer asked how to be involved in the training. K. MacDonald stated that participants to
the training are always welcomed. It is a learning experience for his drivers
with their participation. Chairman White
commented that anyone who would like to participate should contact Janie Guion,
the AACT Coordinator, at 857-702-3658.
J.
Magnet asked how the PAT classes are scheduled considering
driver’s work various hours. K. MacDonald
noted that all new drivers attend and experienced drivers attend for a
refresher.
Chairman
White thanked Mr. MacDonald for his report.
Greater
Lynn Senior Services (GLSS)
Steve
Epps, Director of Transportation, distributed his
report and stated the following. He invited everyone to attend the upcoming passenger
assistance training on Friday, at 330 Lynnway in Lynn. Chairman White said that the MBTA covers the transportation cost for
participants who stay for the complete training. He also noted they would like more
visually impaired participants to attend.
E.
Minor commented that she witnessed a driver from Veterans who
did not assist a visually impaired passenger from door-to-door. She noted that
the driver claimed it was a communication problem.
A consumer
commented
that a driver was unruly and was very disrespectful.
Chairman
White thanked
Mr. Epps for his report.
National
Express Transit (NEXT)
John
Tuttle distributed his report and had no further updates.
He then asked for questions.
There were none.
Chairman White thanked Mr. Tuttle for his
attendance.
Open Discussion:
M. Mitchell asked if there was a
way to add better directions to her file as her home is in an apartment complex
with a confusing numbering scheme. M.
Hulak of OTA was available to assist her.
Old Business
None was presented.
New Business
None were presented.
Open Discussion
Announcements
Meeting adjourned at 3:00 PM.
Notables
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/relay), 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. Please
contact the MPO staff at 857.702.3700; 617.570.9192; (TTY) 617.570.9193 (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 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.