Meeting opened at 10:10 AM.
James White, Rick Morin, Hang Lee, Beverly Ann Rock, Ian Perrault, Mary A. Murray, and Lisa Weber; MPO staff, Janie Guion
Mary Ann Murray moved to accept the April 22 meeting minutes. They were approved unanimously.
The Chair stated the following:
Chairman White stated he has had no luck at opening up an account for the (-$1280-) donation to AACT. He also noted that making a deposit of that amount may affect his Social Security income benefits. The check and letter will be returned to Ms. Woodman with a request to have her reissue it in a cashier’s check.
Lisa Weber, AACT Board of Directors and representative to the ROC discussed the activities of the committee.
Ms. Weber explained that neither she nor Mr. Perrault were unable to attend the ROC’s May meeting. She did attend the May 13 Vehicle Accessibility Advisory Committee meeting with Chris Hart. She noted that the committee is just starting and that she is looking forward to working with the committee. She is looking forward to the next meeting.
She asked for questions or comments.
Chairman White noted that he is pleased that the committee is working in the spirit of the memorandum of understanding. He noted that it is very important for the committee to hear about the needs of the disability community.
Mary Ann Murray, AACT’s representative to RTAC, reported that they too are experiencing a lack of attendance at meetings. She is concerned that people may not be aware that the meetings are happening. She feels there needs to be a better way to get the word out about meetings.
She asked for questions or comments.
Chairman White noted that people will find their way to meetings when there is a crisis or something that they want to take a stand about, such as when the MBTA increased the fares on THE RIDE.
Lisa W. would like to see more hand straps added to vehicles for people who are petite or small in stature. Chairman White stated that he has observed on occasion buses that are missing hands straps or ones that are damaged. He also noted that bus operators will now be using new circle check cards, which now include 10 items that are ADA related.
Hang L. asked if there were any reports of persons with disabilities injured in the most recent Amtrak crash. Chairman White offered to research whether Amtrak has an evacuation plan to rescue persons with disabilities.
None was presented.
Chairman White discussed with the board of directors their recommendations on canceling the July 22nd meeting and celebrating the ADA 25th anniversary with the others on the Boston Common and promoting AACT to others.
Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization staff will be at the June 25 meeting to discuss the Long-Range Transportation Plan, Transportation Improvement Program, and the Unified Planning Work Program.
MBTA Interim General Manager Frank DePaola will address the membership at this afternoon’s full-membership meeting around 1:00 PM.
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 can be found at on the MBTA website at www.mbta.com/aact. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the MBTA and AACT; the AACT Bylaws; ADA Regulations, as well as agendas, calendar items, upcoming meetings, and past meeting minutes can be obtained by accessing those highlighted links on AACT’s webpage.
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 (voice), 617.570.9192 (TTY), 617.570.9193 (fax), or publicinformation@ctps.org (email).
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 (voice), 617.222.5146 (TTY), Monday through Friday from 6:30 AM to 8:00 PM, and Saturday and Sunday from 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM, or via the MBTA’s 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.