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
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Board of Directors:
Chairman – James F. White
Vice Chairman – Lisa Weber
Executive Board
Nadine Jones
Mary Ann Murray
Beverly Ann Rock
James Tozza
Lisa Weber
Meeting opened at 1:08 PM.
Attendees:
Jim White, Nadine Jones, Eric Lane, Lisa Weber, Dee Whittlesy, Mary A. Murray, Gail and Malvin Weinstein, Debbie Weathers, Nancy Miller, Mary Dennesen, Kevin Wilson, Richard Welch, David Vieira, Elizabeth Crocker, Reggie Clark, Angela Manerson, Christine Daniels, Stephen Jukins, Sylvia Mekler, Carl Slegland, Jennifer Workman, Millisa Garside, Kevin Eaton, Ester Minor, Sadie Simone
MBTA Staff:
Carol Joyce-Harrington, Rob Sampson, Mike Hulak, Dana Nye
Vendor Staff:
Elizabeth Hickey, Victor Herrera, Kevin MacDonald, Steve Epps, Linda S. Salazar, Chris Woznac, Lynn Hutchins
Other:
Judge Patrick King, Patricia Mendez, Gerald Plante, Jessica Podesva, Nancy Houghton, Rhoda Gibson, Tom Gilbert
None were presented.
Chairman White acknowledged and thanked the members and friends who attended the Summit earlier today. He was pleased that many remained for the AACT meeting.
He stated the following:
He then asked for questions. There were none.
Chairman White introduced the Honorable Judge Patrick King; the court-appointed independent monitor for the MBTA Settlement agreement gave an update on the future consolidation of AACT into a new committee.
Honorable Judge King thanked Chairman White for the opportunity to address the members of the Access Advisory Committee to the MBTA (AACT). He then recognized the many who have worked over the last eleven years to make the MBTA a much better service for passengers with disabilities.
He acknowledged the chairman for his continued involvement with training programs for bus operators and commented about the marked improvement of the bus service over the years.
He credited the chairman, those involved in the Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL) settlement agreement, and the MBTA managers and employees who have worked to make accessibility improvements on the MBTA system over the years. Everyone involved should be proud of their work, he said.
Judge King noted that last month was the eleventh anniversary of the signing of the BCIL and MBTA’s settlement agreement and that the MBTA will have fulfilled all but a couple of its obligations under the settlement agreement in the next two years. His role as independent monitor overseeing the settlement agreement will be reduced and then eliminated altogether over next few years.
He said that there should be a strong organization in place that can work with the MBTA after the settlement agreement ends to ensure that persons with disabilities have a voice and influence in MBTA policy-making decisions and so that progress on accessibility issues continues.
He noted that the plaintiffs and the MBTA are having discussions about what is going to take place once the settlement ends. The plaintiffs want certain assurances going forward, including for the continuation of the internal monitoring program that ensures MBTA employees are complying with accessibility standards.
As a result of discussions with the plaintiffs, an Ad Hoc Committee, which includes members of AACT and others, was formed. This committee compared the current structure of AACT to the structure of similar organizations around the country to determine if the structure of AACT maximizes the ability of the community to interact in a positive and a corrective way with the MBTA.
The committee decided that certain changes to the structure of the organization would be beneficial. Jessica Podesva, Judge King’s law clerk, will provide more details about the proposed new structure.
Judge King also noted that there will be a new memorandum of understanding between the MBTA and the new organization by the end of the summer. The new organization will build on the strengths of AACT and have greater influence with the MBTA. The new organization will involve many of the same people who have been active with AACT.
Jessica Podesva stated the following, noting that some details are subject to change:
She then asked for questions.
R. Gibson asked if there is a website that previews the Ad Hoc Committee’s work. J. Podesva stated that there is not a website at the moment, but the new group will have its own website. She expressed hope that there will be an active blog and Twitter account. She noted that the new group does not currently have a name, adding that the Ad Hoc Committee is open to suggestions.
N. Houghton asked if Ms. Podesva could compile a list of email addresses of interested persons to provide updates. J. Podesva stated she could, adding that there will be updates at future AACT meetings as well.
G. Weinstein asked for an overview of the BCIL settlement agreement. J. Podesva stated that the settlement agreement was brought forward in 2002 by eleven named plaintiffs in BCIL; the settlement was reached in 2006. In the settlement agreement, there are hundreds of items the MBTA agreed to in order to improve accessibility. Over the next two to three years, all of the terms will be met; the new group will keep participants in this process engaged with the MBTA. The new group will advocate for THE RIDE and fixed-route services.
Vice Chair Weber asked if AACT members can email Ms. Podesva with ideas of what roles the new Coordinator would fill. J. Podesva agreed to this, adding she is willing to discuss any aspect of the new group.
Mike Hulak, Manager of Paratransit Contract Operations, had no report at this time, but did share the following:
He then asked for questions.
N. Houghton noted that she lives in Beverly with no weekend bus service. She asked about her travel on the weekend. M. Hulak noted she was correct that there is no fixed route service on the weekend. She would need THE RIDE and pay for premium service.
J. S. Workman asked if there was less staff on hand at Global weekends. M. Hulak noted there were some transition difficulties with services this past weekend. He explained that staffing is lower at all vendors on the weekend due to a reduced call volume.
R. Welsh asked with the new call center if there would be new options for dispatch purposes and locating customers. M. Hulak noted there is discussion going on now about ways to make it easier for the consumer.
K. Wilson stated that THE RIDE driver has not been using the GPS to get him to his destination. M. Hulak noted that the GPS is there to assist and guide the driver. He also noted that the driver may have travel information that a passenger may not be aware.
R. Gibson noted that she is very dissatisfied with the TRAC staff. She explained that when calls for THE RIDE she is on hold for a long time and eventually the call is disconnected. She is very unhappy with the scenic tour on THE RIDE for about three hours. She noted that a trip from Logan Airport took her to Brockton. M. Hulak noted that there have been difficulties with the phone service. He explained to her how the scheduling software works. He noted that he will be working closely with the staff at Global and assured her that there will be changes.
Chairman Whitethanked Mr. Hulak for his report.
MBTA System-Wide Accessibility Department (SWA)/Fixed Route Services Rob Sampson, Manager reported the following:
She then asked for questions.
E. Minor asked about the CharlieCard program that was put on hold some time ago. She asked when would those promised the CharlieCard would be receiving one. M. Hulak noted that this was a pilot program presented by former management in 2012.
Chairman Whitethanked Mr. Sampson for his report.
MBTA Transit Police Department, Dana Nye, Community Outreach Coordinator explained the following:
She then asked for questions.
A consumer stated that the city issues parking permits to commercial vehicles without regard to safety. He noted the regardless of the permit if it is a bus stop vehicle should be ticketed. He stated Transit Police should encourage patrolling of violators with the local city police. D. Nye stated that the MBTA as 250 officers, 150 on the streets for all three shifts and 10 officers on the midnight shift serving 175 cities and towns. There 140 officers per squad. She noted that the motorcycle units are patrolling and checking for violators. She noted that they have been reaching out to owners of shops near bus stops to express to customers or post a sign in the window not to block bus stops.
A consumer asked would it help if a picture of the vehicle violating the stop be sent to you. D. Nye encouraged taking a picture and asked that pictures be sent to the Transit Police. She stated that this would help track down the person with their plate number. Chairman White asked that you use caution when taking pictures. M. Hulak asked that you not become confrontational with the motorist.
Chris Woznac, General Manager, TRAC submitted her report and stated the following.
She then asked for questions.
R. Gibson asked were staff hired who are users of THE RIDE. She also asked if staff were hired from the vendors who had transitioned over. C. Woznac explained that Global hired five RIDE customers, others with experience from NEXT and GLSS. She noted that staff is constantly being trained. She noted that a special staffer has been hired to work closely work with dispatchers.
E. Minor stated that she has a subscription service with her vendor. C. Woznac explained that there is no need contact Global there will be no service disruptions.
K. Wilson noted calls to Global waited a very long time only to be disconnected. C. Woznac explained that when calls come in at a high volume often calls do drop due to the over load.
A consumer asked whose decision it was to have the centralized call center (CCC). M. Hulak explained that the discussion began in early 2010 to improve efficiency. He noted that the MBTA was the only transit system in the country without a CCC.
Chairman White thanked Ms. Woznac for her update.
Elizabeth Hickey, Manager and Title VI/ADA Enforcer, announced the following:
She noted that General Manager, David Scorey, invited guest at today’s Summit announced some positive improvements that have occurred on commuter rail:
She then asked for questions.
M. A. Murray asked will there be Salem Station shuttle service to move the customers during the station closure. E. Hickey explained that they are in talks with a paratransit service. She explained that Keolis is only the operator of the service, they do not own it. She stated that there is nothing in place and she apologized.
A consumer stated that Keolis conductors are very formidable. E. Hickey thanked her for her kindness.
Chairman White thanked Ms. Hickey for her update.
Kevin MacDonald, Project Manager distributed his report and announced that passenger assistance training (PAT) class would take place on June 27 from 9 AM to 3 PM.
He then asked for questions.
A consumer commented that she finds drivers are not very sensitive. K. MacDonald noted that the training is approved by the MBTA.
K. Wilson noted that he has seen drivers eating and talking on the phone while driving. K. MacDonald explained that if you see something that makes you uncomfortable report it right away to OTA or the vendor.
Chairman White thanked Mr. MacDonald for his update.
Steve Epps, Director of Transportation, submitted his report and announced the following:
He then asked for questions.
R. Welsh asked his opinion on how the transition went. S. Epps explained that discussions had been in the works for months. NEXT went before us which helped to eliminate many of the problems. He noted that many of the staff from GLSS has been hired.
K. Wilson noted he was confused over a recent call to add funds to his account. M. Hulak noted that he would no longer speak with the vendors that function is handle by Global. It was a matter of your loading funds outside of normal hours.
Chairman Whitethanked Mr. Epps for his report.
Victor Herrera, General Manager, stated the following:
He then asked for questions. No questions were asked.
Chairman Whitethanked Mr. Herrera for his update.
Meeting adjourned at 3:00 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.
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.
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