In light of the apparent new openness of WMATA with regards to MetroAccess issues, DC ParaTransit Info has sent WMATA’s Media Relations one of the more pressing questions that has come up.
We’re trying to gather some more information for our testimony to the Budget meeting this evening, and were wondering if WMATA could clarify something for us.
The FTA ParaTransit Guidance, posted at http://www.fta.dot.gov/14531_17514_ENG_HTML.htm states
Under the ADA rule, it is not appropriate for a paratransit provider to establish an inflexible policy that refuses to provide service to eligible passengers beyond the curb in all circumstances. On an individual, case-by-case basis, paratransit providers are obliged to provide an enhancement to service when it is needed and appropriate to meet the origin-to-destination service requirement. We recognize that making individual, case-by-judgments may require additional effort, but this effort is necessary to ensure that the origin-to-destination requirement is met.
Our understanding, based on press releases, WMATA’s “Straight Scoop”, and the comments made by various WMATA personnel, is that WMATA’s current policies are “curb to curb” without any deviation permitted. Could you clarify WMATA’s position on the requirements it believes it has for MetroAccess service provision with regards to allowing the service to make reasonable accomodations to the various disability needs of the ridership, that go beyond the basic “curb to curb” definition?
We hope that we will get more of a response than we did when encouraged to send questions to Glenn Millis, the Director of ADA Programs at WMATA, recently, which never received any reply at all. We’ll post any response received here.
