Back in November of 2006, DC Paratransit Info reported in the introduction of the new 6000 series MetroRail stock.
As part of that report, we noted that the new cars suffered from the same lack of signage giving priority to people with disabilities - primarily wheelchair users.
This issue is one that seems to crop up frequently with MetroRail cars. The new 6000 series cars have wonderfully open areas at either end, as well as a place that’s perfect for wheelchairs in the center - but other than the seats at the center, there is no signage indicating priority usage.
This causes problems for wheelchair users, since able-bodied people (or, more often, their luggage) taking up these places means the wheelchair user can’t park and use the grab bars to stay stable when the train is in motion.
A similar problem can be found with the older (5000 series?) cars, which have fold-up seats at the driver’s compartment of the cars. These fold-up seats, with their associated wheelchair locks, also have no signage indicating priority use.
The lack of signage on these older cars is one we raised directly with WMATA all the way back in February of 2006, at which point we received a “We’ll look into it” from WMATA’s Mr Millis - after which, total silence.
We raised this issue again with Mr Christian Kent, who is now an Assistant General Manager, at the end of February 2008 (two years after the last time we were told it was being “looked into”), who told us:
I am pleased to report that we are already working with our Rail department on the signage you mentioned, and we are getting full cooperation.
Back at the start of 2006, Pat challenged Dan Tangherlini, the Interim General Manager of WMATA at the time, about the delays and excuses being used to “justify” the lack of signage. Pat proved that the correct signage could be created for under $2 for each sign - and less than a week after telling Mr Tangherlini about this proved it by handing him one.
If we can come up with signage so cheaply and so rapidly, why is it taking WMATA over 2 years to get out of the “investigation” stage?
Signage may seem like a trivial issue, but the lack of signage reduces the availability of wheelchair bays to riders, preventing them from being able to secure themselves against train motion by holding on to the grab bars - especially with the new 6000 series cars, which don’t have the vertical poles in the carriages many wheelchair riders could use to hold on to.
Does this make the signage not only an accessibility issue, but a health and safety issue? DC Paratransit Info is unsure, but the issue needs to be examined - given that there has been no action in over two years since we raised the issue (and we’re almost certain we’re not the only ones to have raised this in the past), the delays have gone on long enough and WMATA has to act to resolve this “trivial” issue.
Categories: MetroRail , WMATA | Tags: Accessibility, Disability, MetroRail, WMATA | By: .
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