DC ParaTransit Info received a followup email this morning from Mr Glenn Millis at WMATA, regarding the ability of MetroRail operators to control the HVAC system:
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In light of WMATA‘s recent decision to implement “Conditional Eligibility” on MetroAccess riders, which will force many riders in time to have to use fixed-route transit, DC ParaTransit Info has started to take a closer look at the conditions of that system and its readiness to provide reliable safe transit for people with disabilities.  Image via Wikipedia One of the things we have noticed is the number of complaints online regarding the HVAC systems on MetroRail trains. This can be a critical issue for many disabled riders – heat especially can have an amplified deleterious effect on people, dependent on their disability. That’s not even examining the effects of excessive heat on able-bodied riders themselves. Lena Sun of the Washington Post writes that the Metro Board has approved a plan to spend up to $1 million hiring “professional” mystery riders, who will go out and assess MetroRail and MetroBus services. This isn’t a new idea. As the Post notes, it’s been done before, albeit using trained volunteers – and is something we at DC ParaTransit Info has mentioned before. Done properly, it can produce relatively unbiased metrics about the service, as opposed to the idea of using customer feedback. Customer feedback tends to only concentrate on negatives – how many people actually take the time to call or write to WMATA to tell them they’re doing a good job? Updated 4-16-2008 @ 8:26am WMATA is geared up for Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to DC this week, with fixed-route service changes to cope with the expected crowds. This includes running rush-hour scheduling from 5am to 7pm on both Wednesday April 16th and Thursday April 17th. Several fixed routes will be affected by rolling road closures over the course of the visit. The WMATA web site estimates that up to 16 fixed route bus services may be affected. MetroRail especially is likely to become very crowded, with large numbers of people from outside the area riding the system over the course of this once-in-a-lifetime event. 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. |
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