DC ParaTransit Info

WMATA’s web site contains a press release advising of delays this saturday (March 25th 2006) due to the National Marathon.

WMATA advises that MetroAccess riders in the District and Prince George’s County may experience delays because of the road closures, and encourages riders to schedule their trips later in the day because of the expected road closures.

According to the information on WMATA’s site, the Marathon will begin at around 7am, and is expected to end around 2pm.

Posted: 2 years, 1 month ago | No Comments
Categories: General , WMATA | Tags: | By: miika.    Print This Post

Given that WMATA has stated to DC ParaTransit Info it considers burying notification of the FY2007 Proposed Budget meeting deep within their site to be “adequate” notification whilst not mentioning it in their news pages, we note with great amusement the appearance, a day after the event, on the news section of WMATA’s site a press release soliciting comments and questions via email.

We regret that WMATA seems to have made sure that the MetroAccess ridership, through lack of effective notification of this meeting, were unable to face the Board to ask their questions or make comments in person.

Posted: 2 years, 1 month ago | No Comments
Categories: General , WMATA | Tags: | By: miika.    Print This Post

The Washington Post reports that WMATA’s Interim General Manager, Mr Dan Tangherlini, is pressing for the appointment of an Inspector General with oversight of Metro operations, including MetroAccess.

The article states that the WMATA Board is in favour of the plan, and we agree - independant oversight of WMATA operations is necessary given the way it has been managed in the past. It will need an independant eye kept on it as it struggles to make up for past mistakes, which last year alone according to the post resulted in the loss of over $1 billion in railcar and elevator contracts alone.

Posted: 2 years, 1 month ago | No Comments
Categories: In The Media , WMATA | Tags: | By: miika.    Print This Post

The Washington Post’s “Regional Briefing” page today notes that:

The Metro transit authority plans to hold an information session on its proposed budget from 7 to 9 p.m. today at its headquarters in downtown Washington.

Metro board members and senior managers will answer questions and listen to concerns. The information session, at the Metro Board Room, 600 Fifth St. NW, will be preceded by an open house at 6:30 p.m.

Metro asks that people who want to speak at the session sign up by e-mail at public-hearing-testimony@wmata.com or by sending a fax to 202-962-1133 by 2 p.m. today. Speakers should submit a written copy of their comments at the session.

Posted: 2 years, 1 month ago | No Comments
Categories: In The Media , Press Releases , WMATA | Tags: | By: miika.    Print This Post

The Washington Post reported on Friday that the Metro Board has finally approved MV Transportation’s request, made at the start of the contract, for over $1 Million in additional funds. This request, to outfit legacy vehicles remaining in the fleet from the Logisticare days, had been originally rejected by the Board.

Whilst WMATA tries to spin this into the Board making positive moves to try to resolve the issues facing MetroAccess, it’s more accurately Metro having to once more backtrack on itself, and this decision would have been better served if WMATA had listened to the experience of the contractors it had hired to operate the service back in January.

Posted: 2 years, 1 month ago | No Comments
Categories: In The Media , WMATA | Tags: | By: miika.    Print This Post

DC ParaTransit attended the MetroAccess sub-Committee meeting of the RAC, which met on Wednesday March 15. We felt that, since the agenda for this meeting allowed time for public comment, it was the next logical step after the public fora held on March 13. The community’s voices were heard - now what was going to be done with the issues that were raised?

Posted: 2 years, 1 month ago | No Comments
Categories: General , WMATA | Tags: | By: miika.    Print This Post

Having seen the number of Riders that had descended on the February meeting of the Elderly & Disabled Committee MetroAccess Subcommittee, it wasn’t much of a surprise to see the attendance level at this, the first public forum specifically held to address the situation with MetroAccess since the transition in mid-January.

What was surprising however was the number of representatives of organizations that were present, and that participated.  Even more surprising was that, given the Rider’s Advisory Council is new and unproven, many brought along not only complaints, but also practical suggestions based on their experiences.  It’s a sign of the trust the riders are more likely to put in a rider-based organization over working through the established WMATA-controlled avenues.

Posted: 2 years, 1 month ago | No Comments
Categories: General , WMATA | Tags: | By: miika.    Print This Post

The MetroAccess Clients Care Group of the Washington Metropolitan Area has scheduled a public meeting to address the various transportation problems that we encounter every day in the hands of the new MetroAccess System management Company, The MV Transportation, Inc.

The meeting will commence at 11:00AM with the introduction of our government officials and expected guest speakers such as: Congressman Chris Van Hollen or, his representative — Ms Karen McManus; Metro General Manager — Mr. Dan Tangherlini; Director of MetroAcces Mr. Christian Kent and; MV Transportation CEO — Mr. John Munson.
Among the topics of discussion are:

Posted: 2 years, 2 months ago | No Comments
Categories: Press Releases , WMATA | Tags: | By: miika.    Print This Post

Public Forums on MetroAccess Service Set for March 13th
Let the MetroAccess Riders Speak

The Metro Riders’ Advisory Council and the Elderly and Disabled Committee are sponsoring two forums for MetroAccess riders on Monday, March 13th. The forums are being held to let customers voice their concerns about MetroAccess service. MetroAccess is provided to people with disabilities for whom Metrobus and Metrorail are not accessible. MetroAccess riders deserve the opportunity to make their voice heard and they also deserve significant, sustainable improvements in service.

Posted: 2 years, 2 months ago | No Comments
Categories: Press Releases , WMATA | Tags: | By: miika.    Print This Post

According to a brief article in the Washington Post, the MetroAccess call center was briefly evacuated yesterday, leaving telephone lines unstaffed for about 15 minutes, after a fire alarm was pulled in the Silver Spring office building.

The false alarm went off about 1:45 p.m., according to Metro. It seems that MV’s employees didn’t leave until they were told to by Fire officials at around 2pm, returning quarter of an hour later after the alarm had been determined to be a false one.

Posted: 2 years, 2 months ago | No Comments
Categories: In The Media , WMATA | Tags: | By: miika.    Print This Post