The costly service that Metro provides for disabled riders has the chance to be reinvented in the coming years, and the transit agency is seeking rider input into exactly how. The $548 million, multi-year contract with the current provider of the MetroAccess service is set to expire in 2013, opening the way for a new company to provide the federally mandated service to riders who are unable to take Metrobus or rail. The agency could stick with one contractor or hire multiple companies to handle different aspects of the service.
The change could mean improvements – or more confusion in a system that has been plagued with problems. Metro is asking for input in town hall meetings this week and by mail as it begins the process. It also has hired consultants to research the options.
| Want to have a say? |
| Metro is hosting two more town hall meetings from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. this week. People can speak out at the meetings or call in their comments by phone starting at 6:30 p.m.: |
| Tuesday: Arlington Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington |
| Wednesday: First United Methodist Church of Hyattsville, 6201 Belcrest Road in Hyattsville |
| By phone: Call 202-962-1141 during the meeting dates and times above. |
| Riders can mail comments to [email protected] or to WMATA, Attn: MetroAccess, 600 Fifth Street NW, Washington, DC 20001 |
“It’s a big piece of business. It’s important for us to get it right,” Metro Assistant General Manager of Access Services Christian Kent said.
MetroAccess has been a thorn in the side of Metro and its riders for years. The transit agency is required to provide service to disabled riders under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and for many it’s the sole lifeline to doctor’s appointments, jobs and the region.
But the service has attracted more than twice as many complaints as Metrorail even though its ridership is a small fraction of the train’s. It has been subject to at least two class-action lawsuits, including one case settled in 2007 that accused the service of late pickups, unreasonably lengthy trips, no-shows and rude drivers. The agency has been under court-ordered monitoring from the case until this year.
Meanwhile, its soaring costs drove up Metro’s budget. Until recently demand for the service was growing by double digits – as much as 22 percent a year – yet each ride costs the agency about $40 beyond what the typical fare brings in, causing an economic sinkhole that has raised taxpayer subsidies to an estimated $110 million this year and required Metro to kick in extra money to the contractor.
Metro has been making changes. Customer satisfaction has improved, Kent said. The goal was to reduce the number of complaints to five per every 1,000 trips on the service. In the last year, it’s been in the three- to four- range at times.
Last year, Metro raised fares, making them double what a comparable trip on bus or rail would be. It also charges a premium for riders who travel beyond three-fourths of a mile of the existing rail and bus system. Metro has been tightening the certification process and encouraging riders who can to take Metrobus or Metrorail, giving them free rides to switch services.
Ridership on MetroAccess has dropped as Metro hoped, falling 7 percent in June from the previous year, according to Metro’s latest public statistics. At a recent meeting, board members lauded Kent for reeling in costs and reducing ridership.
