Metro has reached a $2.2 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit over the agency’s MetroAccess service filed three years ago by a District-based anti-discrimination group.
The Equal Rights Center had alleged MetroAccess, a federally mandated transportation program for disabled riders, had violated both the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act through late pickups, unreasonably lengthy trips, discourteous drivers, no-shows and other problems, according to Arlene Corbin-Lewis, a spokeswoman for the group.
The settlement provides 10 free rides to all registered MetroAccess riders, $5,000 to the 14 customers named in the suit and $65,000 to the Equal Rights Center, as well as other damages and attorneys’ fees, according to Metro. The agreement is awaiting approval from a U.S. District Court judge.
“We couldn’t be happier about Metro’s decision to do the right thing in this case and get the problems solved that were affecting so many riders,” Corbin-Lewis said.
Metro did not admit guilt as part of the settlement, spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said, though the agency did implement a series of changes to its MetroAccess service since the suit was filed, including increasing its para-transit budget by $4 million per year for three years. MetroAccess serves about 17,000 riders.
“We think it’s a good compromise, mainly because the focus of the settlement really is on improving service for our customers,” Farbstein said.
