Why S.M.A.R.T. Awarded These Grades to Metro in September 2024 ADA Compliance

Learn why S.M.A.R.T. awarded Metro with high grades for their September 2024 compliance with ADA standards.

March Grade: F | June Grade: F | September Grad: D-

Progress noted: Metro continues to deny many rides to people with the disabilities each month, but we do note a steep reduction in denials. It has also been a hardship that some of the improvement has come at the expense of loss of service area. Some riders experience early or late pickups and excessively long trips. To secure transportation, people with disabilities may have to accept trip times that mean they arrive or depart much earlier or later than they desire.

Progress still needed: According to the ADA, paratransit companies are not allowed to have operational patterns or practices that significantly limit the availability of service, including a substantial number of:

Significantly untimely pickups (out of “pickup window”)

Trip denials or missed trips

Trips with excessive trip length (compared to fixed route modes)

Telephone busy signals or long hold times

Meaningfully Engage with People with Disabilities

March Grade: D | June Grade: C | September Grade: C

Progress noted:

A large number of applicants for the ADA Advisory Committee were recruited, and fifteen have been selected to serve.

We continue to receive regular Stakeholder letters.

Community Connect meetings continue to be offered. (Perhaps the publicity methods that secured the large number of ADA Advisory Committee applicants could be utilized to improve attendance.) Accessibility at some locations could be improved.

We continue to celebrate that the Board of Commissioners now meets publicly.

Progress still needed: Thorough outreach before public events; consultation with customers of many identities throughout every stage of every process (planning, implementation, evaluation, etc.); Metro executives should visit personally with the many regional organizations serving and/or employing people with disabilities.

Keeping Promises

March Grade: Three Incompletes | June Grade: D, Incomplete, C-minus | September Grade: C, Incomplete, Not Applicable

Promise # 1 – Improved Phones: Some riders report their scheduling process takes less time and that dropped calls are much less frequent.

Promise # 2 – Updating Software: Metro has selected a vendor, but implementation has not yet occurred. We believe people with disabilities should have been involved in reviewing options and helping to select a product that best meets the needs of our community.

Promise # 3 – Contracting with an ADA Consultant: In June, 2023, S.M.A.R.T. suggested that Metro seek expertise in running a modern and efficient system. Instead, they contracted with an ADA consultant, Jess Segovia. We graded his process and report with a C- in June, but we continue to contend that Metro needs guidance from consultants who understand how to modernize and improve overall service. Compliance with the ADA is a low bar to achieve. (The ADA is a floor, not a ceiling.)

Progress still needed: Online options are desired my many. Interactive Voice Recognition (IVR) is needed for those who cannot push buttons (“press or say three…”). Software should be capable of managing a robust, efficient urban transit system.

On September 14, 2023, FTA issued a letter that stated: “Given technological advances over the past three decades, it is often possible to schedule and provide real time paratransit services.” Bi-State Development has provided a paratransit plan to S.M.A.R.T. that is dated June 1, 1992. We hear an expressed commitment to moving Metro forward. A paratransit plan that reflects those three decades of progress is much needed. So is a commitment to professionalism, culture change, and urgency related to improvement – across every level of staffing at Metro.

Customer Experience

March Grade: D+ | June Grade: D+ | September Grade: C

Progress noted: A growing number of S.M.A.R.T. members note some improvements. We are experiencing fewer denials and one-way trips. Frequency of communication and the tone of those communications have improved significantly.

Progress still needed: Consultation with people with disabilities could be happening now rather than waiting for the official launch of the  new ADA Advisory Committee. We will be watching to see whether this committee has true power in decision-making and guidance.

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Keywords: S.M.A.R.T., Metro, September 2024, ADA compliance, grades

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