Capital Area Metropolitan Transit Authority
Access Advisory Committee
April 1, 2009 Minutes Draft
314 W. 11th Street, Ned Granger Building

Members Present:

1. Diane Bomar-Aleman, Chair Access Committee, Member STS Subcommittee
2. Dave Patterson, Vice Chair Access Committee, Member Fixed Route Subcommittee
3. Boone J. Blocker, Secretary Access Committee, Member Fixed Route Subcommittee
4. Mary Ward, Chair STS Subcommittee
5. Jane Lansaw, Chair Fixed Route Subcommittee (Malcolm’s proxy
)
6. Amy Litzinger, Member STS Subcommittee
7. Sandra Seekamp, Member Fixed Route Subcommittee

Members Absent

1. Will Brown, Member Fixed Route Subcommittee
2. Malcolm Graham, Member STS Subcommittee

Capital Metro Staff Present

1. Inez Evans, Director Paratransit
2. Randy Hume, Chief Financial Officer
3. Julie Martin, Staff Liaison
4. Rafael Villarreal, Assistant Director of Paratransit
5. Nancy Crowther, Accessible Transportation Specialist
6. Bob Dunlap, MetroAccess Road Supervisor
7. Dominic Mays, FRS Safety Specialist

Guests Present

1. Michael Zitz-Evancih
2. James Battle
3. Kris Shludermann
4. Kia Watts
5. Carlos Aleman

Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 5:36 pm by Chair Aleman.

Citizen’s Communication
Michael Zitz-Evancih reported that he used MetroAccess during South by Southwest and it was very helpful. He also stated that during the coming week at the AT&T Conference Center, the Brain Injury Association of Texas would be having another workshop. More information can be found at atx.org. He attended the memorial for Wayne Spahn at the Austin ADAPT office and said it was nice.

Carlos Aleman said that it was because of Capital Metro’s fixed-route and MetroAccess services he’s been able to get around. He tells his own stories to help the committee with some examples of current issues. On March 19, 2009 he registered a complaint using Capital Metro’s complaint line and he received no call back. He called the line again with a similar issue and the dispatcher read back the comments from the first occurrence. He was using one of the pre-set favorites on the IVR and was told by the dispatcher that he needed to tell where he was going. During the second incident, his ride was again late and he called Where’s My Ride? After this, the driver still did not have his destination address on the manifest. Boone Blocker, secretary of the Access Advisory Committee, will interview him to make sure the issue is properly recorded and followed up on.

Kia Watts, an intern from the West Oaks Nursing Facility, gave an account of the isolation of the residents. Located at 3200 W. Slaughter, the facility is not serviced by any fixed-route buses and subsequently, not by MetroAccess either. The residents are frustrated because they would like to go out into the community but are stranded with no transportation. Secretary Blocker will also interview this citizen to make sure the issue is recorded and followed up on.

Access Chair Diane Aleman gave an account of a friend who was not able to physically attend the Access meeting. On Monday and Wednesday, the person has a class at ACC Northridge. The first time, the person, who lives in south Austin, was picked up at 2:50 pm for a 5:00 pm class. Then, on several occasions the person was told they have a cab voucher on the IVR, but a MetroAccess vehicle shows up anyway. Chair Aleman is still concerned about using a fixed-route bus schedule for the scheduling of MetroAccess rides. She stated that people are not supposed to be arriving more than 30 minutes early to an appointment. She wants to see the rides that are too early listed on the Access reports generated by Capital Metro and if the IVR says the person has a cab voucher, they should not be charged with a no-show.

Several members of the Access Committee offered opinions on these and other issues relayed in the Citizen’s Communication. Jane Lansaw said the ADA states that rides should be both practicable for both Capital Metro and the passenger. Mary Ward relayed the situation of a person with several disabilities being unsafely left too early at 7:15 am in the neighborhood around Cameron Road. Sandy Seekamp spoke of a man by the name of Peter Pollard who went from the VA facility and then over to Brackenridge Hospital. He was running late and was getting dropped off at the same time he was actually supposed to be leaving for his trip back home. He called the dispatcher, but was unable to reach anyone.

Approval of Minutes for March 4, 2009
Mary Ward moved and Jane Lansaw seconded that the minutes from the March 4, 2009 Access Advisory Committee meeting be approved. The motion passed.

Moment of Silence
Nancy Crowther of Capital Metro suggested the group partake in a moment of silence for a couple of MISAC (the predecessor of the Access Committee) members who recently passed away. Wayne Spahn and Shirley Wolverton helped shape the transit system of Austin for the better. Chair Aleman remarked that they had both done a great service and Jane Lansaw talked about the nationwide efforts of the civil/disability rights leader Wayne Spahn.

Designated Pick-Up and Drop-Off Locations
Capital MetroAccess is designed as a door-through-door transportation service. Chair Aleman stated that while at the airport waiting for an open-return ride back into the city, the seating should not be in the weather. Recently, Capital Metro staff sent out an email to Julie Martin and Nancy Crowther (also of Capital Metro) that a pick-up location at pole # 6 would be fine as long as the Austin Bergstrom International (ABI) Airport security personnel were ok with the area.

James Battle, the Security and Ground Transportation Manager for the ABI Airport came to the Access meeting to discuss this issue. He said that he talked with Inez Evans of Capital Metro in March and Chair Aleman in January of 2009 and again recently. The ABI Airport security personnel signed off on a new pick-up location which is curbside, directly at the ramps and with seating at the window. The Homeland Security Department regulations state that no vehicle can be left unattended, but if the driver sees the passenger, he can help them get in the vehicle. The seating area is in between Doorway 5 and 6, roughly 65 feet from where the vehicle is parked. The driver is allowed to get out of the vehicle and look for the passenger and may leave his vehicle in its location for up to 30 minutes if the security threat level is not elevated. If they cannot find the passenger in the 30 minutes, they are allowed to circle back around and then try and find the passenger again. Ms. Evans of Capital Metro stated that 65 feet might be too far away for the driver to leave their vehicle unattended. This discussion raised a couple of issues, and further clarification is needed.

Recruitment of New Access Committee Members
Julie Martin gave assurances from Capital Metro that Will Brown’s position on the Access Committee, which runs until September 2010, could be filled quickly. Then, Capital Metro would soon begin collecting applications for the 10th member vacancy, and they would be recruited through June of 2009.

Nancy Crowther read a letter from the Chair of the Capital Metro Board, Margaret Gomez. The letter was addressed to Access Chair Aleman and sought to clarify several issues. She covered the mission and purpose of the Access Advisory Committee and the Customer Satisfaction Advisory Committee (CSAC). The letter covered the role of the Capital Metro staff liaison and their role with Access. The agendas, meetings and materials of the Access Committee must relate to issues dealing with Capital Metro. This helps the Capital Metro Board of Directors form ways to serve the disability community. The letter also stated that the interview process which now includes the present Access Chair, the past Access Chair and an at-large member of the committee could be changed within the appropriate process.

Capital Metro Staff Reports
Randy Hume came to the Access meeting to discuss MetroAccess finance issues raised in the March Capital Metro Board of Director’s Meeting. He said that there have recently been several incorrect and misleading articles in the Austin American Statesman. Capital Metro worked with the reporter, Ben Wear, but several facts were misrepresented. Capital Metro is not broke or delinquent in any of its financial obligations. From 2000-2004 Capital Metro agreed to pay the city a quarter percent of its revenues. He said that while Capital Metro did spend some of their cash reserves, these expenses were expected and for capital improvements. Currently, sales tax revenues are down, but the financial agreements with the city are paid out over time.

Ridership is down, but Capital Metro is trying to find ways to make up for that. Chair Aleman asked about the 2001 budget surplus and if that money was coming from sales taxes and fares. Mr. Hume stated that Capital Metro had lived within its budget in the last two years and that the $299 million spent was on legitimate capital projects. He also stated that the past budgets of Capital Metro all show these planned capital expenses. Chair Aleman pointed out that during all of this, the MetroAccess service area was cut.

David Patterson, liaison to CSAC, has wanted to include a fiduciary clause in the by-laws of both the CSAC and Access Committees to help guard against undue influence on the bodies. Mr. Hume said that the board of Capital Metro has to sign a conflict of interest document and that he can look into this issue for the committees.

Mr. Hume talked about the paratransit adjustment issues. Capital Metro has tried to cut its operating budget from all departments, but unlike other cities, they have not drastically scaled back on the fixed-route bus trips. They are trying to cut back on the amount of outside consultants used by the agency. Several Access members expressed their concern over scaling back MetroAccess services to industry best practices, which they see as conforming to bare minimum for ADA requirements.

Mr. Hume also discussed briefly the consultant study which looked at the satisfaction levels of the drivers. He stated that in his 31 years in the transportation industry, if the drivers were unhappy, the passengers would know it. He also said that the drastic drop in the price of diesel fuel has helped Capital Metro’s operating budget. He stated that the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), had asked for an outside audit in their peer review and that the audit had come back with a clean record.

Access Committee Reports
Chair Aleman spoke about the recent activities in the Metro Mobility Working Group (MMWG) and that she had recently been elected Chair of the MMWG. The group had come up with a no-show policy and a printed report was passed out. Mr. Patterson asked about the no-show policy in relation to the difficulty getting through to the Where’s My Ride? and cancellation lines.

Mr. Blocker reported on the financial paratransit report given by Randy Hume at the Capital Metro Board of Directors’ March meeting. He said that Capital Metro was working with the Access Committee to implement some industry best practices, which was later clarified as the work happening in the Metro Mobility Working Group.

Jane Lansaw gave a report on the fixed-route subcommittee. She talked about Westgate area signage, the MLK Jr. MetroRail station and the issues with crossing the streets around the station. She also talked about enunciators and the continuing problem with getting them working and/or the drivers announcing stops. Sandy Seekamp spoke about the hesitancy of some passengers to use their Disability Fare Cards for fear of being denied MetroAccess service in the future.

Mary Ward gave a report on the STS subcommittee. The subcommittee went over the latest Capital Metro generated Access ridership data. The group talked about recruitment of new Access members and new places to solicit willing applicants

Adjournment
Sandra Seekamp moved and Mary Ward seconded a motion to adjourn. The motion passed and the meeting was adjourned at 7:35 pm.

The next Access Advisory Committee Meeting will be held May 6, 2009 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at the 314 W. 11th, Ned Granger Travis County Commissioner’s Courthouse Building.

Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority
2910 East 5th Street | Austin, Texas 78702 | (512) 389-7400
Specific Route Information | (512) 474-1200