Members Present:Jose Loera, Juan Munoz, Julie Maloukis, Mary Ward, Judy Watford, R. L. Glock via proxy (Cathie Schumacher), Scott Meyer.
Absent: Jerry Doran (excused), Shelly Brisbin (excused), Will Brown(excused)
Capital Metro Staff Present:Nancy Crowther, John Ancira, Rafael (Ralph) Villarreal, Glen Chapin, Denise Guerrero, Dwight Ferrell, Scott Phebus.
Guests Present:Robert Dillion, Christine Guevera, David Patterson, Pam Scott.
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Chair Julie Maloukis at 5:02pm
Minutes: The December 6, 2006 minutes were presented for approval. Motion was made Loera and seconded by Munoz. The minutes were approved unanimously.
Presentation by Dwight Ferrell, Director of Operations. Dwight Farrell presented to the committee regarding the status of operations at Capital Metro.
Automated Ticket Vending Machines: Mr. Ferrell discussed the ticket vending machines for rail platforms. Committee members stressed that the machines must use a “voice guided speech” technology. It is not enough to have a machine with audio feedback.
Travel Training Project: The contract for bus training with Disability Assistance of Central Texas ends this spring. This contract is specifically for the training of riders with disabilities to help promote the use of fixed route. Access Members agreed unanimously that this program should continue.
Fares: Mr. Ferrell acknowledged the committee's recommendations for fare increases. However, he explained that Capital Metro must follow procedures set forth by legislature that dictate a specific process for stakeholder involvement.
New STS Vans: Mr. Ferrell acknowledged that the procurement process has been lengthy but stated that the specifications were written according to the committee's recommendations. He attributed this in part to the fact that the committee rejected the Sprinter vans that were first proposed, and he credited the committee for pointing out problems with those initial vehicles. He hopes to have the new vans purchased and in service by September 30, 2007.
STS Organization: In response to questions about the search for a permanent director of STS, Mr. Ferrell said that the Capital Metro Board of Directors has been debating the overall structure of Cap Metro for some months. It is unclear whether Cap Metro will continue to out source contracts for basic services. There are a number of vacancies in high level management, including STS, and they cannot be filled until the Board resolves these issues.
Status of New STS Facility: Capital Metro still plans to bring the facility and Burnett and 183 into operation by the end of this fiscal year. The plan is to have STS housed at this new facility. Issues with the previous contractor delayed construction.
GPS technology for the Blind: Mr. Ferrell continued previous discussion regarding interfacing Capital Metro bus stop information with GPS technology which is often used by the blind and visually impaired. Judy Watford stated the Sendero Group is the only company currently offering such technology and encouraged Mr. Ferrell to contact them. Mr. Ferrell stated he will initiate investigations but also stated that even a sole source contract with not cost to Capital Metro would have to be posted for bid. He also stated the legal counsel would need to review the process.
Fixed Route Delays: Mr. Ferrell addressed questions about the significant time delays recently reported with Route #4. He explained that the Bus 4/Montopolis is paired with the 18 MLK route and the area along the route has a number of construction projects along the way that cause delays. He stated that more buses are being sent out at key hours and that his staff is monitoring the issue.
Mr. Ferrell’s Goals for STS: Mr. Ferrell stated that changes in STS policies are inevitable in order to improve the efficiency and productivity of the product and he asked for the committee’s patience and support. He specifically stated that he is not suggesting cutting service. He would like to implement recommendations made by Kenny Hosen and he mentioned an interest in changing the name from Special Transit Services to Paratransit Services or something to that effect.
Taxi Vouchers: Mr. Ferrell answered questions regarding recent incidents with taxi drivers and voucher passengers. A group of drivers has reported that passengers are often refusing to pay overage and complain that Capital Metro trainers told them not to ask for it. So, they are losing money are have threatened to call the police. Capital Metro staff stated that drivers were told to ask the passengers for the overage, but were also told not to enter into a conflict with the passengers. Mr. Villarreal stated that all drivers with a legitimate complaint were directed to contact him and that he would insure that they would be paid.
Ms. Maloukis suggested that the problem may be due to a misunderstanding on the passengers’ part. She suggested that the reservationists should clearly state that the exact amount that the passenger would be expected to pay and verify that they would be able to pay it. She also stated that drivers may also contribute to the confusion in that some drivers don’t request the overage from regular customers. Then, when the customer rides with a different driver he/she is not aware that a fee needs to be paid.
CARTS: Mr. Ferrell proposed that many of the outlying areas currently served by Capital Metro are not at all cost effective. He said it may be possible to out service some of these trips to CARTS. This would free up vehicles and other resources.
Trapeze Software: The Trapeze software system is another source of inefficiency in STS, and Mr. Ferrell stated that he is committed to allocating resources to improve this. A special position has been created for a Capital Metro employee to work with improving Trapeze software.
No-Shows and Late Cancellations: Mr. Ferrell acknowledged that the Access has recommended stiffer penalties for no-shows and late cancellations. However, these things need to be approved by the Board.
Functional Assessments for Paratransit Eligibility: Mr. Ferrell stated that Kenny Hosen recommended that Capital Metro should conduct functional assessments for STS customers in-house. He said that a company is already slated to receive a contract to conduct these assessments. The Access Committee has not been supportive of this in the past. Members spoke up against this proposal.
Staff Report: Mr. Rafael Villarreal
Ridership figures for November, 2005 and November, 2006 were compared. There were 564 more trips in vans in 2006 than in 2005. The number of rides provided in sedans over the same period increased by approximately a thousand. Taxi rides decreased by approximately 5000. These figures followed the same general trends we have been seeing over the past few months. There was an overall increase in cancellations. However there were somewhat fewer no-shows in 2006 as well as fewer cancellations at the door. Late cancellations were up by 630. Committee members asked how many of the late cancellations and no-shows were related to drivers arriving 30 minutes after the scheduled time. Members stated that passengers should not be penalized for this time of missed trip.
Mr. Villarreal gave one more report on IVR use. There were 2174 requests for trips and 1605 offers. 7223 confirmations were made. There were 388 calls for cancellations, 1776 trips canceled. Average cancellations were 4.5 trips. Mr. Villarreal hopes to see an increase in trips canceled through IVR. The number of cancellations, confirmations and bookings were higher in December 2006 than December 2005.
Mr. Villarreal also addressed the possibility of going to a 30 minute window and eliminating time changes, and stated that he feels it will work. (The 30 minute window would require passengers to be ready to board 15 minutes before the scheduled ride and the driver would not be considered late until 15 minutes after the scheduled ride.)
Mr. Villarreal also spoke about difficulties with the triangulation system used by Trapeze. This could become a problem when trying to figure out whether a given location is within ¾ miles of the fixed route system. An agreement has been made that when such disputes arise, Map-quest will be used.
Mr. Villarreal said that there would be a memo to staff about disputes over taxi voucher fare overage. A letter will be drafted before penalties are imposed for no-shows and late cancellations. Chair Maloukis asked for a copy of both memos.
Staff Report: STS Policies and Procedures
Ms. Crowther reported that Julie Maloukis is working with Capital Metro staff to update the Policies and Procedures Guide for STS. The only policies to be added are those that Access has already approved. The new guidelines will include more information about the IVR, cancellations, and many other things that the customer needs to know. Emphasis is being placed on the use of clear, easily understood language rather than technical or bureaucratic jargon. This should help customers access the system better. Ms. Crowther hopes that this draft will be ready by the next STS subcommittee meeting on January 24.
Staff Report: Nancy Crowther
The Chair introduced this item, stating that she asked Ms. Crowther to speak about her role at Capital Metro. Ms. Crowther reported her primary obligation is to be sure that Capital Metro is following ADA regulations. She is also responsible for ensuring that Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act is followed. She has a very large authority and works with every department in Capital Metro. It is also her role to coordinate Access meetings, rooms and the like. Her job is to keep open communication between the Committee, the Board and Capital Metro Staff. She serves as the in-house advisor or consultant to Capital Metro on accessibility-related services. She deals with accessibility issues such as signage for bus stops, STS vans, and services for people who are elderly or who have disabilities. She encourages customers to call her or Rafael Villarreal about issues and concerns.
Ad Hoc Committee Appointments
Technology Committee. The chair formed this committee to review technology available to the disabled community as it relates to public transportation. She appointed Shelly Brisbin to Chair the committee and Judy Watson as a member. After asking for other volunteers, she appointed Juan Munoz and Mary Ward to serve as members also.
Rail Committee. The chair reappointed this committee to continue service without change. Judy Watford will chair the committee. Scott Meyer, Shelly Brisbin and Julie Maloukis will serve as members
Subcommittee ReportsReports - none (no meetings were held in December) The next meetings are scheduled for January 24, 2007.
Calendar – Ms. Maloukis distributed a meeting calendar to members for CY 2007. She asked members to review it and to report any conflicts at the February meeting.
Chair Report: Julie Maloukis
Ms. Maloukis gave a brief report of the December Board of Directors meeting. She presented the report she gave to the Board. She stated that she thanked Cynthia Hernandez for presenting the proposed fare increase to Access and she reported that Access approved the recommendations in that proposal. She also thanked the Board for the swift resolution to the sedan safety lock issue.
Ms. Maloukis asked members and passengers to direct specific issues related to STS travel to Nancy Crowther or to Rafael Villarreal. Passengers should be prepared to state the date, time, type of trip and to describe the incident in question. She encouraged members to relay this to other passengers. STS management will look into each incident individually and report back to the passenger. Ms. Maloukis stated that is not productive for members to discuss general problems at length during the meetings because nothing can be done to rectify incidents without specific information. Some passengers stated they are already doing this with good results.
Announcements
The Downtown Austin Alliance meets the first Thursday of every month. Capital Metro’s own Matt Curtis will be on the agenda. Members are encouraged to attend.
Citizens’ Communication
Mr. David Patterson asked that the committee entertain questions and answers from visitors throughout the meetings. This would increase a sense of openness at the meetings and would help citizens feel their voices were being heard. Julie Maloukis thanked him for speaking and told him that she would speak to him after the meeting about his specific questions. She stated that anyone with a concern is encouraged to email either Nancy or Julie.
New Business: This was tabled.
Adjournment.The meeting was adjourned at 6:52 p.m.
The next meeting will be February 7, 2007.
Respectfully Submitted, Mary Ward, Access Secretary
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority
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