Posted on Oct 15, 2023
Disability rights advocates decry Metro Transit’s Call-A-Ride as unreliable
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A cyberattack on Metro Transit froze its Call-A-Ride van service this month and left people in St. Louis and St. Louis County’s disability community without transportation for about three days.
Local disability rights advocates say the recent disruption reflects long-standing issues that make paratransit services – which are required by law – inaccessible and unreliable.
“People with disabilities should have the right to have a barrier-free life and have a full and happy life,” Jeanette Mott Oxford told St. Louis on the Air. “Transportation is absolutely essential to that.”
Oxford, a former Missouri state representative who now serves as the public policy and advocacy manager at the disability advocacy nonprofit Paraquad, said the paratransit service is failing many riders.
In April, Metro Transit eliminated service for some areas in St. Louis County to help deal with a shortage of drivers. A Metro spokesperson also said the changes were necessary to meet service needs for anyone in the federally required service area.
In a statement, Metro Transit said the agency is committed to extensive outreach with Call-A-Ride customers. “We want to continue to have real conversations with our customers with disabilities and their allies,” the statement read. “We are working hard to make our planning and implementation processes more inclusive.”
Advocates like Etefia Umana, who is blind and has used the service for the past nine years, say they want Metro Transit to meaningfully include people with disabilities in decision-making.
Local disability rights advocates say the recent disruption reflects long-standing issues that make paratransit services – which are required by law – inaccessible and unreliable.
“People with disabilities should have the right to have a barrier-free life and have a full and happy life,” Jeanette Mott Oxford told St. Louis on the Air. “Transportation is absolutely essential to that.”
Oxford, a former Missouri state representative who now serves as the public policy and advocacy manager at the disability advocacy nonprofit Paraquad, said the paratransit service is failing many riders.
In April, Metro Transit eliminated service for some areas in St. Louis County to help deal with a shortage of drivers. A Metro spokesperson also said the changes were necessary to meet service needs for anyone in the federally required service area.
In a statement, Metro Transit said the agency is committed to extensive outreach with Call-A-Ride customers. “We want to continue to have real conversations with our customers with disabilities and their allies,” the statement read. “We are working hard to make our planning and implementation processes more inclusive.”
Advocates like Etefia Umana, who is blind and has used the service for the past nine years, say they want Metro Transit to meaningfully include people with disabilities in decision-making.
Disability rights advocates decry Metro Transit’s Call-A-Ride as unreliable
Posted from stlpr.org
Disability
Travel
St. Louis
Posted 7 mo ago
Responses: 2
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."In March, a coalition of employers and advocacy organizations filed a complaint to federal agencies against the Metro Call-A-Ride program.
The complaints allege the transit agency has “failed to comply with the complementary transit requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.” Inflexible scheduling, long wait times and high route denial rates are some of the concerns detailed in the complaints.
For its part, Metro Transit said that its goal is not to deny any rides and that its Call-A-Ride service is improving. Usage data provided by the agency shows that in the 10 weeks prior to the cyberattack (July 24 to Oct. 1), the agency denied 17% of rides and provided nearly 5,700 trips. That’s compared to a 39% denial rate and about 5,100 rides from Jan. 30 to April 9.
Elton Thomas, a manager at the nonprofit Lighthouse for the Blind, said when there is a call or ride cancellation, people miss planned medical appointments, workdays, social events and opportunities to engage in their communities.
“We're preparing adults [and] youth to live their lives to be employed, to be a part of that community and then they run into transportation issues because our paratransit system is so unreliable,” Thomas said. “[It’s] something that keeps me up at night, thinking about my brothers and sisters in the disability community that are suffering because of transportation.”"
..."In March, a coalition of employers and advocacy organizations filed a complaint to federal agencies against the Metro Call-A-Ride program.
The complaints allege the transit agency has “failed to comply with the complementary transit requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.” Inflexible scheduling, long wait times and high route denial rates are some of the concerns detailed in the complaints.
For its part, Metro Transit said that its goal is not to deny any rides and that its Call-A-Ride service is improving. Usage data provided by the agency shows that in the 10 weeks prior to the cyberattack (July 24 to Oct. 1), the agency denied 17% of rides and provided nearly 5,700 trips. That’s compared to a 39% denial rate and about 5,100 rides from Jan. 30 to April 9.
Elton Thomas, a manager at the nonprofit Lighthouse for the Blind, said when there is a call or ride cancellation, people miss planned medical appointments, workdays, social events and opportunities to engage in their communities.
“We're preparing adults [and] youth to live their lives to be employed, to be a part of that community and then they run into transportation issues because our paratransit system is so unreliable,” Thomas said. “[It’s] something that keeps me up at night, thinking about my brothers and sisters in the disability community that are suffering because of transportation.”"
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