Study Raps Metro on Service for Disabled

The problem with the policy is that many riders need assistance to get from their doors to the MetroAccess vehicle. In the weeks since MV started providing MetroAccess service, blind riders have complained that they would have no idea that a van had arrived because the driver would not get out. The van would idle for the required 10-minute wait and leave, stranding the unsuspecting passenger. Other riders have said they need assistance to reach the curb.

In recent days, Metro initiated a telephone system that sends an automated call to riders when a van approaches. Metro managers said a door-to-door policy would add to the program's cost.

The study also found reliability problems, noting that MetroAccess riders are often picked up late and their trips last too long. There is no same-day service. Passengers have to reserve a ride at least a day in advance, which robs disabled riders of the flexibility that most travelers enjoy, the study says.

Communication is another problem area, Porter said. MetroAccess officials need to speak with and listen to riders, investigate complaints and report findings of those investigations to the riders, she said.

Nikki Frenney, a spokeswoman for MV Transportation, has said repeatedly that the company has been frustrated by weak communication between MetroAccess and its riders.

When the company was awarded the contract last fall, executives asked Metro how the agency was going to prepare riders for changes in service, she said. "That never really happened," Frenney said.

In response to the huge number of complaints, Metro set up a weekly telephone conference to enable riders to speak directly with MetroAccess officials.

But Metro has not publicized the telephone number because managers are worried that the phone system would be overwhelmed, Metro spokeswoman Candace Smith said.