A March 5 article about problems with MetroAccess service did not make it clear that Scott McDaniel, a MetroAccess rider, is an employee of Service Sources Inc., which operates the Woodmont Center in Arlington County. The article also misstated the nature of his disabilities. McDaniel is legally blind, and although he has other disabilities, he and his parents say he is not mentally disabled.
What Disabled Riders Endure
A Day on MetroAccess: Lapses Scattered but Painful
Sunday, March 5, 2006; Page A01
One woman's oxygen tank ran out because she waited so long.
A blind man's ride for a crucial medical appointment never came.
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A mentally disabled young man was left standing in the cold outside his locked day center for 20 minutes.
The public transportation system that serves thousands of disabled and elderly people in the Washington region is the subject of a record number of complaints from riders, public hearings and a federal lawsuit.
For the able-bodied, the repercussions of the service problems may be hard to imagine. But for the people who rely on the MetroAccess service to reach medical care, jobs, school and grocery stores, the stakes are extraordinary. Eighty-three percent of the trips are for medical appointments. What happens when a disabled person can't reach the doctor?
A dozen Washington Post reporters rode along with MetroAccess passengers Tuesday. Most got where they needed to go when they needed to go. Most do every day. But failures weren't rare. One person was stranded. Three were late to work. Some endured circuitous routes that defied common sense.
According to the transit authority, the system made 4,265 trips Tuesday and 332 were botched -- the rides were either late or did not appear.
"When it works well, I feel really good about it," said Dorothy Hunt of Fort Washington, who has cerebral palsy. "When it goes wrong, it really, really goes wrong."
A lot has been going wrong since Jan. 15, when MV Transportation took over the service under a four-year, $204 million contract.
Pressured by local officials and a congressman, MV has added managers, retrained drivers, activated new technology and leased more vehicles. Metro plans to form a team to reduce problem trips within two weeks.
Federal law requires Metro and every other major transit system to provide transportation for disabled residents who are unable to ride the subway or bus. MetroAccess is one of the biggest and most complex. It is also expensive. The service is heavily subsidized by taxpayers: Each trip costs about $29, but riders pay $2.50 to $6.50.
Most can't pay for private transportation. But they can't afford poor MetroAccess service, either.
