New Department of Access Services
Makes Accessibility a Priority for Metro
In July 2007, Metro created the Department of Access Services to bring greater emphasis to every aspect of accessible public transportation for people with disabilities and senior citizens. The department is on equal footing with bus and rail services and reports directly to Deputy General Manager Gerald Francis.
“The Department of Access Services was created to ensure that accessibility issues are given equal priority with Metro’s other operating units and to leverage the accessibility features of bus, rail and paratransit to the maximum benefit of the customer,”
said Francis.
Access Services combines the resources of two key offices, ADA Programs and MetroAccess Service, to make customers aware of a wide array of transportation options that are available to them. “Very often, there is a perception that MetroAccess service is the only option for people with disabilities, when in fact, the region’s bus, rail and other specialized transportation services offer greater versatility and, in many cases, lower cost to the customer,” said Christian T. Kent, Assistant General Manager of Access Services.
ADA Programs staff is responsible for ensuring the ongoing ADA compliance of Metro facilities, services and personnel, and for educating the community on how to best use Metro’s accessible services. Through its highly successful “Metro is Accessible” campaign, ADA Programs provides vital information that has helped thousands of customers use Metrorail and Metrobus who were previously reluctant or unaware of the availability or utility of these services.
With the newly formed Department of Access Services, more resources will be dedicated to the “Metro is Accessible” program in the coming year so an even greater number of customers with disabilities can take advantage of the benefits of Metro’s accessible fixed-route system. “This focuses all of Metro’s resources on improving accessibility for all of our customers with disabilities and seniors,” said Glenn Millis, Director of ADA Programs.
MetroAccess Service is for those individuals who are unable to use the fixed-route system due to a disability. This service is in high demand, and the growth of the system in recent years has been extreme. “It is essential that paratransit service be available to those who need it, and that is why it is so important that everyone who can use fixed-route services be given every opportunity to do so,” said Kent.
With more knowledge of Metro’s bus and rail systems, Metro’s Director of MetroAccess Service, Selene Faer Dalton-Kumins, is confident that some paratransit customers will also decide to use fixed-route transportation. “This is a great opportunity to give customers more information about bus and rail in the context of our new Department of Access Services where paratransit, bus and rail accessibility issues are looked at on an equal playing field,” Dalton-Kumins said.
During the last two years, Metro has made significant investments in MetroAccess to ensure that customers receive the highest quality service possible, and customers are starting to notice. According to a recent MetroAccess Customer Satisfaction survey,
88% of respondents were satisfied with MetroAccess service and 68% thought the quality of MetroAccess service had improved over the past year.


Meet the New Director of MetroAccess,
Selene Faer Dalton-Kumins
Selene Faer Dalton-Kumins, Metro’s new Director of MetroAccess Service, understands first-hand about the importance of providing transportation alternatives for people with disabilities.
“As a person with a lifelong physical disability myself, I have always had an interest and a concern for the accessibility of our society to people with disabilities,” Dalton-Kumins said.
In fact, she specifically chose to move to the Washington metropolitan area because of its reputation for being one of the most accessible environments when it comes to public transportation. “I wanted to live in a metropolitan region that allowed me to get around independently as a person with a disability,” she said. “I knew Metro would afford me that opportunity.”
Dalton-Kumins has worked for Metro for over five years, starting out in the Office of ADA Programs. “It was an exceptional opportunity to become a part of the Metro team and have input into how our bus and rail system works for people with disabilities,” she said.
A major part of ADA Programs is the ‘Metro is Accessible’ project, which makes sure customers with disabilities have the tools to use bus and rail, she said. Customer outreach events and customer system orientations are great opportunities for individuals or groups of people to enter Metrorail or Metrobus with a Metro representative and get to know the system without the stress of doing it alone. Dalton-Kumins would often lead orientations and she also worked closely with bus and train operators and station managers to train them on assisting customers with disabilities.
Dalton-Kumins’ work with ADA Programs provided the perfect background to join MetroAccess, the paratransit component of Metro’s services, where she started managing the eligibility certification process. In the spring of 2007, Christian T. Kent, Assistant General Manager of Access Services, appointed Dalton-Kumins the new Director of MetroAccess Service.
“Selene really was the best qualified person for the job,” Kent said. “She was already an ambassador to the disability community and was well-suited for her leadership role with MetroAccess.”
In addition to her extensive knowledge of the ADA and familiarity with Metro services, Dalton-Kumins also offers an important perspective, Kent said. “We want the disability community to know that they will be consulted and included when policy decisions are being made,” he said.
Metro’s Elderly & Disabled Transportation Advisory Committee is pleased to continue to work with Dalton-Kumins in her new role. “Members of the E&D committee have worked with Selene over the last five years, said Patrick Sheehan, committee chair. “We value her input, and I think she’ll be extremely effective as Director of MetroAccess.” 
Dalton-Kumins has always been concerned with putting customers’ needs first and improving customer service. One of her goals for MetroAccess is to redesign the eligibility process. “For quite a while, we’ve had customers making recommendations to enhance and simplify our eligibility process,” Dalton-Kumins said. “I look forward to working with those customers and others in making the process more effective and customer friendly.”
“One of the great things about our newly consolidated Department of Access Services is that we can now draw from our accessibility resources from all Metro modes to present customers with information about not only MetroAccess, but also about accessible fixed-route public transportation such as Metrobus, Metrorail and other transit providers,” she said.
Dalton-Kumins said her overall goal for MetroAccess and public transportation in general is to make sure that customers are always presented with the most independent options for transportation. “For some, that’s going to be Metrobus or Metrorail, and for others, it’s going to be MetroAccess,” she said. “We want to make sure our customers are fully informed and prepared to make the best use of whichever form of public transportation meets their needs and provides them with the highest level of independence.”
Improvements Pay Off for MetroAccess 
MetroAccess is attracting more riders than ever before and offering some of the best service passengers have seen in years, according to Metro managers.
“Our operating statistics show that MetroAccess service has improved dramatically since we transitioned to a new contractor in January 2006,” said Assistant General Manager of Access Services Christian T. Kent.
“The substantial investment in the system made through the support of our Board of Directors and General Manager is paying off.”
MV Transportation took over the service early last year. Passengers complained of lengthy waits to be picked up, long trips and not being picked up at all. Rides were arriving as scheduled only 82 percent of the time during the first month of service, but have stayed above 92 percent thereafter. Last month, the on-time performance approached 94 percent. Over the last year, the average wait time on late trips has been cut in half. If rides are late, they are running an average of only 15 minutes behind schedule, which is a five-year low.
Complaints have been cut by 60 percent from January 2006 to August 2007. Customers have shorter telephone wait times with most calls being answered within two minutes. Managers expect that level of service to improve when passengers are allowed to make reservations online, beginning later this winter.
“We expect to see fewer complaints once door-to-door service is implemented next spring,” said Selene Faer Dalton-Kumins, Director of MetroAccess Services. “Door-to-door service will reduce missed trips because drivers will connect with customers more directly by coming to their door. It is our hope that door-to-door service will also improve our on-time performance since our drivers will be empowered to expedite the boarding process.”
Drivers currently wait up to 10 minutes at the curb of a pick-up location after a scheduled pick-up time. Under the new service initiative, drivers would wait up to five minutes for passengers at their door and then escort them from a building entrance to a MetroAccess vehicle. 
Sixty-five new vehicles also will be in service next year and managers will upgrade ride-scheduling software. 
“This major increase in fleet size will produce better scheduling options and shorter trips and will have a favorable effect on on-time performance,” said Dalton-Kumins. 
The MetroAccess budget has grown to $62 million, a $10 million increase over last year. The extra money is paying for more staff, vehicles and improved technology to deliver higher quality and more efficient service. The agency also is hiring more staff and partnering with other agencies to encourage people with disabilities to ride buses and trains. If customers show their MetroAccess photo identification card to the rail station manager or bus operator, including most regional buses, they and one companion can ride for free. 
“The bus or train can offer people with disabilities a more flexible and, in some cases, shorter trip,” said Dalton-Kumins, who commutes to work by Metrorail in her wheelchair. “But for those who cannot use bus or rail service, we are committed to making MetroAccess the next best alternative.” 
MetroAccess serves 18,200 people in the metropolitan Washington region. The service has been operating since 1994.
Frances Lowder Wins First
Accessible Transportation Award
On Monday, Sept. 10, Metro awarded Frances H. Lowder the first Richard D. Heddinger Accessible Transportation Award. Ms. Lowder helped make elevator access in the Metrorail system a reality and is one of the founding members of Metro’s Elderly and Disabled Transportation Advisory Committee.
“Fran understood how accessible transportation is the lynchpin to social integration, education and employment opportunities, and the gateway toward independent living for people with disabilities,” said Patrick Sheehan, Chair of the Elderly and Disabled Committee.
Ms. Lowder was a founding member and also served as chairperson of Metro’s Elderly and Disabled Committee, which she served on for nearly 20 years. She also served as a member and chair of the Arlington County Commission on people with disabilities and as chair of the Board of Directors of the ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia (ECNV).
The Richard D. Heddinger Accessible Transportation Award honors former Elderly
and Disabled Transportation Advisory Committee Chair, Richard D. Heddinger. The award will be presented annually to a person or organization whose efforts have resulted in significant improvements to accessible public transportation services for people with disabilities in the Washington metropolitan region.
Updated Accessible Transportation Options Publication Now Available
The Department of Access Services is pleased to announce the release of “Accessible Transportation Options for Customers with Disabilities and Senior Citizens” in the Washington metropolitan area.
The directory helps people with disabilities and senior citizens coordinate their transportation needs. It provides information about options available through Metro and the local jurisdictions, and includes a comprehensive listing of public transportation options in Washington, D.C., Maryland (the counties of Montgomery, Prince George’s, Anne Arundel and Baltimore, Baltimore City and Central Maryland) and Virginia (the counties of Arlington and Fairfax, and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls Church). Most of the transit services listed in the directory offer discounted fares to make using public transportation more affordable.
A wide array of transportation options is available for people with disabilities and senior citizens throughout the Washington metropolitan area. In recent years, considerable progress has been made in making public transportation more accessible. Today, more people with disabilities than ever before can use regular accessible public transportation services with ease and convenience. In addition to bus and train service, local and regional paratransit service is available for people with disabilities who are not able to use regular accessible bus and rail transportation.
To request a copy of the directory, please contact 202-962-1100, TTY 202-962-2033 or adap@wmata.com.
ADA Quality Assurance and Compliance Program 
The Office of ADA Programs has a quality assurance and compliance program, which employs a proactive approach to Metro compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The program, coordinated by ADA Project Officer Rayann Otto Anderson, provides oversight and review of Metro projects, revenue equipment and services having ADA content. This encompasses pedestrian access, rail stations, bus stops, signage, facility alterations and elevator access.
The ADA Project Officer provides technical support to Metro offices and ensures compliance with the ADA. Since Metro believes that providing access for customers with disabilities helps all customers, often the goal is to go beyond what is required by the law. For example, Metro standards include dual elevators where only one is required, and Metrobus has adopted low floor buses with an automated stop announcement system as a fleet standard. Although the ADA requirements are met with less expensive high floor lift
buses, accessibility for all customers is improved by using low floor buses. Currently, almost half of the Metrobus fleet is low floor and about 74% are equipped with the automated stop announcement system.
The quality assurance and compliance program ensures that ADA equipment and features such as curb ramps, sidewalks and directional signage along an accessible path remain in good repair at all times. Customers are encouraged to report problems to ADA Programs at 202-962-1100 or adap@wmata.com.
At present, ongoing projects include working to ensure ADA compliance on renovations being done at bus garages, working with Metro’s Office of Elevator and Escalator Maintenance on standards and specifications for elevators, and coordinating with the Department of Planning and Joint Development on the Silver Spring Transit Center.
Door-to-Door Service Q&A
MetroAccess is planning to implement door-to-door service in Spring 2008, but before we do, we want to be sure you understand how the new service will work. MetroAccess will host a number of customer information sessions throughout our service area where customers can hear directly from us and ask questions about door-to-door service. We will also include more information in the next newsletter and online at www.wmata.com/metroaccess.
In the meantime, here are a few questions and answers about door-to-door service and the changes you can expect to see next year:
What is door-to-door service?
Door-to-door service means your MetroAccess driver will meet you at the first exterior door to the building and escort you to the door of the vehicle. However, some exceptions apply to this service. Your door must be within 150 feet of the vehicle and the driver must be able to maintain sight of his or her vehicle at all times.
What happens if my location is not serviceable for door-to-door service?
If your location is not serviceable for door-to-door service, the driver will assist you to and from the curb. A non-serviceable location would be if the driver can’t maintain sight of his or her vehicle within 150 feet of your door, no safe parking space is available, there is no safe, accessible path from the street to the door, or if the parking environment is such that the driver would have to make unsafe maneuvers like backing up into traffic.
How long will the driver wait for me?
Drivers will wait for you five minutes from the time they report their arrival. If you aren’t present when the driver arrives at your door, the driver will verbally announce his or her arrival, knock on the door and ring the doorbell, and make subsequent announcements before returning to the vehicle and requesting authorization to list you as a “no show.” Call center personnel will make a good faith effort to call you before authorizing the driver to proceed to the next destination. If we’re able to reach you and the driver is still on site, he or she will return to your door to assist you to the vehicle.
How will the driver assist me? 
Drivers will assist you between the vehicle and door at both pickup and drop-off locations. That includes allowing you to hold the driver’s arm or maneuvering your wheelchair. Upon reaching the destination door, drivers are not permitted to enter and customers are discouraged from making such requests. If you think you’ll need special assistance at your drop-off location, you should either travel with a personal care attendant or arrange for another person to meet you at the drop-off location.
Drivers also will assist you with packages as long as the driver can carry your packages in a single trip between the vehicle and the door and the packages do not exceed 40 pounds. Drivers must carry packages before or after assisting you between the door and vehicle.
What happens if I’m late, miss the driver or forget to cancel a trip?
Because MetroAccess is a shared ride service, other riders might be delayed or inconvenienced if you are late or forget to cancel a trip. Customers who repeatedly are not ready upon the driver’s arrival are subject to the terms and conditions of Metro’s Late Cancellation & No-Show Policy.
Coming Soon! MetroAccess Ride Reservations Online
You soon will be able to make a trip reservation and confirm and cancel trips online. Simply go to www.wmata.com, click on “Accessibility” on the left-hand toolbar and then click on “MetroAccess.” Or go directly to the MetroAccess page by typing www.wmata.com/metroaccess into your Web browser.

EVENT CALENDAR
Metro Disability Awareness Event
Wednesday, November 28

Elderly and Disabled MetroAccess Subcommittee
4 – 5 p.m.
Monday, December 3
Monday, January 7
Monday, February 4

Elderly and Disabled Transportation Advisory Committee
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Monday, December 3
Monday, January 7
Monday, February 4

USEFUL NUMBERS
MetroAccess
301-562-5360
TTY 301-588-7535
Toll Free 800-523-7009
MetroAccess complaints,
commendations and comments
202-637-0128
TTY 202-962-2565
Customer information
202-637-7000
TTY 202-638-3780
MetroOpensDoors.com
Schedules, timetables, parking information, ID cards and more	
MetroAccess Administration
301-562-4640
TTY 301-588-7535
Office of ADA Programs
202-962-1100
TTY 202-962-2033
Elevator outages and
Metrorail service disruptions
202-962-1212
Elevator outage shuttle requests
202-962-1825
TTY 202-638-3780
Transit Police (emergency)
202-962-2121
Reduced Fare ID Office
202-962-1558
TTY 202-962-2033