ACCESS MATTERS OCTOBER 2008 Metrobus and Metrorail make it easy for people with disabilities and senior citizens to travel throughout the Washington region Metrorail and Metrobus serve a population of 3.5 million within a 1,500 square-mile area, and the system is considered to be one of the most accessible transit systems in the world. For people with disabilities, Metro provides the freedom to go where you want to go at a time that's convenient for you. You don't have to book a reservation in advance and wait for a ride. Our trains and buses start operating at 5 a.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. weekends, and they stay open until midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. The transit authority takes great pride in being the national example that Congress and legislators look to when they think of public transportation. "Metro has a history of leadership in the transit industry, and we want to continue to pave the way for people with disabilities," said Christian T. Kent, Assistant General Manager for Access Services. "We are constantly looking at ways to make it as easier for people with disabilities and senior citizens to use Metrobus and Metrorail." Metro has included a number of accessibility features on its buses and trains designed specifically to help people with disabilities travel independently throughout the Washington region. While some of Metro's accessibility features are the result of requirements established by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), in many cases Metro has gone above and beyond what is required. For instance, Metro established an innovative program called Metro is Accessible to reach out to people with disabilities and teach them how they can travel on Metrobus and Metrorail. The program includes free bus and rail system orientations with Metro travel trainers who help people with disabilities and senior citizens get acquainted with Metro's accessibility features. To find out how to sign up for a free orientation, keep reading this newsletter or contact the Metro is Accessible project of Metro's Office of ADA Programs at 202-962-1558, TTY 202-962-2033 or adap@wmata.com. This fall, Metro will launch a public awareness campaign to remind riders that priority seating on Metro's trains and buses are meant for people with disabilities and senior citizens. New signs will be placed inside rail cars directly behind the seats on trains and buses to make it more obvious that the seats are reserved for people with disabilities and senior citizens. "We want all of our riders to be aware of the priority seats and make sure they are available to people who need them," said Glenn Millis, Director of Metro's Office of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Programs. In addition, Metro is working to make elevator access more convenient by installing auto dispatch on elevators that serve two landings in the Metrorail system. Elevators that serve two landings, where the destination is obvious, will automatically sense when a person has entered the elevator and will move up or down to the next floor. This feature was developed to aid people who use wheelchairs and have trouble maneuvering to reach the elevator buttons. Metro has a total of 190 elevators that only serve two landings, and all of these elevators will eventually be equipped with the new technology. Elevators that serve more than two landings cannot use the auto dispatch feature because there is no way to know which floor the customer wants to go to. To find out which elevators currently have the auto dispatch feature, please contact Metro's Office of ADA Programs at 202-962-1558, TTY 202-962-2033 or adap@wmata.com. Accessible Public Transportation Options Expo set for October 28 Metro is hosting an Accessible Public Transportation Options Expo on Tuesday, October 28, and you're invited to attend! Find out how to travel safely and independently on accessible public transit, and learn about the wide array of accessible bus and rail transportation options that are available in the Washington area. Transit agencies from across the region will participate in the expo, which is scheduled to take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Metro Headquarters, 600 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, D.C. Buses from area transit agencies will be parked around the building so attendees can get a first-hand look at the accessibility features of each bus. In addition to finding out more about bus accessibility features, attendees will be able to: Visit nearby Metrorail stations for an accessibility tour Sign up for discount programs that make transit more affordable Learn how to use the Metro Trip Planner Buy a Reduced Fare or Senior SmarTrip(r) card Find out about job opportunities with Metro and local transit agencies Sign up for a free individualized Metro system orientation Pick up free resource materials and get answers to your transit questions Hear from Metro's General Manager and Board of Directors We hope you will plan to join us at the Accessible Public Transportation Options Expo and learn more about accessible public transportation options for people with disabilities and senior citizens in the Washington region. Participating transit agencies include: Metro, Alexandria DASH, ART (Arlington Transit), City of Fairfax CUE, DC Circulator, Fairfax Connector, Maryland Transit Administration, Montgomery County Ride On, Omni Ride and Prince George's County TheBus. Metro is accessible Here are some of the many accessibility features on Metrorail and Metrobus. For a complete list, visit http://www.wmata.com/accessibility/accessibility.cfm or contact Metro's Office of ADA Programs at 202-962-1558, TTY 202-962-2033 or adap@wmata.com. All Metrobuses, Metrorail stations and rail cars are accessible. Buses are equipped with either a low floor ramp or lift. All new buses that Metro purchases are low floor ramp buses. As these new buses arrive, older lift-equipped buses are phased out. Over 70 percent of the buses in Metro's fleet have audio stop announcements that identify major intersections and transfer points. There is also a visual display. These features help customers who are blind or have low vision, those with cognitive and learning disabilities, and any customer who needs assistance orienting themselves as they travel on Metrobus. All bus operators, station managers and rail station employees take part in ADA Customer Service Training. Metro operates elevators at all of its rail stations. Elevator accessibility and security features include emergency intercoms to communicate with the station manager, chimes and announcements that identify the elevator direction and level of each stop and security cameras in all street level elevators. Each rail station has an accessible fare vending machine with lower panels. Easy-to-use instructions are also in Braille and raised alphabet. Also, there is a button to press for audio instructions. Each Metrorail station entrance has an extra wide, accessible faregate for customers who use wheelchairs, scooters and other mobility devices. The farecard is returned at the entry slot. The SmarTrip(r) target is located on the inside of the faregate for easier access. An accessible TTY-equipped telephone is located on the mezzanine level of each rail station. The Passenger Information Display System (PIDS) signs are located on each platform and mezzanine of every rail station and let customers know when the next trains are scheduled to arrive and alert customers to service delays. PIDS signs also provide information about elevator outages and identify how to make free shuttle arrangements. All key and new stations feature bumpy tiles to alert customers who are blind or have low vision that they are nearing the edge of the platform. Flashing lights at the edge of the platforms alert customers that a train is approaching. Gap reducers have been installed on all rail cars. They reduce the gap between the platform and the rail car by an additional 11/2-inch, making it easier for a wheelchair user or a person with a mobility device to enter and exit the train safely. Barriers between rail cars alert customers who are blind or have low vision of the space between the rail cars so they do not mistake this space for the door to the inside of the rail car. Priority seating for people with disabilities and senior citizens is located in all rail cars adjacent to the center doors and in the seats directly behind the bus operator. Visual display systems have been added to newer and rehabilitated rail cars that identify the name of the upcoming station and provide an arrow indicating which side the doors will open. Audio announcements by the train operators alert customers of the next station. Door chimes and audio announcements alert customers when rail doors are opening and closing. 2008 Richard D. Heddinger Accessible Transportation award winner Metro and the Elderly and Disabled Transportation Advisory Committee awarded the 2008 Richard D. Heddinger Accessible Transportation Award to Denise Thomas of Rockville, Md. The annual award honors a person or organization whose efforts have resulted in significant improvements to accessible public transportation services for people with disabilities. Thomas is the director of Project Ride, a program funded in part by the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council and administered by SEEC, a Montgomery County non-profit organization whose mission is to enable people with cognitive disabilities to live and work as contributing members of the community. Project Ride focuses on giving people with cognitive disabilities the tools to use public transportation because they often require more intensive training than people with physical disabilities. Thomas worked with Metro and other area transit providers, human services agencies, educators and individuals with cognitive disabilities to develop and implement the program, now in its third year. Project Ride provides sensitivity and customer service training for transit providers, training workshops for professionals who support riders and individualized training for people with cognitive disabilities. "Helping people with various types of disabilities learn to travel independently throughout the region is a major accomplishment," said Christian T. Kent, Metro's Assistant General Manager of Access Services. "We are honored to present this award to Ms. Thomas and thank her for her commitment to making public transportation accessible to everyone." The award honors former Elderly and Disabled Transportation Advisory Committee Chair Richard D. Heddinger for his lifelong commitment to accessible public transportation and his tireless devotion to providing access for all citizens of the Washington metropolitan area. Thomas received her award during an award reception on Monday, September 8, at Metro Headquarters, 600 Fifth Street, NW. MetroAccess crediting free rides electronically to customer accounts MetroAccess is starting to move to a cashless fare system. Customers who were registered as of July 2, 2008 saw the first phase of this system when they received a credit of $25 on their account on August 15 to cover 10 free one-way trips as part of a legal settlement between MetroAccess and the Equal Rights Center. Instead of sending postcards with complimentary fare when a customer has a confirmed missed or late trip, MetroAccess will now credit the customer's account. Customers can get account details such as account balance, trip debits and cancellations/no-show credits through reservation agents and through the MetroAccess web site at www.wmata.com/metroaccess. Crediting 10 free rides to every customer's account is part of a broader plan for MetroAccess customers to fund their account via phone, Internet, mail or in-person at select locations. Eventually, customers will reserve trips against an existing balance in their account. Payment will be automatically deducted from your account each time you take a trip. The sky is the limit for this new E&D Committee member Julius Fleischman likes to live life to the fullest. Fleischman is an 86-year-old retired businessman, former World War II veteran and one of the newest members of Metro's Elderly and Disabled Transportation Advisory Committee. He is legally blind, but doesn't let that hold him back from trying new things. He credits Metro with giving him the courage to take on new challenges, including skydiving. "For many years, I used MetroAccess exclusively because I was apprehensive of bus and rail," said Fleischman. "Then one day I thought I would try taking the bus. I called to get information, and with the help of a friendly bus operator, my white cane and some fellow passengers, I found it was no bother at all to travel on Metrobus." With his newfound independence, Fleischman began looking for more challenges and decided to attend a sports clinic for disabled veterans in Colorado, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. "After a week of downhill and cross country skiing, snow shoeing, rock climbing and scuba diving, I felt that I had reached another goal," he said. Fleischman returned to Washington, DC, and decided to try taking Metrorail. "I had heard about the underground stations and how dark they were," he said. "I figured it was time for another challenge, so I called and got information, walked down the road to Naylor Road station on the Green Line, which is an above-ground station, and got on a train. When I arrived at Gallery Place and stepped of the train into what I thought was total darkness, I froze and stood there while people rushed passed me, entering and exiting the train. Then a friendly Metro employee approached me and showed me how to get to the street. Now I primarily use the train and bus to get where I need to go." In addition to Fleischman's adventures in traveling on Metrobus and Metrorail and participating in the winter sports clinic, he has competed in the Golden Age summer games for veterans the past two years. This year he won a gold medal in shuffleboard, a silver medal in horseshoes and a bronze medal in discus. After all of his accomplishments on the bus and underground rail, Fleishchman was ready to fulfill a lifelong dream and go skydiving. "I wanted to do this for years, but my friends thought I was crazy and wouldn't take me," he said. Last year, Fleischman's dream became a reality when he completed his first tandem jump from an airplane. "As we went up into the air, I was sitting next to the open door with no seatbelt," he said. "My instructor said 'get ready!' and the next thing I knew we were falling at 125 miles per hour. It was without a doubt the most out-of-this-world, awesome, exciting experience." For a bird's eye view, you can watch a video of Fleischman's first jump online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeTLZppkVQ8. The skydiving company videotaped the jump. Fleischman plans to go skydiving again this fall and hopes to set a record for most consecutive jumps by an 86-year-old legally blind man. He also hopes to inspire more people with disabilities to face their fears and try Metrobus and Metrorail, which helped him realize he could do anything he put his mind to. "I would like to thank Metro from the bottom of my heart for taking me from being a victim to becoming a victor in life!" Fleischman said. MetroAccess has smooth roll out of door-to-door service MetroAccess began providing door-to-door service on June 30, and the first months of the new service have been successful. Under the new initiative, drivers escort MetroAccess passengers from the first exterior door of the pick-up address into the vehicle and from the vehicle to the first exterior door of the destination address. Other major policy changes included reducing the vehicle wait time from 10 to five minutes, ensuring 100% customer ID check and providing additional assistance with packages. "The move to door-to-door service has many advantages for customers," said said Selene Faer Dalton-Kumins, Metro's Director of MetroAccess Service. "The boarding process is faster, customers are safety assisted to and from the vehicle, drivers connect more reliably with customers at busy pick-up locations, and customers get better overall customer service." Metro worked closely with the public in the process leading up to the implementation of door-to-door service. Changes to the service were recommended by the Board of Directors' Ad Hoc Committee, which included customers and experts. An advisory committee reviewed the procedures prior to implementation, and Metro conducted outreach to area advocacy groups, centers for independent living and jurisdictional disability advisory committees and commissions to let customers know about the new service. In the coming months, Metro will continue to look at ways to enhance MetroAccess service. Continued driver training will take place to reinforce the driver's important role in providing stellar customer service. Sign up for a free Metrobus & Metrorail system orientation Metro offers free system orientations that provide valuable information and familiarization for current and prospective customers with disabilities, personal care assistants and professionals who work with people with disabilities. Metro system orientations allow people with disabilities and senior citizens to try out the bus and rail system in a relaxed, comfortable way. "Most people who are initially reluctant to take Metrobus or Metrorail find that the system is very convenient for them once they take a tour and learn how to navigate the system," said Rikki Epstein, ADA Operations Manager who oversees the Metro is Accessible program. "It's like trying anything for the first time - at first it seems daunting, but with our help and some hands-on experience, you'll feel much more confident to do it again on your own." Free system orientations include: Information about Metro, including: paying fares; travel planning; obtaining and reading route and schedule information; using the MetroOpensDoors.com website and the online and voice-activated Metro Trip Planner; and safety and security tips. Bus and rail accessibility features; the Reduced Fare Program for People with Disabilities; and services and resources available through the Office of ADA Programs and the Metro is Accessible outreach project. Hands-on experience with Metrobus, including demonstration of a lift-equipped and/or low floor ramp bus; demonstration of an accessible bus with the stop announcement system; demonstration of a kneeling bus; highlighting all bus accessibility features; traveling from Point A to Point B and returning to Point A. Hands-on experience with Metrorail, including highlighting all rail station and rail car accessibility features, traveling from Point A to Point B and returning to Point A. Metro system orientations generally run approximately two to three hours or longer, and vary because they are tailored to the specific needs of the individual or group. To arrange for a free Metro system orientation or for more information, please contact the Metro is Accessible project of Metro's Office of ADA Programs at 202-962-1558 or 202-962-2033 (TTY) or adap@wmata.com. Customized e-alerts keep Metro riders informed about service disruptions Metro e-alerts and RSS news feeds make it easy for riders to get customized information about service disruptions during their commute. Customers can sign up to have electronic messages about Metrorail, Metrobus, MetroAccess and elevator service disruptions sent to their cell phone, pager, personal digital assistant (PDA) or e-mail-capable computer. "During a service disruption, severe weather or emergency, we want to give our customers as much information as possible so they can make an informed decision about their trip," said Metro Deputy General Manager Gerald Francis. "Signing up for electronic notifications is the best way for Metro riders to get the most up-to-date information at their fingertips." Customers can choose which e-alerts they want to receive, which days of the week, times of day, Metrorail lines or station elevators they want to monitor. Subscribers can always change their preferences if they change their commuting route or move elsewhere in the region. Information about Metrobus service disruptions is available through RSS news feed or by navigating to http://www.wmata.com/mobile on a web-enabled device. Customers can receive Metrobus and Metrorail alerts using free RSS-capable news readers. To find out how, visit http://www.wmata.com/rss/rss_howto.cfm. Signing up to receive electronic messages about service disruptions is just one way Metro riders can prepare for incidents that might have a major impact on their travel plans. More than 45,000 people currently subscribe to Metrorail and MetroAccess e-alerts and elevator outage notifications. To find out more about Metro alerts and advisories, visit http://www.wmata.com/riding/system_alert.cfm. EVENT CALENDAR Accessible Public Transportation Options Expo 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Tuesday, October 28 Elderly and Disabled Transportation Advisory Committee 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Monday, October 6 Monday, November 3 Monday, December 1 Elderly and Disabled MetroAccess Subcommittee 4 - 5 p.m. Monday, October 27 Monday, November 24 Monday, December 29 USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS MetroAccess 301-562-5360 TTY 301-588-7535 Toll Free 800-523-7009 MetroAccess Complaints, Commendations, 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 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 202-962-1245 TTY 202-628-8973