Valley Metro Accessibility Advisory Group
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Valley Metro
Lake Powell Conference Room
101 North First Avenue, Tenth Floor
Phoenix, Arizona 85003
Meeting Summary
1. Welcome and Introductions
Ron Brooks, Valley Metro Manager of Accessible Transit Services, called the meeting to order at 4:05 PM. After providing some introductory remarks, he turned the meeting over to Wulf Grote, Director of Capital & Service Development, who welcomed the group.
Wulf thanked VMAAG members for taking the time to get involved. He then summarized his transit experience and talked about Valley Metro’s collaboration with the disability community during the construction of the initial twenty-mile rail system. Wulf listed a few of Valley Metro’s recent accessibility-related accomplishments, including the creation of VMAAG and the launching of regional paratransit service. He closed by stating that Valley Metro will gain much from VMAAG input, and by reiterating his thanks to VMAAG members for their involvement.
Carol Ketcherside, Deputy Director of Service Planning and Accessible Transit, then provided additional introductory remarks. Carol stated that she has been in the transit industry for 32 years, working for the transit system in Topeka, KS, the system in San Antonio, TX and then as Executive Director for the Southwestern Transit Association (SWTA). Carol joined Valley Metro in 2006, and since that time, the discussion has been about the need to improve regional paratransit and to eliminate Dial-a-Ride transfers. Given this history, it was very rewarding for her to see regional paratransit finally come to fruition.
Ron Brooks, Manager of Accessible Transit Services, then introduced himself and asked VMAAG members to introduce themselves. The following members were present.
· Katie Griffith, Gilbert
· Jean Moriki, Phoenix
· Paula Considine, City of Peoria
· Marvin Rochelle, Phoenix
· Lynn Houston, Phoenix
· Nancy Jackson, Chandler Senior Center
· Kathy Chandler, Northwest Valley Connect
· Howard May, Glendale
· Page Raetz, Southwest Autism Research Center
· Megan Homrighausen, Mesa
· Christian Johnson, Phoenix
· David Andreen, Tempe
· River Forest, Phoenix
· John Federico, Tempe, Phoenix
After the introductions, Ron asked the group to take item #5 (Division Overviews) out of order. After discussing item #5, the group returned to item #2.
2. VMAAG Purpose and Goals – Ron Brooks, Manager of Accessible Transit Services
After completing the division overviews (item #5), Ron Brooks stated that even with a fairly unstructured approach to community input, Valley Metro has done a lot of things right in terms of accessibility. 100% of Valley Metro buses and all of our light rail vehicles are accessible. Valley Metro has a strong approach in place for eligibility certification; we provide free transit passes to ADA certified individuals throughout large areas of our communities; we offer travel training and transit education programs for individuals with disabilities and organizations serving the disability community; we’re plugged into the Arizona ADA Coordinators Network and other appropriate groups. Nevertheless, Valley Metro will benefit from a group like VMAAG that can give us ongoing input about the accessibility of our products, programs and services, including vehicles, transit facilities, printed and on-line materials and service policies.
Ron pointed out that the VMAAG is an advisory group—not a policy group. This means that VMAAG can react to staff recommendations, and it can give advice to staff on how we can ensure that our products, programs and services are as accessible as possible.
Ron clarified that although VMAAG meetings are open to the public, they are not technically public meetings in the legal sense. VMAAG meetings will be announced in advance, have their schedule, agendas and meeting summaries posted on-line, and the public will be given an opportunity to provide comments. However, VMAAG meetings should not be used by VMAAG or members of the public as a place to air personal complaints about service. Rather, the goal of VMAAG is for staff to gather substantive feedback which can be used to improve service quality and accessibility across the board.
3. VMAAG meeting Structure, Schedule and Frequency – Ron Brooks, Manager of Accessible Transit Services
After a brief discussion, the group reached a consensus about the meeting day/time and frequency. Meetings will be monthly from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM in the Valley Metro Tenth Floor Board Room, located at 101 North First Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85003. The group agreed that the meeting should include:
· Division Overviews
· Service and project updates
· Public and VMAAG comments
· Announcements
· VMAAG input on Items for future agendas
4. Establishment of VMAAG Member Term Lengths – Ron Brooks, Manager, Accessible Transit Services
Ron Brooks summarized VMAAG guidelines (available at www.valleymetro.org/vmaag. These guidelines stipulate that “VMAAG members will serve terms of two years.” The guidelines go on to state: “In order to establish a staggering of VMAAG terms, up to seven VMAAG members will be selected at random to serve an initial term of three years.”
After summarizing these guidelines, Carol Ketcherside distributed straws to the VMAAG members who were present. Seven of the straws were long, and eight were shorter. Individuals who drew long straws received three year terms, and those who drew short straws received terms of two years. The results were as follows:
· Katie Griffith - Three-year term
· Jean Moriki - Two-year term
· Paula Considine - Three-year term
· Marvin Rochelle- Two-year term
· Lynn Houston - Two-year term
· Nancy Jackson - Three-year term
· Kathy chandler - Two-year term
· Howard May - Three-year term
· Page Raetz - Three-year term
· Megan Homrighausen - Two-year term
· Christian Johnson - Two-year term
· David Andreen - Two-year term
· River Forest - Three-year term
· John Federico - Two-year term
· Nicole Weitzman (absent) - Three-year term
Ron Brooks informed the group that VMAAG member names and terms of appointment will be posted to the Valley Metro website. He added that prior to the scheduled expiration of membership terms, Valley Metro will accept applications for VMAAG members. Existing members may apply for two additional terms but then must leave the VMAAG for at least one full term before reapplying for membership.
Before proceeding with the meeting, Ron Brooks took a moment to acknowledge other staff from Valley Metro and the City of Phoenix as well as members of the public who were present, including:
· Arleen Schenck, Mobility Program Supervisor, Valley Metro
· Steve Henry, RideChoice, Reduced Fare and Platinum Pass Coordinator, Valley Metro
· Lee Ann Jones, Administrative Assistant, Valley Metro
· Kristy Ruiz, ADA and Civil Rights Administrator, Phoenix Transit Department
· Peter Fischer, ADA Coordinator, City of Phoenix
· DeRees Clark, Paratransit Manager, Total Transit
· Judy Hartman, Mesa resident
· By phone: Barbara McDonald, Phoenix resident
5. Valley Metro Division Overviews
a. Capital and Service Development
- Wulf Grote, Director of Capital and Service Development
Wulf provided a brief overview of the programs and projects of the Capital & Service Division. These include:
· Oversight and management of Valley Metro’s accessibility programs – This includes Dial-a-Ride, East Valley RideChoice, ADA Platinum Pass, Reduced Fare eligibility, ADA eligibility and travel training.
· Planning, design and construction of transit facilities – This includes all rail projects and all bus projects which are not within Phoenix as Phoenix manages its own non-rail transportation projects.
· Grant applications and management
· Conducting surveys to gather data for a variety of customer service and operational needs
b. Communications and Marketing
- Hillary Foose, Director of Communications and Marketing
Hillary introduced herself by stating that she is a native of Phoenix and has spent her entire career in communications and marketing. She joined Valley Metro in 2008 and oversees a division which is responsible for the following:
· Marketing Department responsible for web design, graphics, publications and advertising.
· Communications Department responsible for public relations, media relations and social media.
· Community Relations Department responsible for managing community outreach, hosting community meetings and events, and for working with communities impacted by transit and light rail construction.
· Commute solutions Department responsible for working with Valley employers who have Trip Reduction Plans in order to promote the use of public transit, carpooling, vanpooling and other alternatives to the single occupancy vehicle.
Hillary then summarized a couple of key Communication and Marketing initiatives which are intended to improve the accessibility of Valley Metro services for people with disabilities. These include:
· Website redesign – The procurement for a new website design firm is ongoing. The goals are to update the look and feel of the website, to refresh the content, to introduce a mobile-responsive theme and to make the site accessible.
· Transit Education – The Community Relations Department conducts monthly transit information workshops at Ability360 which include hands-on demonstrations of the accessibility features of a transit bus and information about how to plan a trip, pay the fare, and much more.
At the end of Hillary’s presentation, Ron Brooks acknowledged the quality of the ADA Paratransit RideGuide which the Marketing Department just produced. It is a beautiful example of a document which is informative, attractive and highly accessible.
c. Operation and Maintenance,
- Ray Abraham, Chief Operating Officer
Before introducing Ray, Ron Brooks commented that the Phoenix light rail system is one of the most accessible systems in the country. All doors on the platform side of the train open, and all entrances are accessible for people using wheelchairs and other mobility devices. There are numerous locations for mobility devices to be parked on any train, and all stops are clearly announced. Ron also mentioned that the system has very strong on-time performance.
Ray then introduced himself and briefly summarized his 35-year career in the transit industry. Ray came to Valley Metro prior to the opening of the original twenty-mile system. He oversees Rail Operations and Maintenance, East and Northwest Valley Bus Operations and the Regional Customer Service Center. Rail and Bus Operations are operated by contractors, but Rail Maintenance and the Customer Service Center are operated in-house.
Ray mentioned two ongoing accessibility projects on the rail system. One is the installation of Between Car Barriers (BCBs) which are flexible belts which link the back end of one rail car to the front end of the next. The belts are intended to provide a warning to customers, including customers who are blind or visually impaired, that the gap between cars is not a safe appropriate boarding location. A second project is the lowering of at least one ticket vending machine (TVM) at each light rail station. By lowering these TVMs, the system will become more accessible for people using mobility devices.
6. Planned Agenda Items for August and September Meetings – Ron Brooks, Manager, Accessible Transit Services
Ron Brooks provided an overview of probable topics for the August and September VMAAG meetings.
· August VMAAG Meeting
o More division overviews
o Review of October fixed-route bus service changes
o Detailed overview of Valley Metro Accessible Transit Services
o Overview of planned ADA Bus Stop Inventory
· September VMAAG Meeting
o More division overviews
o Begin discussing 50th Street Light Rail Station
Wulf Grote mentioned that there are a number of other rail projects and corridor studies and that these will be brought to VMAAG for group input at appropriate points so that accessibility concerns can be identified and addressed.
7. Other Items – All
Marvin Rochelle asked whether Phoenix Dial-a-Ride passes and tickets can be used for regional paratransit. Ron Brooks answered that the passes can be used for Phoenix Dial-a-Ride trips and for regional trips but not for East Valley or Northwest Valley trips.
Megan Homrighausen commented that bus route and destination signs (both head signs and those near the doors) need to be larger as they are hard for a person with a vision impairment to easily see.
John Federico and River Forest raised a number of concerns about the content, quality and volume of audible route, destination and stop announcements. Ron Brooks commented that this could be a topic for a future VMAAG discussion.
8. Invitation for Comments from the Public
Judy Hartman (Mesa resident) – “I got nearly sick a week ago Monday drenched to the skin at 32nd Street and Roosevelt, waiting for the 32 because certain bus drivers don’t want to stop if they see white canes or scooters or wheelchairs. They don’t’ want us because they say ‘We take too long to be boarded.’ I think we’d better get these drivers trained better.”
9. Announcements – All
David Andreen stated that the City of Phoenix is holding a meeting to discuss its Emergency Operation Plan on August 11. Will Valley Metro have a representative? Carol Ketcherside stated that Valley Metro’s Director of Safety, Security and Quality Assurance is usually on top of these events. Carol committed to checking with the Director, Adrian Ruiz.
Ron Brooks announced the 2016 DBacks Disability Awareness Day which will take place at Chase Field prior to the DBacks game on Saturday, August 6. Valley Metro will be an exhibitor, along with many other disability community organizations and service providers.
10. Next Meeting – Thursday, August 25, 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM, Valley Metro Tenth Floor Board Room, 101 North First Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85003.
11. Adjournment – The meeting was adjourned at 5:35 PM.
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