Accessibility and the MBTA: Path to Integration and

InclusionMassDOT

Board of DirectorsJanuary 6, 2010

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Agenda• History of Accessibility Legislation • BCIL Class Action Lawsuit

–MBTA/BCIL Settlement Agreement• Key Settlement Commitments• Moving Forward

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History of Accessibility Legislation• 1958 Building Design Standards Conference

– Called for voluntary standards for design of accessible buildings

• 1961 ANSI Design Guidelines– First scientifically developed design guidelines in the

world• 1965 Rehabilitation Act Amendment

– National Commission on Architectural Barriers established

• 1968 Architectural Barriers Act– Congress passes Architectural Barriers Act (ABA)

• Barrier removal in Federal buildings

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History of Accessibility Legislation• 1973 Rehabilitation Act: Section 504

– Design standards and enforcement for federal fund recipients; includes agencies such as the MBTA

– First Official Focus on Transportation Access• 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

– Full equality and integration into American society • Includes access to all modes of MBTA transportation; bus, rail,

boat• BCIL Class Action Law Suit filed in 2002 • MBTA/BCIL Settlement Agreement signed April 10,

2006

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MBTA/BCIL Settlement Agreement“ This agreement is based on a shared vision between plaintiffs and the MBTA to make the MBTA a model transit system accessible to all. There is a mutual commitment and desire to comply not only with the letter but also the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act, with the complete understanding that all people with disabilities must have every opportunity to be fully participating members of our community and that fundamental to this opportunity is the right and ability to use public transportation in an equal, effective, and dignified manner.”

Reference: C.A. No. 02 CV 11504 MEL, preamble, dated April 10, 2006

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Creation of Department of System-Wide Accessibility (SWA)

• Under the direction of an AGM– Reports directly to General Manager – Includes Reduced fare offices at Back Bay and

Downtown Crossing stations• Clearinghouse of information and subject matter

expertise regarding access-related issues, projects and initiatives

• Tracks Settlement Compliance (Matrix)• Tasked to drive change where necessary throughout

the MBTA

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Fixed-Route Bus Service• Bus fleet 100% accessible as of 2006

– Consists of both low floor ramp equipped and high floor lift equipped buses• Procurement of new low-floor buses; 310 procured since

settlement• Improved focus by Bus Operations on bus inspection

and maintenance– Increased reliability and availability of accessibility

features• Recent Legislation: No Parking In Bus Stops

– Signed into law by Governor Patrick; effective April 2009– Tickets issued by MBTA Police to date

• 1536 issued from April 2009 to December 2009• 290 issued in 2008 before new law

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Fixed-Route Bus Service

• Bus Operators Recertification Program – Developed jointly by Bus Operations and System-

Wide Accessibility– Training currently provided for all new hires, as a

return to work requirement, and as a result of discipline

– Success of Bus Operators Recertification Program used as starting point for all other MBTA training programs • Similar training programs could be developed for other MassDOT divisions

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Station AccessibilityPast Elevator Contract Performance

• Contract Type: Repair Contract• Contractor: Kone • Contract Period: 2001-2005

Percentage of Time Stations were Accessible by Elevator

Station Name Elevator 2003 2004 2005

Harvard Square 821 92.94% 95.09% 28.01%

Park Street 808/892 89.00% 87.39% 44.44%

Downtown Crossing 892 93.45% 92.35% 45.74%

Porter Square 818/820 93.72% 91.05% 85.41%

State Street 802/803 98.31% 95.21% 85.80%

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Current Elevator Contract• Contract Period: 2005-2010

– New contract terms and conditions under review• Contract Type: Preventative Maintenance,

managed by MBTA Operations Support– Major emphasis on maintaining elevators in good

working order to ensure optimum accessibility– Increase in elevator support staff– Reduction in elevator repair response time

• Contractors: Kone, Lerch Bates, Vertical Transportation Excellence (VTX)

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Positive Impact of Current Contract:System-Wide Elevator Performance

CY2006

Jan - 90%, Feb - 90%, Mar - 91%, Apr – 90%, May – 93%, Jun – 92%, Jul – 91%, Aug – 97%, Sep – 98%, Oct -96% , Nov -98% , Dec – 96%

Table showing Elevator performance

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Positive Impact of Current Contract:System-Wide Elevator Performance

CY2007

Jan - 98%, Feb - 97%, Mar – 97.7%, Apr – 97.8%, May – 98%, Jun – 97.6%, Jul – 99.4%, Aug – 99.5%, Sep – 99.5%, Oct - 99.6%, Nov -99.5%, Dec – 99.7%

Table showing Elevator performance

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Positive Impact of Current Contract:System-Wide Elevator Performance

CY2008

Jan – 99.4%, Feb – 99.6%, Mar – 99.6%, Apr – 99.7%, May – 98.8%, Jun – 99.7%, Jul – 99.5%, Aug – 99.8%, Sep – 99.5%, Oct - 99.7%, Nov -99.7%, Dec – 99.7%

Table showing Elevator performance

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Positive Impact of Current Contract:System-Wide Elevator Performance

CY2009

Jan – 99.8%, Feb – 99.5%, Mar – 99.3%, Apr – 99.7%, May – 99.7%, Jun – 99.8%, Jul – 99.7%, Aug – 99.6%, Sep – 99.7%, Oct - 99.5%, Nov -99.5%,

Table showing Elevator performance

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Replacement Elevator Update• MBTA/BCIL Settlement Agreement requires the creation of the

replacement elevator program

– Design and Construction to manage the project

• Strategic plan to identify elevators with the highest priority for replacement and upgrade

– Entire system mapped out for future replacement and upgrade

• Cost and timing targets under development

• First 17 replacement elevators identified

• MBTA Elevator Standard is applied to each elevator to the greatest extent feasible

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Redundant Elevator Update• MBTA/BCIL Settlement Agreement requires the creation of the

redundant elevator program

• Quantity of elevators is increased in critical stations establishing redundant paths of travel for improved vertical access

Station Name Elevators Design Status Completion Date Harvard 1 100% Summer 2011

State 1 100% Fall 2010

Park 2 100% Summer 2012

Porter 2 100% Fall 2012

Downtown 4 60% Summer 2014 MBTA Spider Map 1990

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MBTA Spider Map 2008

Now if we add in the current day station accessibility with the spider map of 2008, we now have 76 accessible stations, quite an improvement from 1990

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MBTA Spider Map 2012

And finally if we add in the spider map for 2012, we are projected to have 85 stations that are accessible

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Platform Gap Reduction Initiative• Measurements of horizontal and vertical gaps

between rail cars and platforms are taken at each heavy rail station on quarterly basis

• System-Wide Maintenance Improvements (SMI) are realigning tracks and platforms as necessary to reduce the gaps

• Once track and platform work is complete, rail cars will be evaluated for potential repair (wheels, suspensions, etc.) to minimize remaining gap

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Platform Gap Reduction Initiative• This project is a multi-year initiative

– Will require considerable resources from both the Budget Department and the Operations Directorate

• Portable Bridge-plate Program– Applies to Heavy Rail only – Interim solution to span the existing excessive gaps

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Wayfinding Project• Maximize customer success in navigating the

MBTA system – Upgrade and standardize the MBTA

wayfinding standards and guidelines – Incorporate lessons learned from existing

system and previous wayfinding initiatives into wayfinding manual

• Work group– Stakeholders, Design & Construction,

Operations, System-Wide Accessibility and outside consultant

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Wayfinding Project• Develop prototype wayfinding plan for

Alewife Station– Complete prototype design; install new prototype

signage (platform only)– Review platform signage with design team and

plaintiffs– Make any necessary changes based on feedback

and re-sign entire station• Identify next prototype wayfinding station

– Use Alewife prototype design to roll-out initial wayfinding signage at next station

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Future Vehicle Enhancements• Vehicle design opportunities to enhance

accessibility – Draft accessibility design specifications

developed jointly by SWA and Vehicle Engineering

• Vehicle Procurements– Red Line

• Replacement of Series 1 rail car– Orange Line

• Replacement of Series 12 rail car– Green Line

• Next generation rail car (Type 9)

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Emergency Preparedness InitiativesHomeland Security grant used to procure equipment for emergency evacuation of people with disabilities

Evacuation Chairs367 on-site for January 2010 placement on subway and commuter rail vehicles and within stations

Electric Carts to shuttle passengers from effected area to nearest station for evacuation

6 carts to be deployed within subway tunnels; scheduled to arrive in April 2010

Policies, procedures and training under developmentEvacuation drills to recruit and utilize people with disabilities including wheeled mobility device users

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Effective Communication• Ensure equal access to information provided by

the MBTA– Benefits all customers including those who are

Deaf/Hard of Hearing or Blind/Visually Impaired– Public meetings, online at MBTA.com, etc.

• Dual-Mode Technology– Providing information in both audio and visual

formats– In vehicles, stations and at bus stops

• Tactile/Braille signage used to supplement standard visual signage to ensure effective communication with customers who are Blind/Visually Impaired

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Website Accessibility Enhancements• Getting the word out about fixed route accessibility

enhancements and improved transportation options for customers with disabilities– “Accessibility at the T” on mbta.com

• One-stop shopping for access related information

• Centralized, convenient and accessible

– “Access Guide” Coming in 2010• Detailed “how to” guide detailing access

features across all modes

Reduced Fare CharlieCard Program

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• Eligible customers ride MBTA buses, trains, subway and water ferries for 50% or more off using:– Transportation Access Pass (TAP) CharlieCard

• 40,000 cards issued to eligible customers with disabilities– Senior CharlieCard

155,000 cards issued to customers 65+– Blind Access CharlieCard

• 6,000 cards issued to persons with MA Commission for the Blind or other appropriate certification

• Reduced-fares with improving fixed-route access; an increasingly attractive travel option for users of the MBTA’s Paratransit service, THE RIDE

External Compliance Assessment1/6/2010 Page 28 of 32

Role of Independent Monitor Judge Patrick King:• Reports to the Federal Court• Assesses MBTA compliance with all aspects of Settlement

Agreement• Issues Findings• Conducts Public Meetings• Serves as resource to MBTA to improve accessibility and

customer service• Oversees external monitoring program

– Contracts with testers and observers, including persons with disabilities, who periodically monitor fixed-route system to determine the MBTA’s rate of compliance

Internal Compliance Assessment

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• Internal Compliance Monitoring– BCIL Settlement Agreement and Federal Transit

Administration requirement

• Department of System-Wide Accessibility Internal Monitoring Program– Evaluate accessibility compliance on all fixed route

modes: bus, subway, commuter rail and boat– Undercover observer/tester monitors, with and without

disabilities, ride system in 2-person teams– Serious violations reported to Office of Diversity & Civil

Rights and Operations Directorate for investigation and corrective action

Customer Complaint-Generated 1/6/2010 Page 30 of 32

Compliance Assessment• Restructure of MBTA accessibility-related complaint

process per Settlement Agreement

• Customer Support Services Center streamlines accessibility-related complaint distribution process– Department of System-Wide Accessibility provided

access and input into all accessibility-related complaints• Office of Diversity & Civil Rights and Operations

Directorate investigates major customer-generated accessibility complaints for first time

• Operations Directorate activates management oversight team to improve complaint investigation, response, and appropriate corrective action

Moving Forward1/6/2010 Page 31 of 32

• Continue to pursue the goal of making the MBTA the global benchmark for accessible and inclusive public transportation – Influence and leverage both the Capital Investment

Plan (CIP, 5 year plan), Transportation Improvement Program (TIP, 25 year plan), MassDOT, etc.

– Pursue innovative strategies and technologies to further enhance accessibility for all customers

• Continue internal compliance oversight and external monitoring per the Settlement Agreement– Monitor the results received and make changes

necessary to improve system-wide accessibility for all customers

• Help to ensure accessibility is incorporated into all facets of transportation via newly formed MassDOT

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