The Memphis Center for
Independent Living Journal
Index
of previous MCIL Journals
5/26/99, 4:41 pmcdt
MATA violates the ADA
MATA continues to violate the ADA by significantly limiting the availability of paratransit services to ADA paratransit eligible persons.
Although paratransit eligible persons are charged more for per ride than a trip on fixed-route buses, MATAplus services are not comparable to the level of transit services provided to individuals without disabilities. Specifically,
- persons with disabilities are routinely unable to obtain MATA paratransit services when they request such services the day before the service is needed;
- persons with disabilities routinely have untimely late MATA paratransit pick-ups. In fact, a survey revealed that more than 15% are more than 30 minutes late. MATA's own reports, although undependable, seem to show that more than half (55%) arrive more than 16 minutes late.
- MATA does not schedule paratransit rides at the requested times;
- MATA frequently fails to arrive at all, stranding the person with a disability without a ride;
- persons with disabilities routinely experience excessive trip length, e.g. taking an hour or more for a ten minute ride;
- MATA paratransit ridership has significantly decreased from 3800 to 970 since MATA has no longer been required to report ADA compliance to the Department of Transportation;
- MATA has no consumer information guide to explain policies and procedures to paratransit eligible persons;
- MATA has taken no actions to institute changes recommended by an independent paratransit consultant to correct the "lack of a commitment of quality. The absence of leadership, a failure to participate, and an inability to determine where it is and where it is going," wrote the consultant in May of 1998, "limits MATAplus' ability to provide the disabled community in Memphis with a service that is safe, reliable, customer-oriented, and cost effective."
- Reporter Steve Dawson of Fox Television in Memphis uncovered in November 1997 that transportation for people with disabilities is not a budget priority compared to the trolley;
- MATA has no "travel training" program to facilitate paratransit users to use the fixed-route buses.
The personal experiences of MATAplus riders indicate that persons with disabilities are treated by MATA in a way that nondisabled persons would never accept.
Attend the MATA public hearing June 16, at 10 am
Transportation is for everyone
MATA under-reporting late trips
Percentage of trips that MATA says are outside the 30 minute pick-up window
Percentage of trips MATA reports show are outside the pick-up window
Percentage of trips MATA reports show are more than 15 minutes late
MCIL Journal · · ·
Our Community · · · News · · · Home
· · · ADAPT· · · BFMS· · · Not Dead Yet!· · · The Declaration! · · · MCIL Staff · · · MCIL Information
· · ·
The Memphis Center for Independent Living
1633 Madison Avenue,
Memphis, TN 38104
(901) 726-6404 v/tty (901) 726-6521 fax
mcil@mcil.org
MCIL is a United Way of the Mid-South member Agency
Return to the top of this page
MCIL would like feedback on the accessibility of this website. Please
send your comments and concerns to webmaster@mcil.org
©
2006 Tim Wheat
