Metro Transit Makes Strides in Services for Disabled Community, But Challenges Remain

Metro Transit Makes Strides in Services for Disabled Community But Challenges Remain

Metro Transit Makes Strides in Services for Disabled Community, But Challenges Remain

Metro Transit in St. Louis has been working to improve its services for the disabled community, but progress is still a mixed bag, according to a recent report from the St. Louis Metropolitan Alliance for Reliable Transit (S.M.A.R.T.). The organization, which advocates for the rights of people with disabilities, released their third quarterly report card for Metro Transit in September, highlighting some positive developments but also pointing out areas that need urgent attention.

One of the key services for disabled riders is Metro's Call-A-Ride, which has seen setbacks in the past due to driver shortages. The service was drastically reduced last year, leading to a significant drop in performance. According to S.M.A.R.T.’s evaluation, while the system has improved, it continues to face major issues. For example, Metro’s ADA compliance grade saw a slight improvement from an "F" in March to a "D-" in September, but that’s still far from acceptable. Riders with disabilities continue to struggle with long wait times, difficulty securing round-trip rides, and overall inconsistency in service.

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On a more positive note, Metro has implemented several measures to enhance the Call-A-Ride service. According to Charles Stewart, Metro's chief operating officer, the service fulfilled nearly 8,000 trips last week out of almost 10,000 requests, with an ADA denial rate of just 0.21%. This represents a substantial improvement from early 2023, when nearly 45% of trip requests were denied. Other improvements include more aggressive driver recruitment, new dispatching software, and better communication tools like mobile fare payments and real-time trip status updates via text.

Despite these advancements, advocacy groups like S.M.A.R.T. remain cautious. Co-founder Robyn Wallen expressed concerns that as ridership increases, the system could regress to its previous struggles, leaving vulnerable community members without reliable transportation. While the progress is commendable, the consensus remains that Metro still has significant work ahead to fully meet the needs of disabled riders.

Metro’s commitment to continued improvement, as stated by Stewart, includes expanding engagement with riders, service providers, and other stakeholders to ensure that the voices of those affected are heard and responded to. However, the road to fully accessible and reliable transit services for all remains a challenging one, and only time will tell if Metro can continue this upward trajectory.

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