Maryland Transit Administration Promises to Change

A class action lawsuit was filed by the AARP Foundation Litigation and the Maryland Disability Law Center, now referred to as Disability Rights Maryland, against the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) in 2015. The lawsuit alleged the transit service was routinely late picking up and dropping off passengers and unable and unwilling to accommodate passengers with disabilities. It was filed specifically on behalf of passengers who are disabled or critically ill and had been mistreated by MTA employees. Many missed vital doctor appointments due to unreliable service, or were simply denied certain accessibility rights. Other complaints from users included being put on hold for long periods of time when attempting to schedule appointments, or being told they are unable to ride without a sufficient explanation. The lawsuit documented numerous times in which the MTA put users on hold for long periods of time, in excess of 45 minutes, or made passengers wait up to hours for a ride. It became impossible for many to schedule needed medical visits and be guaranteed the ability to keep them. There are many nonverbal passengers with disabilities that rely on the MTA for their transportation needs and missing these appointments without an easy way to reschedule could be life threatening.

In the settlement agreement, announced Tuesday, the transportation company has been ordered to overhaul its service and hire independent consultants to review all changes made over the next three years. The third party oversight alone is projected to cost the Maryland Transit Administration up to $160,000, but will be the most efficient way to determine whether or not someone is qualified to use the service and whether the MTA is making customer service a priority. The settlement will allow for the MTA to be a safer and more reliable over all, making sure those with illnesses or disabilities are being properly helped.

The Maryland Transit Administration has been very cooperative with the proposed changes and has already begun to make some needed adjustments.  Some improvements that are currently underway include those made to telephone reservations for individuals with disabilities and a more seamless certification workflow within the transit’s call center as well as increased performance reliability with more accurate and consistent arrival and departure times for all passengers.

New specific quality assurance metrics have been put into place, and the consultants will continue to review compliance with these measurements and offer suggestions for improvement as necessary. Part of the program includes processing applications and confirming certification within 10 days of receiving them. If applicants do not receive a response within three weeks, they will be able to utilize the MTA until they have. Eligibility assessments will be completed on the same day as the MTA calls to schedule interviews. Anyone denied service will be “given a second chance” and asked to submit more information as needed for potential reconsideration. The forms available for appeals have been adjusted to provide greater protection against applicants being unjustifiably denied. Passengers are cautiously optimistic that the restructuring will bring about positive changes.

Sources:

MTA agrees to improve mobility/paratransit service in settlement

MTA Mobility Service Changes