Resolution 2024-01 Paratransit and Supplemental Taxi Program

Resolution 2024-01

Regarding Maryland Transit Administration

Paratransit and Supplemental Taxi Program

WHEREAS, people who are blind or have low vision must rely heavily on public and private transportation services in order to participate fully in work, healthcare, spiritual, and family activities, as well as other aspects of social and community life; and

WHEREAS, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is the primary service provider for bus, MobilityLink/Paratransit, Light Rail Link, MARC Commuter Train, Metro Subway Link, and supplemental transportation services in Baltimore City and surrounding counties in the metro area, including service to Annapolis, Thurgood Marshall Baltimore Washington International Airport, Washington DC, and many local communities and stops between these locations; and

WHEREAS, one service available to blind transit users is the Call-A-Ride program, which allows eligible MobilityLink/Paratransit users to pay only three dollars ($3) for a taxi trip with a standard trip fare of up to forty dollars ($40), and which is available through many participating local taxi and contract service companies; and

WHEREAS, the number of people needing MobilityLink/Paratransit services continues to increase, placing heavier burdens on this service; and

WHEREAS, the Call-A-Ride program is designed to help transit passengers have more flexibility and options for their travel needs and to reduce the number of MobilityLink/Paratransit passengers in order to help provide better service to those who are unable to use the Call-A-Ride program; and

WHEREAS, the Call-A-Ride program is administered by a contract company outside of the MTA, called MJM Innovations, that receives applications, determines eligibility, monitors trip fares, provides program information and identification cards, and directly communicates with those wishing to use the Call-A-Ride service; and

WHEREAS, there are multiple steps that must be followed to apply either for first-time certification or re-certification for

MobilityLink/Paratransit, to wit: applications must be completed by the applicant and a range of medical providers or Independent Living or Rehabilitation specialists and returned to MTA for review, and this procedure must be completed before applying for Call-A-Ride; and

WHEREAS, once approved for first-time certification, the applicant must schedule an in-person interview and functional assessment test or, those applying for re-certification will receive a telephone interview and must complete a notification letter and return this to MTA, and, in either case, MTA has up to twenty-one (21) days to make a final determination and notify the applicant; and

WHEREAS, once an applicant has been approved for MobilityLink/Paratransit services MTA will then forward an approval confirmation to MJM Innovations for those wishing to apply for the Call-A-Ride program, and then an additional Call-A-Ride application must be completed for all new or renewing certifications, and then MJM Innovations has up to four (4) weeks to process the application and notify the applicant of a determination; and

WHEREAS, this multi-step lengthy process can delay a person with a disability in receiving accessible transportation, causing long periods of severe disruption to activities such as trips to medical appointments, attending to personal business, and other needs; and

WHEREAS, while there are some who cannot use and thus do not wish to apply for the Call-A-Ride service, those who are approved for MobilityLink/Paratransit and do apply for Call-A-Ride must wait for a second approval based on the same disability determination, and for most individuals, especially those who are blind or have low vision, their disability will not change or cause a transportation requirement change: now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National federation of the blind in convention assembled this eighteenth day of February, 2024, in the City of Towson, Maryland, that we demand that the MTA change its lengthy MobilityLink/Paratransit and Call-A-Ride procedures by adding a simple request checkbox to the MobilityLink/Paratransit certification and recertification applications, or otherwise modifying said applications, so that those wishing to also apply for Call-A-Ride can apply for both services at once, eliminating the delays caused by the need to apply to MTA a second time for Call-A-Ride and for MJM Innovations to receive and process this second application; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we demand that MTA certify applicants for Call-A-Ride and forward all approved determinations with a request for Call-A-Ride to MJM for automatic and immediate approval and notification to applicants; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we demand that any changes to information and application documents be fully accessible on the MTA website to those using screen readers or other accessible technology and that the website be monitored to comply with current Web Content accessibility Guidelines (WCAG); and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon MTA to work with the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland to review MobilityLink/Paratransit and Call-A-Ride procedures to make this detailed, lengthy,  and complicated procedure more streamlined, understandable, efficient, and accessible for those with disabilities needing accessible transportation.