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Preliminary Recommendations from the MetroAccess Best Practices Working Group

Preliminary Recommendations from the MetroAccess Best Practices Working Group. National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board May 17, 2006. Working Group Scope. Reservations, Scheduling, Dispatch and Vehicle Operations Door-to-Door Service

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Preliminary Recommendations from the MetroAccess Best Practices Working Group

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  1. Preliminary Recommendations from the MetroAccess Best Practices Working Group National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board May 17, 2006

  2. Working Group Scope • Reservations, Scheduling, Dispatch and Vehicle Operations • Door-to-Door Service • Changes to the MetroAccess no-show and late cancellation policy • Human Service Transportation Coordination • Same-Day Service

  3. Members • Jon Monson MV Transportation, Inc. • Penny Reeder MetroAccess User • John Smolenski Maryland Transit Administration • Dr. Harold Snider Montgomery County Commission for People with Disabilities MetroAccess User • Mary Williams Metro Riders Advisory Council MetroAccess User • Steven Yaffe Fastran • Carolyn Bellamy MetroAccess User • Dan Dalton Easter Seals Project ACTION • Buffy Ellis KFH Consulting Chair, TRB Paratransit Committee • Jachebed Jordon IONA Senior Services • Christian Kent Office of MetroAccess Services • Wendy Klancher, Chair TPB Staff

  4. Observations • Problems experienced with the transition are a symptom of long-standing structural problem • Unusual in large urban areas to have one contract and broker operation • Brokers do not usually operate service and have responsibility for service monitoring • Multi-contract strategy utilized in New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Denver and Seattle • More oversight and management of contract key to improvement

  5. Preliminary RecommendationsImprove Customer Service and Communication • MetroAccess needs a “Customer-First” focus • WMATA should hold off implementing more advanced technology (i.e. web-based reservations) until operation is running smoother • WMATA should ensure stranded passengers calling after normal business hours have the option to quickly contact an employee

  6. Preliminary RecommendationsEnsure Adequate, Experienced and Stable Staffing • WMATA should require MV to increase staffing levels • Each MV scheduler manages between 70 and 125 runs • Best Practice: Scheduler should be managing about 40-50 runs • WMATA should ensure pay and benefits attract experienced and stable workforce (especially drivers)

  7. Preliminary RecommendationsUtilize scheduling and software strategies • WMATA should reduce 14-day advanced reservation window to 7-day • MV Transportation should keep vehicles and drivers in familiar geographic areas

  8. Preliminary RecommendationsStrengthen Contract Oversight and Monitoring • WMATA is working on verifying performance data and monitoring service quality • Independent audit a good first step • WMATA should increase the number of staff in the Office of MetroAccess to allow for: • Performance data verification • Service quality monitoring • Customer service • Complaint resolution and response • WMATA should ensure adequate vehicle availability • Industry “best practice” spare vehicle ratio: 20% • MetroAccess ratio: 10%

  9. Preliminary RecommendationsProvideDoor-to-Door Service • WMATA should provide door-to-door service to all MetroAccess customers (instead of curb-to-curb) • Reduce the vehicle wait time from 10 minutes to 5 minutes

  10. Next Steps • Final recommendations will be presented at MetroAccess Ad-Hoc Advisory Committee on May 24 • Final report to the WMATA Board expected in June • TPB will begin work on Human Service Transportation Coordination Plan in June • TPB work program includes “independent review” of MetroAccess in Fall 2006

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