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Metro Access
The Disability Rights Program of the Equal Rights Center (ERC) is close to settling a major class action law suit involving more than 18,000 individuals against MetroAccess – the paratransit service for people with disabilities in the greater Washington, D.C. area.
The lawsuit was originally brought in March 2004 by the Disability Rights Council (now the ERC) and 14 named plaintiffs who alleged that MetroAccess had violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to provide adequate service to customers with disabilities.
According to the complaint, MetroAccess riders were often forced to waste countless hours waiting for rides that were late or never showed up at all. Many of the rides that did come on time took riders on circuitous routes, adding hours to what should have been short trips. MetroAccess riders have been forced to bear the costs of missed medical appointments, costly last-minute taxi rides and docked pay resulting from tardiness at work.
The ERC has been working hard to reach a settlement agreement with MetroAccess. In January 2008, a proposed settlement was brought before a U.S. Federal Court judge for preliminary approval, bringing the case one step closer to resolution.
The settlement would require MetroAccess to implement more than 130 recommendations made by experts and riders and to increase its budget by $4 million a year over a three-year period. Some of that money would go toward purchasing extra vehicles and hiring more operators to alleviate many of the service problems.
According to the multi-million dollar settlement, MetroAccess would also hire consultants to assist in its ongoing oversight of MetroAccess performance. In addition to the service improvements required by the proposed settlement, every MetroAccess patron would receive 10 free rides, valued at approximately $425,000.
Currently, the proposed settlement is being sent out to all class members for their approval. For a copy of the notice and the proposed settlement, click here.
Unfortunately, the legal process is slow. We will try to update you periodically on the status of this case. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have questions, concerns, or follow-up complaints.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Conrad,
Disability Rights Program Manager