The RIDE Proposes In-Person Assessment

 

The MBTA’s the RIDE program is proposing changing the application process from a paper application to a process that requires an in-person assessment. Barring any changes, as of July 2012, new registrants will face screening by medical experts, who will determine whether they can board a mock-up bus and subway car.

The MBTA lists the following rationales on their website:

• In-person assessments are used across the country and match people to the transportation mode that is most appropriate to their functional abilities; they are more accurate at determining if some customers can use buses/trains/trolleys for some or all of their trips.
• The MBTA has made extensive investments in transit accessibility, and this process can introduce some customers to the flexibility that buses, trains, and trolleys provide.
• If individuals have a disability that prevents using transit, they will continue to be RIDE eligible. The federal ADA intends for paratransit programs to be a ‘safety net’ for persons with disabilities who are unable to use public transit for some or all of their trips; they are not intended to be a service for all persons with disabilities.
• The RIDE program costs the MBTA over $100M yearly and is growing faster than other revenues can support. Measures, such as in-person assessments, will help sustain and preserve the program for those who need it most.

The Boston Herald recently reported that the RIDE’s ridership has increased from 1.6 million rides in 2007 to an expected 2.6 million trips this fiscal year. The RIDE’s annual budget has swelled, from $50 million in 2007 to an anticipated $112 million this fiscal year.

They also report that the T is mulling other cost-saving measures as well: taxi vouchers for local trips around $10, giving participants free CharlieCards, raising the current $2 fares for the Ride, and making the service’s three vendors — now paid by the hour, not ride — schedule pickups more efficiently.

Workshop/Public Comment

There is a public workshop on the proposal on October 3, 2011.

You may also email your comments to theride@mbta.com or write to THE RIDE, Ten Park Plaza, Room 5750, Boston, MA 02110.

Public notice: http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/public_meetings/?id=22601

See the full Boston Herald article…

See the full masstransitmag.com article…

 

 

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