[Ohio-talk] Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA)

Sun Nov 17 01:20:21 UTC 2013

Hi Cheryl,
Riders who are proactive and are ready in the beginning of a window are helpful to paratransit.
Also if Paratransit is in an area and you are ready be willing to leave early. You will help the driver stay on time and deal with people who need or expect extra help.
I sometimes have to use my chair without someone with me.
Some drivers have a problem with this but most are nice. When I use my chair without someone being with me it is because I am meeting someone on the other end of town.
Sometimes when I go somewhere and will not have much walking I simply use the lift because I cannot use buses with high steps.
I am glad your driver smelled gas and alerted people. This was great.
I once went to one of the girls' appointments without realizing it had snowed.
It wasn't on the news yet.
The driver kindly shoveled um the snow to pull Davonna's chair down which also helped me.
If I had known it had snowed and knew I couldn't get anyone to shovel the ramp I would have cancelled the appointment.
This was not paratransit but was truly kind.
Bus drivers should know how to read a map and should use a GPS.
Drivers should be given realistic schedules which do not book three people at the same time.
This is really a problem when people are in different parts of the city or buburbs.
Having correct change is good but maybe you could just buy tickets if your paratransit system has them.
Could you pay both ways and have the dispatcher note this so there is no problem with correct change? Just a thought.
Colleen Roth

----- Original Message -----
From: Cheryl Fields <cherylelaine1957 at gmail.com>
To: NFB of Ohio Announcement and Discussion List ohio-talk at nfbnet.org
Date: Saturday, November 16, 2013 7:47 pm
Subject: Re: [Ohio-talk] Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA)

>
>
> Suzanne,
> I am sure your meeting will go smoothly. I have very few complaints,
> no system is perfect, and we are blessed in Cleveland to have one of
> the best paratransit systems in the country. However I do realize that
> when it goes bad it is really bad for us, been there too. My best
> friend lives in Columbia, south carolina and what they call
> paratransit is a joke! I was told that Detroit and Washington DC have
> corner to corner service. I have used Mainstream in columbus and there
> is no comparison to our service. Once when using mainstream I was left
> at my location, after I called and was told that they would try to
> find me a ride, I called someone to pick me up and made it to my
> Mother's house, 3 hours later Mainstream called to say they were
> sending a bus to pick me up. Another time I was asked off of the bus
> for not having the correct change, smiles, I am notorious for this
> and the drivers are used to me doing this, yes I need to stop, it is a
> minor problem in Cleveland we always work it out, however in columbus
> it was a unforgivable sin and the driver escorted me off of the
> vehicle, walk of shame. Oh well, I will still use the service because
> it is all they have and when I need it it is there, sooner or later.
> smiles This is why I love our service and appreciate it, there's no
> place like home. Our RTA drivers are like family to me and it is the
> contract drivers I have the most issues with. The regular RTA drivers
> go above and beyond the call of duty, carrying heavy packages,
> allowing us to bring more than 3 shopping bags onto the bus, stopping
> to allow folks to use the rest room, waiting more than 5 mins., when
> we are fully aware of when the bus will arrive, waiting for those that
> are on dialysis so they won't have to wait on another bus, making sure
> I have on my boots after one of those freaky snow storms. Once a
> driver smelled gas in my building and saved all of our lives, thank
> god for her! Allowing some of us to travel with baby seats and another
> person without notifying scheduleing, dropping folks off at other
> destinations they did not schedule for, taking diabetics to the fast
> food drive through line to get food so they won't go into a coma,
> passengers knowingly riding on expired bus passes, hanging up on
> certain schedulers because you would rather talk with someone else,
> talking to drivers like they are your personal chauffaur, providing us
> with those miracle rides when we call at 3 o'clock pm the day before
> we need to be somewhere at 9 o'clock the next morning, the list goes
> on and on. I have wittnessed enough abuse on our part, the blind, to
> know how the majority of drivers, schedulers, and dispatch make
> allowances for us going above and beyond the call of duty. While RTA
> continues to provide quality service for us, we should work together
> with them toward improvements, making a good thing become even better!
>  So, these are my concerns:
> 
> 1. Training, the contract drivers should have training with sighted
> guide, pushing and pulling will result in a accident one day and
> creates a hostile atmosphere. I have tried to use humor to make them
> listen, but it rarely works andwhen I become serious and firm they
> become offended.
> Politeness will go a long way, some of the contract drivers ar rude.
> My building can be difficult to locate, these drivers will not llisten
> and want to tell me where I live. Just last night I gave the driver
> instructions and he decided I did not know what I was talking about,
> so he finally asked me and I told him again and he says, that does not
> seem right, and I remained silent. He found it but was surprised that
> it was where I said it was. Once I rode on the bus in circles because
> the driver would not listen, he then accused me of causing him to be
> late for his next pick up, well you know what I said to that! Some
> vehicles are equiped with gps and others are not, maybe this could be
> uniform, the contract drivers are often unable to take the proper
> routes to destinations, spending long periods of time trying to figure
> it out. Some of this may be personality, don't know.
> 
> 2. Scheduling, this year the process is really bad. There has been a
> increase in ridership, however some simple things can be emplemented
> to accomadate this increase. Stop having 3 buses pick up 3 people
> going to the same destination that live in the same neighborhood, this
> is so wasteful and time consuming for others that are waiting for
> rides. Having someone that lives west, board a bus full of east
> siders, ride all over the east side before taking them home. This
> seems to be the new normal, drivers are frustrated with this and we
> are too.
> 
> 3. Vehicles, it would be beneficial for RTA to become pro-active with
> contract companies when choosing vehicles. Some of the vans are
> dangerous and awkward to navagate. Knowing how to exit the van is
> important to me and some drivers will not show you where the door
> handleand locks are, they feel like you don't need to know, however
> some of us have other issues they are not aware of. When it is time
> for RTA to purchase new vehicles, maybe they can look at the ones with
> the lower bottom step, curb height, it would be a lot easier to board
> and exit the vehicle.
> 
> 4. Is RTA considering a new fare system, cards similar to laundry
> cards that are used in apartment buildings. This is expensive, but
> would be really convenient, especially if it was part of our
> identification card.The driver could verify id  and collect the fare
> with one swipe.
> 
> Finally, nfb should have representation on the Citizens Council, this
> would provide us a constant voice, and maybe we could hold a town hall
> meeting for paratransit riders. I have attended other RTA town hall
> meetings and paratransit riders rarely show up in numbers, so we are
> rarely heard.
> 
> I know this is long, but you know me, smiles, that's all folks!
> Make this a great day, be good to yourself and a blessing to others!
> Cheryl Fields
> 
> On 11/15/13, Suzanne Turner <sturner at clevelandsightcenter.org> wrote:
> > Good Afternoon,
> >
> > I wanted to inform you all that I have a meeting scheduled with Joe
> > Calabrese who is the CEO and General Manager of RTA and the Deputy General
> > manager of Operations, Mike York along with  Oliver Draper who is the
> > Manager of para-Transit in Cuyahoga County about the issues regarding
> > services.
> >
> > I am requesting all to email me any issues that you would like for me to
> > discuss. I have many concerns and I am sure you do as well.
> >
> > My meeting is December 2, 2013 at 8:30 AM.
> >
> > Although you may not reside locally, I am sure some issues are universal in
> > your immediate area.  I will do my best to advocate in your behalf as well.
> > I will bring the issues to their attention and let them know that this is
> > State wide.  Therefore, during the many State wide transportation meetings,
> > they would have heard these issues along the way.
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> >
> > Suzanne Turner, BSW, MPA
> > Employment Coordinator and Benefit Specialist
> >
> > Cleveland Sight Center
> > 216-791-8118 (main)
> > 216-658-7350 (direct)
> > 216-791-1101 (fax)
> > sturner at ClevelandSightCenter.org <mailto:sturner at ClevelandSightCenter.org>
> >
> > 1909 East 101st Street
> > P.O. Box 1988
> > Cleveland, Ohio  44106-0188
> >
> > Our Empowerment Park construction is complete! The ribbon was cut on October
> > 17th and we have been awarded the UCI "Building the Circle" award. Come view
> > the video here<http://youtu.be/OrJZzUfA_tc>.
> >
> > Our Mission: To empower people with vision loss to realize their full
> > potential, and to shape the community's vision of that potential.
> >
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> 
> 
> — 
> Peace
> 
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