Metro News Release

For immediate release: October 20, 2005

Metro To Unveil a New Voice-Enabled Spanish Trip Planner and Interactive Switchboard System

Spanish-speakers will soon have the ability to access Metro related information at the touch of a phone as Metro’s Board of Directors today approved the implementation of a Spanish Trip Planner designed to plan Metrorail and Metrobus trips in Spanish.

Spanish-speaking riders today obtain information by speaking to a Spanish-speaking agent during Metro’s regular business hours. The new Metro Spanish Trip Planner will provide 24-hour access by telephone for Spanish speaking riders, similar to the English version.

Metro will also enhance its switchboard system with the installation of a new Interactive Voice Recognition (IVR) system that will provide 24-hour service offering callers a menu of options to riders such as SmarTrip®, fare adjustments, parking, and bike-on-rail or bike-on-bus.

"Enhancing the customer call processing system by installing an interactive voice recognition system for phone calls to provide a more timely response to telephone calls and to better serve Spanish-speaking riders by adding a Spanish language Trip Planner voice recognition system are continued examples of our strong emphasis on improvements in the areas of customer satisfaction and service reliability," said Leona Agouridis, Metro’s Assistant General Manager of Customer Communications.

These new services are fresh steps toward Metro’s emphasis on safety, reliability, enhanced cleanliness, and improved customer service and outreach as part of Metro’s current fiscal year 2006 budget.

The Spanish Trip Planner, budgeted at $200,000, will be available in spring 2006. The new IVR system, also budgeted at $200,000, will be available in late spring 2006. Funds for these programs will be paid through revenue raised by advertising.

News release issued on October 20, 2005.