Metro News Release

For immediate release: January 23, 2006

MetroAccess weekend service strong

MetroAccess riders asked to update personal trip data

MetroAccess weekend service was strong on Saturday (Jan. 21) and Sunday (Jan. 22), as is typical for the paratransit service on weekends, and as passenger trip data continues to be updated, officials are optimistic that weekday performance will continue to improve as well.

Metroaccess ontime performance was 81.1 percent last Thursday (Jan. 19); 82.9 percent last Friday (Jan. 20); 90.7 percent on Saturday (Jan. 21) and 93.9 percent on Sunday (Jan. 22), based on preliminary trip information, which may change after official reconciliation of the data. Weekend data typically has higher on-time performance because it is easier for the MetroAccess vehicles to get around the region’s roads on weekends than weekdays. The on-time performance goal for the service, which is measured at the time of pick-up, is at least 93 percent.

The new Metroaccess service provider, MV Transportation, began operating the service on January 15, and immediately ran into problems with outdated data for customers as well as challenges with new drivers who were getting accustomed to their routes. Logisticare, the previous MetroAccess provider, passed along its customer database to MV Transportation.

Since last week, MV and Metro have worked to make the following service improvements:

• A new on-line service has been established that allows MetroAccess customers to log on and check their personal and trip data to ensure accuracy. Patrons can enter their data themselves with the new easy-to-use data screen at http://www.wmata.com/metroaccess/paratransit_update_form.cfm.
• Approximately 150 erroneous subscription trips were corrected this past weekend through telephone calls to the affected customers. This corrected data helps ensure that those trips are more likely to go smoothly.
• All telephone lines to the MetroAccess call center were fixed as of Friday, Jan. 20, allowing callers to get through to update their personal trip data, to confirm their trips, to schedule new trips, to update their exact pick-up locations, or to cancel trips.
• Officials are working to establish an automated telephone calling service that will place an automated call to a rider to let that individual know when the MetroAccess vehicle is close to arriving to their pick-up location.

Summary of Last Four Days of MetroAccess Service

 *On-time performance statistics are preliminary and may change after the statistics are reconciled.

News release issued on January 23, 2006.