A Chronicle investigation this month found that Leap purchased used, wheelchair-accessible public transit buses and then retrofitted them to add bar-style seating and plush leather armchairs to the spaces once reserved for wheelchairs.
About a dozen members of the National Federation of the Blind of Michigan, some with canes and service dogs, gathered outside the terminal for about two hours on Sunday displaying hand-lettered signs like “We are not second-class citizens,” “Safety for Seniors” and “Equal Rights for Disabled Travelers.”
Service users are routinely picked up and dropped off late for critical medical appointments, and are often put on hold for long periods of time by MTA's Mobility/Paratransit Service, the lawsuit says.
The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority's board voted unanimously to part ways with Select Ride and awarded a new, three-year contract for door-to-door services for people with disabilities and seniors to Blue Cab, beginning May 1.
Transit advocates say the crisis with the Casino Revenue Fund has become so acute that state lawmakers must intervene — otherwise, paratransit riders may be left stranded. They characterized it as a life-or-death situation, including the possibility that some dialysis patients may not be able to make it to the hospital for their treatments.
Under the partnership with CleanFUEL USA, the company will provide products and services to expand ASV’s line of alternative fuel vehicles, namely propane autogas. Meanwhile, the Westport WING Power System is a dedicated natural gas fuel system for light-duty specialty vehicles built on Ford truck chassis and backed by a Ford factory three-year/36,000-mile engine and powertrain warranty.
The company picked up and dropped off passengers at the stop for years before the federal government shut it down in 2013. Before it can operate in the city again, the operation must first get a bus stop permit from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The process includes a visit to the local community board for public input.
The additional safety measures were identified as part of Metro’s collaborative review with the National Transportation Safety Board investigation team into the January 12 incident, but are not to be misconstrued as formal recommendations from board.
The operations are targeting a 3% reduction in fuel consumption using the technology, which is being rolled out on its fleet of 2,400 buses. This initiative follows a successful pilot program in the UK in which a 3% improvement in fuel efficiency was achieved across UK bus operations.
Claypool will replace Lisa Schrader, who will leave the Emanuel administration after serving in the role for two years.
Sixty brand new electric trolley buses will replace buses that have been in operation for over two decades. Concurrently, through unanimous Board of Supervisors approval, the SFMTA has purchased 61 new biodiesel-electric hybrid buses. The combined purchases are part of the agency’s five-year plan to replace the entire bus fleet.
The new orders, which are exercised as two options under a contract signed in 2012, bring Trenitalia’s mostly Italian Jazz fleet to 95 trainsets.
The ads, commissioned by the American Freedom Defense Initiative, were blocked by the MTA last year, after the authority argued they might incite violence. The group argued that the MTA’s move was a violation of free speech.
Up to six cameras will be installed on each bus. There is no live monitoring of the video which will only be removed and viewed by authorized security staff following a reported incident. Only video required for security purposes will be retained, all other video will be erased.
"The T failed its stress test this winter when we needed it most, exposing the deep operational problems and lack of planning. We simply cannot afford a repeat and this legislation sets in motion significant reforms to once again deliver accountability, reliability and the world-class transportation system Massachusetts deserves," Gov. Baker said during a press conference announcing the legislation.
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