METRO Magazine Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

What's the real scoop?

Addressing and countering media complaints or inaccuracies can help agencies improve their public image.

by Steve Hirano, Editor/Associate Publisher
March 1, 2006
3 min to read


Transit providers attract complaints like an empty schedule attracts useless meetings. Although 99% of the community may find your transportation program to be perfectly adequate, the other 1% are busily composing harangues to the local newspaper, posting harangues in a local blog or haranguing your customer-service agents on the phone. Case in point, the MetroAccess program operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The contract for this ADA service recently changed hands, which, as you might expect, has caused some glitches in the quality of service. One driver apparently circled the Jefferson Memorial several times in search of the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill. Complaints about customers being stranded or picked up late have also been common. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has taken WMATA to task for the shortcomings of its ADA program, citing 11 areas in which the service is substandard. He went as far as to tell a Washington Post reporter that the system is not only unsatisfactory but “on occasion even been potentially life-threatening.” Painted as the villain
Adding to WMATA’s discomfort, a local TV station reported on Feb. 9 that MetroAccess dispatchers refused to send a van to pick up a woman whose wheelchair was broken, stranding her outdoors on a cold evening. The report also implicated WMATA’s Metrobus program, alleging that its buses also refused to pick up the woman, who was eventually taken to a safe place by the fire department. So, how has WMATA responded to recent allegations about MetroAccess’ failings and other complaints about its service? It has taken its case to the Internet, posting rebuttals and refutations on its Websit (www.wmata.com) in an area called “Metro’s Straight Scoop.” As of early March, the section contained 32 links dating back to February 2005. The responses target newspaper articles and letters to the editor (most of them published in the Washington Post), online chat and one TV report. The topics range in importance from relatively minor (why an electronic sign isn’t working at the East Falls Church Metrorail Station) to more wide-ranging (why MetroAccess service has experienced difficulties while transitioning between contractors). Rebuttal was particularly pointed after the TV news story aired about the woman with the broken wheelchair who was “stranded” by MetroAccess and Metrobus providers. WMATA used its “Straight Scoop” to explain that users of the MetroAccess system must undergo eligibility testing under federal guidelines before they can use the service. It also pointed out that the woman was not waiting at a bus stop, which explains why its fixed-route buses passed her by: “There is no reasonable way that a Metrobus operator or anyone else in a vehicle, would have ever known that a woman in a wheelchair who was on a sidewalk some distance from a bus stop would have been in distress and in need of assistance.” Addressing the reporter’s assertion that it did not return his phone calls, the Straight Scoop countered that neither the reporter nor his editors tried to contact any of WMATA’s after-hours media contact numbers and instead called the number of the contractor after normal business hours. WMATA turns the tables
In a final rebuke, the Straight Scoop said: “Mr. Chavez and Fox 5 took advantage of the misfortune of a woman whose wheelchair happened to break to blame Metro when he should have focused on the wonderful service that the local fire and rescue team provided to ensure the woman got the help she needed on a cold winter night when her wheelchair broke.” Countering all the complaints and inaccuracies disgorged by the public and the media would be too time-consuming for even the “Straight Scoop,” but it must feel good to set the record straight. Let’s hope that even more energy is directed at addressing the legitimate complaints of the public and press.

Topics:Management
Subscribe to Our Newsletter

More Management

A user demonstrating Metrolink's contactless fare payment pilot.
Technologyby StaffJune 12, 2026

Southern California's Metrolink Debuts Contactless Fare Payment Pilot

Customers traveling between Redlands and Los Angeles can now tap their preferred payment method, including a credit or debit card, mobile wallet, or wearable device, at station validators before boarding and again while exiting.

Read More →
A BART train on the tracks.
Managementby StaffJune 12, 2026

California's BART Approves FY27 Budget While Maintaining Service Levels

The budget covers July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, a period when pandemic emergency funds run out, the District faces a structural deficit of $375 million, and a regional transit funding measure may appear on the November ballot.

Read More →
An image of a ticket validator in front of a security gate.
Managementby Staff and News ReportsJune 12, 2026

STL Metro Transit To Launch Next-Generation Fare Collection and Security Gates

The St. Louis transit agency will begin the phased rollout of gated station access and integrated fare technology to improve security and the customer experience.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
An aerial view of the CATS light rail.
Managementby News/Media ReleaseJune 12, 2026

CATS FY27 Budget Prioritizes Safety, Service

New investments in security, service expansion, and rail development aim to improve the rider experience while keeping fares flat.

Read More →
A person holding up a TransLink Compass Soccer Mini to a navigation terminal.
Managementby Elora HaynesJune 11, 2026

Transit Agencies Nationwide Gear Up to Move World Cup Crowds

As millions of fans prepare to descend on host cities, transit leaders are turning a month-long global event into a proving ground for the future of customer experience, mobility, and crowd management.

Read More →
A blue and white OCTA public transit bus parked in the street.
Managementby Elora HaynesJune 9, 2026

OCTA Approves $2 Billion Budget for FY 2026-27, Prioritizing Transit Investments

More than half of the agency’s upcoming spending plan is dedicated to transit as OCTA balances infrastructure investment with fiscal stability.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
New MobilityJune 5, 2026

Joshua Schank on Transportation Innovation, Risk, and the Future of Mobility

In this edition of METROspectives, Joshua Schank discusses lessons from launching LA Metro’s Office of Extraordinary Innovation, the challenges of advancing new mobility technologies, and much more.

Read More →
A maintenance person with a tablet.
ManagementJune 5, 2026

Reinventing Fleet Maintenance with Real-time Visibility and AI

Transit leaders need to know what needs fixing, where to look, who is responsible, when work is completed, and what it costs without having to chase information across disconnected systems.

Read More →
Alstom purchasing site for Acela network manufacturing
Railby StaffJune 4, 2026

Alstom Acquires Delaware Site to Support Amtrak NextGen Acela Fleet

The company is investing more than $55 million to acquire and improve the property and will employ approximately 100 people at this site once it is operational.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
SamTrans planning for ballot measure
Managementby StaffJune 4, 2026

SamTrans Sets Priorities for Potential Connect Bay Area Revenue

The board-approved framework allocates future funding to maintaining service, rider improvements, equity initiatives, and infrastructure repairs.

Read More →