METROLift Advisory Task Force Meeting - 12315

Metropolitan Multiservice Center 1475 West Gray - 1 pm

NOTE The following transcript was written for Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) purposes and is not intended to be a verbatim certified transcript of these proceedings

gtgt MICHAEL All right everybody were going to go ahead and get started First of all thank you for coming today I just want to thank everyone on a great year I think weve made a lot of progress since last year

This is kind of our holiday version MAC meeting and we wanted to thank you our customers for all the support you h ave e given t he program We want to t hank o ur contractors again for all the hard w ork t hat theyve done over the past year the drivers management staff everyone involved with the program its been a real team effort and we really appreciate everyone working together to improve the service

The first thing that we want to talk about is bus service changes And Hilda I believe is going to take that piece of it but again thank you for coming And we have a lot of great information for you

gtgt HILDA Good afternoon everyone Thank you for coming I hope you are enjoying t he lunch

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thank you

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gtgt HILDA Youre welcome Just briefly METRO usually does two service changes sometimes three throughout the year and its usually January and there is usually one around June and August and the ones in December is because of the schools there is no need for buses to be going through the schools -- but this one here in particular there are quite a few changes And they are kind of sort of adjusting the routes after the new bus network system

And there are quite a few changes but Ill tell you that probably 95 percent of the changes is going to be on run times This is for big bus okay So I know -- we also mention the service changes because there are a few of you that do use the fixed route on the changes and I wanted you to be aware of -- that there are going to be some changes The service change goes into effect January 24th

And if anyone wants to know in particular what those changes are I have them here and it will take me at least 15 minutes to read each one of these and you would probably forget by the time I started what these changes are by the time I finish

So there are a lot of changes Most of them -- a few routes but like I said 95 percent of these changes are actually adding service or adding run times to those particular routes And Ill just name just a few of them

The one that is a new service is the 399 Kuykendahl shuttle It will be going now seven days a week and there is route realignments which is the 3 Langley 56 Airline the 78 Wayside the 85 Antoine the 360 Peerless shuttle I actually have the detailed information if youre interested And then there is just trip additions schedule adjustments and there is a whole list of them So if youre interested --yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to know about the 56 and if the 59 is on that list anywhere

gtgt HILDA On the 56 its going -- it says seven days a week due to street configuration [INAUDIBLE] via Fulton t o -- from Fulton Lowry t o A irline northbound only and thats effective 2015 so for more reliable s ervice So t hey a re actually j ust adjusting t he run t ime to m ake sure that they can m eet the demand Which other one were you interested in

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is the 59 on the list

gtgt HILDA Im going through -- give me a second No Thats the only one just the 56

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER The 85 what changes -- is that the Antoine 85

gtgt HILDA Seven days a week the change is the southern end point from Downtown Transit Center to Gray and Austin to relieve congestion inside Downtown Transit Center and adjust running time for more reliable service So they are adjusting the run time and they are changing the southern end point from Downtown Transit Center to Gray and Austin to relieve the congestion Thats the change there

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have an issue You probably need to look into -- I live in Gulfgate on the 36 [INDISCERNIBLE] I take the train to the end of the route a nd p ick u p [IN AUDIBLE] Now the i ssue i s f rom 7 t o 3 I have t o c hange t o another bus Now the issue -- the rule -- I forget the n ame o f i t You h ave t o c ross

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a busy h ighway t o cat ch t he other bus So w hen I take the 73 it drops me -- I forget the name of it -- but right in front of Fiesta Now I will have to cross a busy highway and I say hmmm this is very dangerous So it exposes us to special danger Why does this change -- why do you have to [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt HILDA That will change with the new bus network system

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im going to Gulfgate So the 73 from the end of METRORail to take 76 and to take 76 I would have to cross very busy highway

gtgt HILDA Maybe Ill get your information and just pass it on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It puts someone that is seriously disabled to potential danger [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt HILDA Okay Well talk after the meeting Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER The 79 Is 79 on there

gtgt HILDA Nope Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is 137 on there

gtgt HILDA If anyone else is interested we can talk after the meeting I dont want to hold up the agenda Did you say 137 Yes maam the Northshore

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express Yes Extend t he 547 a m westbound t rip t o st art from Maxey R oad P ark amp Ride lot extend the 511 am and the 237 and 835 pm eastbound trips to the NASA Road Park amp Ride lots

So if you want more detail well do it at the end of the meeting okay

So thats all about the service changes I just wanted to bring that up to you all Were going to continue with the agenda and Ill pass it over to Mike

gtgt MICHAEL Okay thank you Hilda Okay the next thing were going to talk about is alternative services and co mmunity co nnector service

Starting January 1st this is an existing service thats operating right now by MV Transit Right now many of you know many of you may not know were in a transition on the van service So were transitioning from MV Transit to First Transit And what Id like to do right now -- I think t his i s a g ood s egue f or the MV representative to kind of introduce himself and again we want to t hank M V for all the hard w ork t heyve done over the last five years Weve made a lot of progress Weve gone from again 85 percent on-time performance to 90 percent on-time performance and plus And part of that is having good partnership with our contractor

So I want to thank -- personally thank Maurice and his staff at MV for all the different things theyve done over the past years to help improve the service So Maurice can you stand up Lets give Maurice a round of applause

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its been a pleasure and a great opportunity to work with every one of you being a manager [INAUDIBLE] I wanted to say thank you

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Now what Id like to do is have the First Transit staff introduce themselves They are here today So again starting December 13th were going to be transitioning all of the service the van service to First Transit

So again Jody would you like to start or Randy This is the staff we have here today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Good afternoon everybody My name is Randy Hendrickson Im the general manager for First Transit paratransit project here in Houston Id like to introduce my staff to you We have Shawan Harris assistant general manager Sean Rackley who will be here at METROLift in dispatch and another assistant general manager Jody N ewman

So again as Michael says we have taken over some of the service that runs out of Labco the van light service we took that over on November 9th and weve been there almost a month And we took over part of the van service just this past Sunday so were looking forward to having all of the MV employees come over and j oin u s finally o n t he 13thand t hen w e will be the provider for METROLift services here in t he Houston ar ea

So it is our pleasure to be here and meet with you all and I want you to know that were all only a phone call away So if you have issues direct your phone calls to the appropriate people and we want to make sure that your service is primarily safe comfortable and o bviously o n t ime because everybodys got to g o so meplace

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on time So were happy to be here and were very happy to be doing the service for Houston M ETRO So t hank y ou

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Randy

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sir define service -- which is part of METRO

gtgt MICHAEL Thats a good question When talking about the van service were talking about the cut away vehicles the red white and blue vehicles Those are METRO owned vehicles but we contract the driver and t he maintenance and t he safety an d t he training o f the drivers out to o ur contractors So t hats the service that were talking about

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And that would be transferred to those people

gtgt MICHAEL Correct And part of it -- 66 percent of it has already been transferred

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So hopefully you havent seen a real big change in service right Because what were doing is were on boarding basically the same drivers that worked fo r MV on t o t his new service

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And MV service is what service

gtgt MICHAEL The cut away vehicles the ones were talking about Yes

So again this is basically whats been going on behind the scenes There has been a lot of preparation involved in this There have been a lot of meetings because first of all we want to m ake sure that the transition i s smooth which i t has been But we want to make sure the quality of service remains the same or higher moving forward because thats our goal

So having First Transit on board having MV as a provider before again we want to thank them for all the service that theyve provided to us One of the things that I also w ant to b ring u p i s t hat MV transit is a lso g oing a bove a nd b eyond for us because with this communities connector service there is software there is logistical things that we have to do and they are actually allowing METRO to actually o perate their software until March 3 1stuntil we can g et our system online Thats huge That doesnt normally h appen Because actually t his contract ends on December 31stof this year So having them allow us to do this again speaks to the partnership that METRO has with its contractors and the ability for us to work together even transitioning over to another contractor

So going back to the alternative services -- METRO will be operating this service Basically what they are are the ARBOC buses that you see out on the road They look like METROLift buses They are smaller or they are actually bigger than METROLift buses but they operate on fixed route service

Previously that service was operated by MV That service is being transferred over to METRO so they will be METRO drivers and METRO staff operating the

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service The other thing transferring over to METRO is a community connector service That is the service that operates in t he Acres Homes area and b asically i ts a demand r esponse service that anybody can o perate or use on t he same day o r they can cal l in ad vance one day It picks them up from their home as long as they are in that service area and takes them wherever they need to go within that service area

We have two time points -- one is the Acres Home Transit Center and the other is the Wal-Mart on West Road So b asically w e have two b uses running i n t hat area running b ack a nd f orth f or time p oints e very h our So t hats a s ervice t hat again METRO is going to be taking in-house Were going to have a dispatch center housed at 1900 Main but its going to be separate from our METROLift operation So I just wanted to give you an update on that And that takes effect January 1

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike is there a cost to use the service

gtgt MICHAEL Yes its 125 just like regular fixed route and rail but for METROLift customers of course it would be free And well talk about that here in a second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So may I ask a question please

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] the METRO bus card -- you know how you put money on the card ndash

gtgt MICHAEL It has fare boxes just like the regular fixed route bus It has loaders so you can load money all the same things that the regular fixed route and rail has these b uses h ave Yes Mr Shaidnagle

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Youre talking about -- I believe i f I understand correctly the bus that picks people up an d y ou cal l them up an d t hey co me close to your house I think thats similar to what they have in D enver So p eople in Denver they get the ride free but here they will still have to pay

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Youre absolutely right Denver has a lot of community connector type service They h ave about 22 d ifferent zones that they o perate in Denver and this kind of mirrors what they are doing If youre a METROLift customer and w ell talk ab out this in a minute were introducing t he Freedom Pass where METROLift customers can ride fixed route and rail for free

So if you live in this zone in the Acres Home area and youre just trying to go to the store or the Wal-Mart you can actually call demand response on the same day and say hey I want to b e picked u p t o g o t o t he Wal-Mart and they will pick you up from your home and take you directly to Wal-Mart and drop you off at the door and p ick y ou u p an d t ake you b ack h ome So i ts a pretty co ol service if you l ive in that area

You can utilize it if you like by using the regular bus service to the Acres Homes Transit Center and then there you can u tilize the service there So t here is different ways you can -- and d ifferent options for you t o act ually u tilize the service You dont have to live in the service but you have to get to the zone to actually use the service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where is the zone at

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gtgt MICHAEL The zone is in the Acres Homes area I dont have the map but if you go on METROs website it talks about it I can get you some more information

gtgt MICHAEL If Im going to Katy whats my best route

gtgt MICHAEL If you want to go to Katy right now the best way to go is you would take a METROLift vehicle to the Addicks Park amp Ride off of I-10 and from there you would either have to take an msp or personal transportation but remember you p ay t he f irst dollar you pay the -- METRO pays the next eight and anything o ver nine dollars you w ould p ick u p

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike on the msp because we get a cab

[INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right And his question was -- is that as soon as you turn the meter on there is already so me fare there And t hats correct because we go b y full meter fare on t he msp ser vice And t hat is regulated b y t he city In t he back Ms Gilkerson

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know if you want to address this right now but ever since some of us came up here to look at your website since youve redone some things there is some new wrinkles that have been ad ded

gtgt MICHAEL Okay we can definitely talk offline about that but we can do that Hilda is here and Im here so we can talk to you about that after the meeting

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Okay yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to offer -- Id b e h appy t o s tay a f ew minutes after the meeting t o h elp w ith t hat since I helped w ith t esting t he new website

gtgt MICHAEL Absolutely Id appreciate that Hes willing t o st ay aft er and answer any q uestions or help

gtgt HILDA Oh okay

gtgt MICHAEL Okay lets move on to the next thing In our last board meeting our METRO board discussed fares As you know this is part of our METROLift Moving Forward initiative that we started three years ago

We went out probably to 13 different outreach meetings to specifically talk about fares We went to an other 26 m eetings where we did an o verview of our METROLift Moving Forward which fares was also t alked ab out

We gathered information TTI took all that information and presented it to the board and there was some recommendations that came down and actually passed at our last board meeting

So I just want to go through those changes with you today to kind of inform you of where were going starting February 1stof 2016 There is going to be some changes to t he fare structure

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So the first thing is our base fare is going to go from 115 to 125 And thats for the service within the ADA service area Thats a three-quarter mile buffer around our fixed route and rail

Also our ten ticket book is not going to be discounted in the same way it was before So with the raise of the fare a new ticket book is going to cost 1250 instead of 975 But were going to give you an extra ticket for free So its basically 10 percent discount So youll get a book of -- youll pay for a book of ten but youll get 11 tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes now when that change starts if you have tickets from the old p rice how long w ill we still be able to u se those tickets

gtgt MICHAEL Until you run out

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Got you

gtgt MICHAEL Now on monthly passes the monthly pass is going to go up to 4725 But the pass is only eligible for ADA service trips So if youre in a three-quarter mile buffer within a fixed route or rail thats when you can utilize your monthly pass

4725 Our annual pass is going to go up to 41850 and thats again for ADA only trips

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How do we know -- [INAUDIBLE]

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gtgt MICHAEL When you call to schedule a ride theyll be able to take a look at it or customer service office can take a look at it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is an ADA

gtgt MICHAEL An ADA trip is a trip that originates and ends within the ADA service area of a three-quarter mile buffer around a fixed route and rail

The next change ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER If you go out of the ADA you have to pay more money or something

gtgt MICHAEL Thats the next thing So the next thing on the list is premium fairs So if you do go outside into our 29 percent of the service area thats outside that fare goes up to 250 So its basically two tickets Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL You wouldnt No the pass will not cover it Thats what I said before The monthly pass only is eligible for ADA trips So you have to buy ticket books to utilize the service outside the ADA service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Did you just say that a book of tickets will have 11

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The annual fare for the pass is 41850 And thats only for ADA trips

Okay ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So in other words youre saying part of the area that you used to cover is not officially ADA

gtgt MICHAEL Correct METRO operates 29 percent outside of the ADA required service area Our service area is 751 square miles The ADA required is only 521

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will we be given a letter that describes which area is which

gtgt MICHAEL Well well have to start working through that Were going to be working with trapeze to identify the customers that are outside the service area And we should have some more information for you on that So were still stepping through that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Say for example are you talking like the area that I work like on Hollister would that qualify as outside the ADA We dont have any buses that go from Tidwell Hollister ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You would have to take a look at it I dont know right off the top of my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Do you know which ones are ADA and which ones are not -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right So well be able to take a look at it All right lets talk about ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will the new METROLift ticket in February have 250 on it

gtgt MICHAEL No It will have 125 and you use two tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know about that area Sometime Ill take METROLift to go to Stanford and I guess the -- Im still new three years Im still learning Houston

Okay would that be considered outside because I dont see a fixed bus route three blocks from where Im going

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gtgt MICHAEL I dont have the map with me So well have to look at it individually Again when you call in well have stuff set up to say whether its inside or outside And that will be the within the next month

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So with my monthly pass Ill have two tickets ndash

gtgt MICHAEL With your monthly pass it wont work So you have to buy tickets So if you buy a pass the monthly pass thats only good for ADA trips Okay

If you decide to go outside the service area the normal service area you would have to buy a book of tickets to actually utilize that service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And give it to the driver and they pick me up within the zone but Im going outside ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Its going to be marked in their box whether its a 250 fare or 125 So theyll know

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question Im wondering -- because it seems to me for some people it might be confusing you know to pay one or two tickets When you guys were making this decision was there any consideration given to just having one rate -- one cost per the tickets like just make the an even 250

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gtgt MICHAEL There was thought to doing that but what we found is only 11 percent of our trips actually fall outside the service area So we didnt want to put undue burden on the majority of the customers that utilize it just within the service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So the customers that do need to go outside the service area still have the option to do so

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So if the regular METRO bus runs in that area -- that is within

gtgt MICHAEL Yes Lets talk about this I think I may be able to answer a lot of your questions Lets hold the questions until I get through all the different scenarios here

Now we talked about fixed route fare With this new change the board has also said that any METROLift customer that utilizes the fixed route and rail Park amp Ride can utilize the service for free now Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER All right [APPLAUSE]

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats good

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gtgt MICHAEL So again the fare is going up but now everybody has the opportunity to use the fixed route and rail when they can Okay Its an option

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill talk about that in a second

Feeder service -- okay feeder service let me explain what that is Feeder service is -- lets say we pick you up from your home and take you to the -- lets say -- the VA hospital Thats a normal METROLift trip

A feeder service trip would be picking you up from your home lets say on the north side of town and taking you to the bus -- or to the rail service the rail pick up spot at Northline and having you run the rail all the way in and utilize the fixed route service

Then when you come back we pick you up from the Northline Transit Center at the rail platform and take you the rest of the way home Thats what we call feeder service So were looking at providing or offering that as an option for you

So what well do is pick you up from home take you to a METRO facility which is a transit center a bus platform a rail platform and then having you connect with the service there for a discounted rate

So the discounted rate has not been established yet So if the normal fare is 125 maybe its a dollar Okay Or maybe its 60 cents I dont know what that fare is

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going to be but thats something that were looking at So again its another option

The other change that were looking at is an annual increase thats tied to the Social Security And it will be rounded to the nearest five cent mark So if there is an increase in Social Security for that year then METRO -- METRO staff will look at that and adjust the rate accordingly Okay

Now I know over the last couple of years there hasnt been any increase in the Social Security wages Okay So then there would be no change

So thats kind of where we are with the fare implementation And remember this begins February 1st 2016 So up until then were going to be going out to the community talking about it here Making sure that everyone understands whats about to happen and all their different options that they have

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I know [INAUDIBLE] On your website is that correct

gtgt MICHAEL Yes you can schedule ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] buy tickets online

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct Good question His question was he understands now that you can buy METRO fare online We do have an online store through METRO where you can buy tickets and you can buy a monthly pass Not a yearly pass but a monthly pass

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So again thats going to be more options And basically the way it works is you go in create an account Choose how many tickets you want or how many books of tickets you want You can buy singles or books

You use your account Visa MasterCard bank account and theyll mail it to you within three days Okay So you dont have to go to the grocery store and buy tickets You dont have to go and buy passes It saves you time and money

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Some [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check and see

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there a discount for using it online

gtgt MICHAEL No

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Next question will METROLift service ever go to Galveston Texas

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gtgt MICHAEL I doubt it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its something to think about

gtgt MICHAEL Its something to think about but its Harris County

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ladies and gentlemen can we kind of hold on the questions Well never get to the end if you guys keep interrupting

gtgt MICHAEL So we talked about the Freedom cards Now remember with this new change with the fares every METROLift customer will have free rides on regular fixed route rail and Park amp Ride

Freedom Pass

Now if you do want a Freedom Pass and youre not already grandfathered please call our customer service office and well be able to -- Jackie was it that they --where is Jackie Do they come in or do we mail it to them or how does that work -- the Freedom Pass If you already have a Freedom Pass just give us a call well talk to you on how you get them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is the Freedom Pass

gtgt MICHAEL If youre a METROLift customer then youre able to ride the fixed route and rail for free

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its not the same as a Q Card right The Q Card is different

gtgt MICHAEL Its going to be similar

Okay the next thing well talk about is our no show policy update and sunshine is here to discuss that Thank you

gtgt SUNSHINE Thank you guys for coming out The news is still good Were steadily improving on reducing our [INAUDIBLE] That our clients continue to stay in contact with dispatch about any service concerns Please consider how youre booking your rides planning them and also make sure you check on your status If you have any questions about where your no shows and late cancels are you are always welcome to call the policy administration office

This month has been our lowest month as far as client violations Were down to 19 percent of our total riders for the month of November When the policy began June 2014 I believe we were right around 3 percent Those numbers count Our on-time performance reflects that You guys have noticed the drivers being on time That is because we are working together

We will ask our clients again to please consider how you plan your trip Please make sure you verify details of your trip Please stay in contact with dispatch If you have any questions youre welcome to ask them but again our goal should be to reduce no shows and cancellations

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

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things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

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As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

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The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

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Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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gtgt HILDA Youre welcome Just briefly METRO usually does two service changes sometimes three throughout the year and its usually January and there is usually one around June and August and the ones in December is because of the schools there is no need for buses to be going through the schools -- but this one here in particular there are quite a few changes And they are kind of sort of adjusting the routes after the new bus network system

And there are quite a few changes but Ill tell you that probably 95 percent of the changes is going to be on run times This is for big bus okay So I know -- we also mention the service changes because there are a few of you that do use the fixed route on the changes and I wanted you to be aware of -- that there are going to be some changes The service change goes into effect January 24th

And if anyone wants to know in particular what those changes are I have them here and it will take me at least 15 minutes to read each one of these and you would probably forget by the time I started what these changes are by the time I finish

So there are a lot of changes Most of them -- a few routes but like I said 95 percent of these changes are actually adding service or adding run times to those particular routes And Ill just name just a few of them

The one that is a new service is the 399 Kuykendahl shuttle It will be going now seven days a week and there is route realignments which is the 3 Langley 56 Airline the 78 Wayside the 85 Antoine the 360 Peerless shuttle I actually have the detailed information if youre interested And then there is just trip additions schedule adjustments and there is a whole list of them So if youre interested --yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to know about the 56 and if the 59 is on that list anywhere

gtgt HILDA On the 56 its going -- it says seven days a week due to street configuration [INAUDIBLE] via Fulton t o -- from Fulton Lowry t o A irline northbound only and thats effective 2015 so for more reliable s ervice So t hey a re actually j ust adjusting t he run t ime to m ake sure that they can m eet the demand Which other one were you interested in

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is the 59 on the list

gtgt HILDA Im going through -- give me a second No Thats the only one just the 56

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER The 85 what changes -- is that the Antoine 85

gtgt HILDA Seven days a week the change is the southern end point from Downtown Transit Center to Gray and Austin to relieve congestion inside Downtown Transit Center and adjust running time for more reliable service So they are adjusting the run time and they are changing the southern end point from Downtown Transit Center to Gray and Austin to relieve the congestion Thats the change there

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have an issue You probably need to look into -- I live in Gulfgate on the 36 [INDISCERNIBLE] I take the train to the end of the route a nd p ick u p [IN AUDIBLE] Now the i ssue i s f rom 7 t o 3 I have t o c hange t o another bus Now the issue -- the rule -- I forget the n ame o f i t You h ave t o c ross

Page 3

a busy h ighway t o cat ch t he other bus So w hen I take the 73 it drops me -- I forget the name of it -- but right in front of Fiesta Now I will have to cross a busy highway and I say hmmm this is very dangerous So it exposes us to special danger Why does this change -- why do you have to [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt HILDA That will change with the new bus network system

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im going to Gulfgate So the 73 from the end of METRORail to take 76 and to take 76 I would have to cross very busy highway

gtgt HILDA Maybe Ill get your information and just pass it on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It puts someone that is seriously disabled to potential danger [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt HILDA Okay Well talk after the meeting Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER The 79 Is 79 on there

gtgt HILDA Nope Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is 137 on there

gtgt HILDA If anyone else is interested we can talk after the meeting I dont want to hold up the agenda Did you say 137 Yes maam the Northshore

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express Yes Extend t he 547 a m westbound t rip t o st art from Maxey R oad P ark amp Ride lot extend the 511 am and the 237 and 835 pm eastbound trips to the NASA Road Park amp Ride lots

So if you want more detail well do it at the end of the meeting okay

So thats all about the service changes I just wanted to bring that up to you all Were going to continue with the agenda and Ill pass it over to Mike

gtgt MICHAEL Okay thank you Hilda Okay the next thing were going to talk about is alternative services and co mmunity co nnector service

Starting January 1st this is an existing service thats operating right now by MV Transit Right now many of you know many of you may not know were in a transition on the van service So were transitioning from MV Transit to First Transit And what Id like to do right now -- I think t his i s a g ood s egue f or the MV representative to kind of introduce himself and again we want to t hank M V for all the hard w ork t heyve done over the last five years Weve made a lot of progress Weve gone from again 85 percent on-time performance to 90 percent on-time performance and plus And part of that is having good partnership with our contractor

So I want to thank -- personally thank Maurice and his staff at MV for all the different things theyve done over the past years to help improve the service So Maurice can you stand up Lets give Maurice a round of applause

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its been a pleasure and a great opportunity to work with every one of you being a manager [INAUDIBLE] I wanted to say thank you

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Now what Id like to do is have the First Transit staff introduce themselves They are here today So again starting December 13th were going to be transitioning all of the service the van service to First Transit

So again Jody would you like to start or Randy This is the staff we have here today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Good afternoon everybody My name is Randy Hendrickson Im the general manager for First Transit paratransit project here in Houston Id like to introduce my staff to you We have Shawan Harris assistant general manager Sean Rackley who will be here at METROLift in dispatch and another assistant general manager Jody N ewman

So again as Michael says we have taken over some of the service that runs out of Labco the van light service we took that over on November 9th and weve been there almost a month And we took over part of the van service just this past Sunday so were looking forward to having all of the MV employees come over and j oin u s finally o n t he 13thand t hen w e will be the provider for METROLift services here in t he Houston ar ea

So it is our pleasure to be here and meet with you all and I want you to know that were all only a phone call away So if you have issues direct your phone calls to the appropriate people and we want to make sure that your service is primarily safe comfortable and o bviously o n t ime because everybodys got to g o so meplace

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on time So were happy to be here and were very happy to be doing the service for Houston M ETRO So t hank y ou

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Randy

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sir define service -- which is part of METRO

gtgt MICHAEL Thats a good question When talking about the van service were talking about the cut away vehicles the red white and blue vehicles Those are METRO owned vehicles but we contract the driver and t he maintenance and t he safety an d t he training o f the drivers out to o ur contractors So t hats the service that were talking about

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And that would be transferred to those people

gtgt MICHAEL Correct And part of it -- 66 percent of it has already been transferred

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So hopefully you havent seen a real big change in service right Because what were doing is were on boarding basically the same drivers that worked fo r MV on t o t his new service

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And MV service is what service

gtgt MICHAEL The cut away vehicles the ones were talking about Yes

So again this is basically whats been going on behind the scenes There has been a lot of preparation involved in this There have been a lot of meetings because first of all we want to m ake sure that the transition i s smooth which i t has been But we want to make sure the quality of service remains the same or higher moving forward because thats our goal

So having First Transit on board having MV as a provider before again we want to thank them for all the service that theyve provided to us One of the things that I also w ant to b ring u p i s t hat MV transit is a lso g oing a bove a nd b eyond for us because with this communities connector service there is software there is logistical things that we have to do and they are actually allowing METRO to actually o perate their software until March 3 1stuntil we can g et our system online Thats huge That doesnt normally h appen Because actually t his contract ends on December 31stof this year So having them allow us to do this again speaks to the partnership that METRO has with its contractors and the ability for us to work together even transitioning over to another contractor

So going back to the alternative services -- METRO will be operating this service Basically what they are are the ARBOC buses that you see out on the road They look like METROLift buses They are smaller or they are actually bigger than METROLift buses but they operate on fixed route service

Previously that service was operated by MV That service is being transferred over to METRO so they will be METRO drivers and METRO staff operating the

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service The other thing transferring over to METRO is a community connector service That is the service that operates in t he Acres Homes area and b asically i ts a demand r esponse service that anybody can o perate or use on t he same day o r they can cal l in ad vance one day It picks them up from their home as long as they are in that service area and takes them wherever they need to go within that service area

We have two time points -- one is the Acres Home Transit Center and the other is the Wal-Mart on West Road So b asically w e have two b uses running i n t hat area running b ack a nd f orth f or time p oints e very h our So t hats a s ervice t hat again METRO is going to be taking in-house Were going to have a dispatch center housed at 1900 Main but its going to be separate from our METROLift operation So I just wanted to give you an update on that And that takes effect January 1

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike is there a cost to use the service

gtgt MICHAEL Yes its 125 just like regular fixed route and rail but for METROLift customers of course it would be free And well talk about that here in a second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So may I ask a question please

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] the METRO bus card -- you know how you put money on the card ndash

gtgt MICHAEL It has fare boxes just like the regular fixed route bus It has loaders so you can load money all the same things that the regular fixed route and rail has these b uses h ave Yes Mr Shaidnagle

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Youre talking about -- I believe i f I understand correctly the bus that picks people up an d y ou cal l them up an d t hey co me close to your house I think thats similar to what they have in D enver So p eople in Denver they get the ride free but here they will still have to pay

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Youre absolutely right Denver has a lot of community connector type service They h ave about 22 d ifferent zones that they o perate in Denver and this kind of mirrors what they are doing If youre a METROLift customer and w ell talk ab out this in a minute were introducing t he Freedom Pass where METROLift customers can ride fixed route and rail for free

So if you live in this zone in the Acres Home area and youre just trying to go to the store or the Wal-Mart you can actually call demand response on the same day and say hey I want to b e picked u p t o g o t o t he Wal-Mart and they will pick you up from your home and take you directly to Wal-Mart and drop you off at the door and p ick y ou u p an d t ake you b ack h ome So i ts a pretty co ol service if you l ive in that area

You can utilize it if you like by using the regular bus service to the Acres Homes Transit Center and then there you can u tilize the service there So t here is different ways you can -- and d ifferent options for you t o act ually u tilize the service You dont have to live in the service but you have to get to the zone to actually use the service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where is the zone at

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gtgt MICHAEL The zone is in the Acres Homes area I dont have the map but if you go on METROs website it talks about it I can get you some more information

gtgt MICHAEL If Im going to Katy whats my best route

gtgt MICHAEL If you want to go to Katy right now the best way to go is you would take a METROLift vehicle to the Addicks Park amp Ride off of I-10 and from there you would either have to take an msp or personal transportation but remember you p ay t he f irst dollar you pay the -- METRO pays the next eight and anything o ver nine dollars you w ould p ick u p

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike on the msp because we get a cab

[INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right And his question was -- is that as soon as you turn the meter on there is already so me fare there And t hats correct because we go b y full meter fare on t he msp ser vice And t hat is regulated b y t he city In t he back Ms Gilkerson

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know if you want to address this right now but ever since some of us came up here to look at your website since youve redone some things there is some new wrinkles that have been ad ded

gtgt MICHAEL Okay we can definitely talk offline about that but we can do that Hilda is here and Im here so we can talk to you about that after the meeting

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Okay yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to offer -- Id b e h appy t o s tay a f ew minutes after the meeting t o h elp w ith t hat since I helped w ith t esting t he new website

gtgt MICHAEL Absolutely Id appreciate that Hes willing t o st ay aft er and answer any q uestions or help

gtgt HILDA Oh okay

gtgt MICHAEL Okay lets move on to the next thing In our last board meeting our METRO board discussed fares As you know this is part of our METROLift Moving Forward initiative that we started three years ago

We went out probably to 13 different outreach meetings to specifically talk about fares We went to an other 26 m eetings where we did an o verview of our METROLift Moving Forward which fares was also t alked ab out

We gathered information TTI took all that information and presented it to the board and there was some recommendations that came down and actually passed at our last board meeting

So I just want to go through those changes with you today to kind of inform you of where were going starting February 1stof 2016 There is going to be some changes to t he fare structure

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So the first thing is our base fare is going to go from 115 to 125 And thats for the service within the ADA service area Thats a three-quarter mile buffer around our fixed route and rail

Also our ten ticket book is not going to be discounted in the same way it was before So with the raise of the fare a new ticket book is going to cost 1250 instead of 975 But were going to give you an extra ticket for free So its basically 10 percent discount So youll get a book of -- youll pay for a book of ten but youll get 11 tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes now when that change starts if you have tickets from the old p rice how long w ill we still be able to u se those tickets

gtgt MICHAEL Until you run out

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Got you

gtgt MICHAEL Now on monthly passes the monthly pass is going to go up to 4725 But the pass is only eligible for ADA service trips So if youre in a three-quarter mile buffer within a fixed route or rail thats when you can utilize your monthly pass

4725 Our annual pass is going to go up to 41850 and thats again for ADA only trips

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How do we know -- [INAUDIBLE]

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gtgt MICHAEL When you call to schedule a ride theyll be able to take a look at it or customer service office can take a look at it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is an ADA

gtgt MICHAEL An ADA trip is a trip that originates and ends within the ADA service area of a three-quarter mile buffer around a fixed route and rail

The next change ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER If you go out of the ADA you have to pay more money or something

gtgt MICHAEL Thats the next thing So the next thing on the list is premium fairs So if you do go outside into our 29 percent of the service area thats outside that fare goes up to 250 So its basically two tickets Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL You wouldnt No the pass will not cover it Thats what I said before The monthly pass only is eligible for ADA trips So you have to buy ticket books to utilize the service outside the ADA service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Did you just say that a book of tickets will have 11

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The annual fare for the pass is 41850 And thats only for ADA trips

Okay ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So in other words youre saying part of the area that you used to cover is not officially ADA

gtgt MICHAEL Correct METRO operates 29 percent outside of the ADA required service area Our service area is 751 square miles The ADA required is only 521

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will we be given a letter that describes which area is which

gtgt MICHAEL Well well have to start working through that Were going to be working with trapeze to identify the customers that are outside the service area And we should have some more information for you on that So were still stepping through that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Say for example are you talking like the area that I work like on Hollister would that qualify as outside the ADA We dont have any buses that go from Tidwell Hollister ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You would have to take a look at it I dont know right off the top of my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Do you know which ones are ADA and which ones are not -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right So well be able to take a look at it All right lets talk about ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will the new METROLift ticket in February have 250 on it

gtgt MICHAEL No It will have 125 and you use two tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know about that area Sometime Ill take METROLift to go to Stanford and I guess the -- Im still new three years Im still learning Houston

Okay would that be considered outside because I dont see a fixed bus route three blocks from where Im going

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gtgt MICHAEL I dont have the map with me So well have to look at it individually Again when you call in well have stuff set up to say whether its inside or outside And that will be the within the next month

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So with my monthly pass Ill have two tickets ndash

gtgt MICHAEL With your monthly pass it wont work So you have to buy tickets So if you buy a pass the monthly pass thats only good for ADA trips Okay

If you decide to go outside the service area the normal service area you would have to buy a book of tickets to actually utilize that service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And give it to the driver and they pick me up within the zone but Im going outside ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Its going to be marked in their box whether its a 250 fare or 125 So theyll know

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question Im wondering -- because it seems to me for some people it might be confusing you know to pay one or two tickets When you guys were making this decision was there any consideration given to just having one rate -- one cost per the tickets like just make the an even 250

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gtgt MICHAEL There was thought to doing that but what we found is only 11 percent of our trips actually fall outside the service area So we didnt want to put undue burden on the majority of the customers that utilize it just within the service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So the customers that do need to go outside the service area still have the option to do so

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So if the regular METRO bus runs in that area -- that is within

gtgt MICHAEL Yes Lets talk about this I think I may be able to answer a lot of your questions Lets hold the questions until I get through all the different scenarios here

Now we talked about fixed route fare With this new change the board has also said that any METROLift customer that utilizes the fixed route and rail Park amp Ride can utilize the service for free now Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER All right [APPLAUSE]

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats good

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gtgt MICHAEL So again the fare is going up but now everybody has the opportunity to use the fixed route and rail when they can Okay Its an option

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill talk about that in a second

Feeder service -- okay feeder service let me explain what that is Feeder service is -- lets say we pick you up from your home and take you to the -- lets say -- the VA hospital Thats a normal METROLift trip

A feeder service trip would be picking you up from your home lets say on the north side of town and taking you to the bus -- or to the rail service the rail pick up spot at Northline and having you run the rail all the way in and utilize the fixed route service

Then when you come back we pick you up from the Northline Transit Center at the rail platform and take you the rest of the way home Thats what we call feeder service So were looking at providing or offering that as an option for you

So what well do is pick you up from home take you to a METRO facility which is a transit center a bus platform a rail platform and then having you connect with the service there for a discounted rate

So the discounted rate has not been established yet So if the normal fare is 125 maybe its a dollar Okay Or maybe its 60 cents I dont know what that fare is

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going to be but thats something that were looking at So again its another option

The other change that were looking at is an annual increase thats tied to the Social Security And it will be rounded to the nearest five cent mark So if there is an increase in Social Security for that year then METRO -- METRO staff will look at that and adjust the rate accordingly Okay

Now I know over the last couple of years there hasnt been any increase in the Social Security wages Okay So then there would be no change

So thats kind of where we are with the fare implementation And remember this begins February 1st 2016 So up until then were going to be going out to the community talking about it here Making sure that everyone understands whats about to happen and all their different options that they have

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I know [INAUDIBLE] On your website is that correct

gtgt MICHAEL Yes you can schedule ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] buy tickets online

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct Good question His question was he understands now that you can buy METRO fare online We do have an online store through METRO where you can buy tickets and you can buy a monthly pass Not a yearly pass but a monthly pass

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So again thats going to be more options And basically the way it works is you go in create an account Choose how many tickets you want or how many books of tickets you want You can buy singles or books

You use your account Visa MasterCard bank account and theyll mail it to you within three days Okay So you dont have to go to the grocery store and buy tickets You dont have to go and buy passes It saves you time and money

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Some [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check and see

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there a discount for using it online

gtgt MICHAEL No

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Next question will METROLift service ever go to Galveston Texas

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gtgt MICHAEL I doubt it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its something to think about

gtgt MICHAEL Its something to think about but its Harris County

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ladies and gentlemen can we kind of hold on the questions Well never get to the end if you guys keep interrupting

gtgt MICHAEL So we talked about the Freedom cards Now remember with this new change with the fares every METROLift customer will have free rides on regular fixed route rail and Park amp Ride

Freedom Pass

Now if you do want a Freedom Pass and youre not already grandfathered please call our customer service office and well be able to -- Jackie was it that they --where is Jackie Do they come in or do we mail it to them or how does that work -- the Freedom Pass If you already have a Freedom Pass just give us a call well talk to you on how you get them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is the Freedom Pass

gtgt MICHAEL If youre a METROLift customer then youre able to ride the fixed route and rail for free

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its not the same as a Q Card right The Q Card is different

gtgt MICHAEL Its going to be similar

Okay the next thing well talk about is our no show policy update and sunshine is here to discuss that Thank you

gtgt SUNSHINE Thank you guys for coming out The news is still good Were steadily improving on reducing our [INAUDIBLE] That our clients continue to stay in contact with dispatch about any service concerns Please consider how youre booking your rides planning them and also make sure you check on your status If you have any questions about where your no shows and late cancels are you are always welcome to call the policy administration office

This month has been our lowest month as far as client violations Were down to 19 percent of our total riders for the month of November When the policy began June 2014 I believe we were right around 3 percent Those numbers count Our on-time performance reflects that You guys have noticed the drivers being on time That is because we are working together

We will ask our clients again to please consider how you plan your trip Please make sure you verify details of your trip Please stay in contact with dispatch If you have any questions youre welcome to ask them but again our goal should be to reduce no shows and cancellations

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

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things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

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As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

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The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

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Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

Page 45

gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

Page 46

sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

Page 48

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to know about the 56 and if the 59 is on that list anywhere

gtgt HILDA On the 56 its going -- it says seven days a week due to street configuration [INAUDIBLE] via Fulton t o -- from Fulton Lowry t o A irline northbound only and thats effective 2015 so for more reliable s ervice So t hey a re actually j ust adjusting t he run t ime to m ake sure that they can m eet the demand Which other one were you interested in

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is the 59 on the list

gtgt HILDA Im going through -- give me a second No Thats the only one just the 56

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER The 85 what changes -- is that the Antoine 85

gtgt HILDA Seven days a week the change is the southern end point from Downtown Transit Center to Gray and Austin to relieve congestion inside Downtown Transit Center and adjust running time for more reliable service So they are adjusting the run time and they are changing the southern end point from Downtown Transit Center to Gray and Austin to relieve the congestion Thats the change there

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have an issue You probably need to look into -- I live in Gulfgate on the 36 [INDISCERNIBLE] I take the train to the end of the route a nd p ick u p [IN AUDIBLE] Now the i ssue i s f rom 7 t o 3 I have t o c hange t o another bus Now the issue -- the rule -- I forget the n ame o f i t You h ave t o c ross

Page 3

a busy h ighway t o cat ch t he other bus So w hen I take the 73 it drops me -- I forget the name of it -- but right in front of Fiesta Now I will have to cross a busy highway and I say hmmm this is very dangerous So it exposes us to special danger Why does this change -- why do you have to [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt HILDA That will change with the new bus network system

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im going to Gulfgate So the 73 from the end of METRORail to take 76 and to take 76 I would have to cross very busy highway

gtgt HILDA Maybe Ill get your information and just pass it on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It puts someone that is seriously disabled to potential danger [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt HILDA Okay Well talk after the meeting Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER The 79 Is 79 on there

gtgt HILDA Nope Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is 137 on there

gtgt HILDA If anyone else is interested we can talk after the meeting I dont want to hold up the agenda Did you say 137 Yes maam the Northshore

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express Yes Extend t he 547 a m westbound t rip t o st art from Maxey R oad P ark amp Ride lot extend the 511 am and the 237 and 835 pm eastbound trips to the NASA Road Park amp Ride lots

So if you want more detail well do it at the end of the meeting okay

So thats all about the service changes I just wanted to bring that up to you all Were going to continue with the agenda and Ill pass it over to Mike

gtgt MICHAEL Okay thank you Hilda Okay the next thing were going to talk about is alternative services and co mmunity co nnector service

Starting January 1st this is an existing service thats operating right now by MV Transit Right now many of you know many of you may not know were in a transition on the van service So were transitioning from MV Transit to First Transit And what Id like to do right now -- I think t his i s a g ood s egue f or the MV representative to kind of introduce himself and again we want to t hank M V for all the hard w ork t heyve done over the last five years Weve made a lot of progress Weve gone from again 85 percent on-time performance to 90 percent on-time performance and plus And part of that is having good partnership with our contractor

So I want to thank -- personally thank Maurice and his staff at MV for all the different things theyve done over the past years to help improve the service So Maurice can you stand up Lets give Maurice a round of applause

[APPLAUSE]

Page 5

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its been a pleasure and a great opportunity to work with every one of you being a manager [INAUDIBLE] I wanted to say thank you

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Now what Id like to do is have the First Transit staff introduce themselves They are here today So again starting December 13th were going to be transitioning all of the service the van service to First Transit

So again Jody would you like to start or Randy This is the staff we have here today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Good afternoon everybody My name is Randy Hendrickson Im the general manager for First Transit paratransit project here in Houston Id like to introduce my staff to you We have Shawan Harris assistant general manager Sean Rackley who will be here at METROLift in dispatch and another assistant general manager Jody N ewman

So again as Michael says we have taken over some of the service that runs out of Labco the van light service we took that over on November 9th and weve been there almost a month And we took over part of the van service just this past Sunday so were looking forward to having all of the MV employees come over and j oin u s finally o n t he 13thand t hen w e will be the provider for METROLift services here in t he Houston ar ea

So it is our pleasure to be here and meet with you all and I want you to know that were all only a phone call away So if you have issues direct your phone calls to the appropriate people and we want to make sure that your service is primarily safe comfortable and o bviously o n t ime because everybodys got to g o so meplace

Page 6

on time So were happy to be here and were very happy to be doing the service for Houston M ETRO So t hank y ou

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Randy

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sir define service -- which is part of METRO

gtgt MICHAEL Thats a good question When talking about the van service were talking about the cut away vehicles the red white and blue vehicles Those are METRO owned vehicles but we contract the driver and t he maintenance and t he safety an d t he training o f the drivers out to o ur contractors So t hats the service that were talking about

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And that would be transferred to those people

gtgt MICHAEL Correct And part of it -- 66 percent of it has already been transferred

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So hopefully you havent seen a real big change in service right Because what were doing is were on boarding basically the same drivers that worked fo r MV on t o t his new service

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And MV service is what service

gtgt MICHAEL The cut away vehicles the ones were talking about Yes

So again this is basically whats been going on behind the scenes There has been a lot of preparation involved in this There have been a lot of meetings because first of all we want to m ake sure that the transition i s smooth which i t has been But we want to make sure the quality of service remains the same or higher moving forward because thats our goal

So having First Transit on board having MV as a provider before again we want to thank them for all the service that theyve provided to us One of the things that I also w ant to b ring u p i s t hat MV transit is a lso g oing a bove a nd b eyond for us because with this communities connector service there is software there is logistical things that we have to do and they are actually allowing METRO to actually o perate their software until March 3 1stuntil we can g et our system online Thats huge That doesnt normally h appen Because actually t his contract ends on December 31stof this year So having them allow us to do this again speaks to the partnership that METRO has with its contractors and the ability for us to work together even transitioning over to another contractor

So going back to the alternative services -- METRO will be operating this service Basically what they are are the ARBOC buses that you see out on the road They look like METROLift buses They are smaller or they are actually bigger than METROLift buses but they operate on fixed route service

Previously that service was operated by MV That service is being transferred over to METRO so they will be METRO drivers and METRO staff operating the

Page 8

service The other thing transferring over to METRO is a community connector service That is the service that operates in t he Acres Homes area and b asically i ts a demand r esponse service that anybody can o perate or use on t he same day o r they can cal l in ad vance one day It picks them up from their home as long as they are in that service area and takes them wherever they need to go within that service area

We have two time points -- one is the Acres Home Transit Center and the other is the Wal-Mart on West Road So b asically w e have two b uses running i n t hat area running b ack a nd f orth f or time p oints e very h our So t hats a s ervice t hat again METRO is going to be taking in-house Were going to have a dispatch center housed at 1900 Main but its going to be separate from our METROLift operation So I just wanted to give you an update on that And that takes effect January 1

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike is there a cost to use the service

gtgt MICHAEL Yes its 125 just like regular fixed route and rail but for METROLift customers of course it would be free And well talk about that here in a second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So may I ask a question please

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] the METRO bus card -- you know how you put money on the card ndash

gtgt MICHAEL It has fare boxes just like the regular fixed route bus It has loaders so you can load money all the same things that the regular fixed route and rail has these b uses h ave Yes Mr Shaidnagle

Page 9

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Youre talking about -- I believe i f I understand correctly the bus that picks people up an d y ou cal l them up an d t hey co me close to your house I think thats similar to what they have in D enver So p eople in Denver they get the ride free but here they will still have to pay

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Youre absolutely right Denver has a lot of community connector type service They h ave about 22 d ifferent zones that they o perate in Denver and this kind of mirrors what they are doing If youre a METROLift customer and w ell talk ab out this in a minute were introducing t he Freedom Pass where METROLift customers can ride fixed route and rail for free

So if you live in this zone in the Acres Home area and youre just trying to go to the store or the Wal-Mart you can actually call demand response on the same day and say hey I want to b e picked u p t o g o t o t he Wal-Mart and they will pick you up from your home and take you directly to Wal-Mart and drop you off at the door and p ick y ou u p an d t ake you b ack h ome So i ts a pretty co ol service if you l ive in that area

You can utilize it if you like by using the regular bus service to the Acres Homes Transit Center and then there you can u tilize the service there So t here is different ways you can -- and d ifferent options for you t o act ually u tilize the service You dont have to live in the service but you have to get to the zone to actually use the service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where is the zone at

Page 10

gtgt MICHAEL The zone is in the Acres Homes area I dont have the map but if you go on METROs website it talks about it I can get you some more information

gtgt MICHAEL If Im going to Katy whats my best route

gtgt MICHAEL If you want to go to Katy right now the best way to go is you would take a METROLift vehicle to the Addicks Park amp Ride off of I-10 and from there you would either have to take an msp or personal transportation but remember you p ay t he f irst dollar you pay the -- METRO pays the next eight and anything o ver nine dollars you w ould p ick u p

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike on the msp because we get a cab

[INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right And his question was -- is that as soon as you turn the meter on there is already so me fare there And t hats correct because we go b y full meter fare on t he msp ser vice And t hat is regulated b y t he city In t he back Ms Gilkerson

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know if you want to address this right now but ever since some of us came up here to look at your website since youve redone some things there is some new wrinkles that have been ad ded

gtgt MICHAEL Okay we can definitely talk offline about that but we can do that Hilda is here and Im here so we can talk to you about that after the meeting

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Okay yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to offer -- Id b e h appy t o s tay a f ew minutes after the meeting t o h elp w ith t hat since I helped w ith t esting t he new website

gtgt MICHAEL Absolutely Id appreciate that Hes willing t o st ay aft er and answer any q uestions or help

gtgt HILDA Oh okay

gtgt MICHAEL Okay lets move on to the next thing In our last board meeting our METRO board discussed fares As you know this is part of our METROLift Moving Forward initiative that we started three years ago

We went out probably to 13 different outreach meetings to specifically talk about fares We went to an other 26 m eetings where we did an o verview of our METROLift Moving Forward which fares was also t alked ab out

We gathered information TTI took all that information and presented it to the board and there was some recommendations that came down and actually passed at our last board meeting

So I just want to go through those changes with you today to kind of inform you of where were going starting February 1stof 2016 There is going to be some changes to t he fare structure

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So the first thing is our base fare is going to go from 115 to 125 And thats for the service within the ADA service area Thats a three-quarter mile buffer around our fixed route and rail

Also our ten ticket book is not going to be discounted in the same way it was before So with the raise of the fare a new ticket book is going to cost 1250 instead of 975 But were going to give you an extra ticket for free So its basically 10 percent discount So youll get a book of -- youll pay for a book of ten but youll get 11 tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes now when that change starts if you have tickets from the old p rice how long w ill we still be able to u se those tickets

gtgt MICHAEL Until you run out

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Got you

gtgt MICHAEL Now on monthly passes the monthly pass is going to go up to 4725 But the pass is only eligible for ADA service trips So if youre in a three-quarter mile buffer within a fixed route or rail thats when you can utilize your monthly pass

4725 Our annual pass is going to go up to 41850 and thats again for ADA only trips

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How do we know -- [INAUDIBLE]

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gtgt MICHAEL When you call to schedule a ride theyll be able to take a look at it or customer service office can take a look at it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is an ADA

gtgt MICHAEL An ADA trip is a trip that originates and ends within the ADA service area of a three-quarter mile buffer around a fixed route and rail

The next change ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER If you go out of the ADA you have to pay more money or something

gtgt MICHAEL Thats the next thing So the next thing on the list is premium fairs So if you do go outside into our 29 percent of the service area thats outside that fare goes up to 250 So its basically two tickets Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL You wouldnt No the pass will not cover it Thats what I said before The monthly pass only is eligible for ADA trips So you have to buy ticket books to utilize the service outside the ADA service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Did you just say that a book of tickets will have 11

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The annual fare for the pass is 41850 And thats only for ADA trips

Okay ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So in other words youre saying part of the area that you used to cover is not officially ADA

gtgt MICHAEL Correct METRO operates 29 percent outside of the ADA required service area Our service area is 751 square miles The ADA required is only 521

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will we be given a letter that describes which area is which

gtgt MICHAEL Well well have to start working through that Were going to be working with trapeze to identify the customers that are outside the service area And we should have some more information for you on that So were still stepping through that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Say for example are you talking like the area that I work like on Hollister would that qualify as outside the ADA We dont have any buses that go from Tidwell Hollister ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You would have to take a look at it I dont know right off the top of my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Do you know which ones are ADA and which ones are not -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right So well be able to take a look at it All right lets talk about ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will the new METROLift ticket in February have 250 on it

gtgt MICHAEL No It will have 125 and you use two tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know about that area Sometime Ill take METROLift to go to Stanford and I guess the -- Im still new three years Im still learning Houston

Okay would that be considered outside because I dont see a fixed bus route three blocks from where Im going

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gtgt MICHAEL I dont have the map with me So well have to look at it individually Again when you call in well have stuff set up to say whether its inside or outside And that will be the within the next month

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So with my monthly pass Ill have two tickets ndash

gtgt MICHAEL With your monthly pass it wont work So you have to buy tickets So if you buy a pass the monthly pass thats only good for ADA trips Okay

If you decide to go outside the service area the normal service area you would have to buy a book of tickets to actually utilize that service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And give it to the driver and they pick me up within the zone but Im going outside ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Its going to be marked in their box whether its a 250 fare or 125 So theyll know

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question Im wondering -- because it seems to me for some people it might be confusing you know to pay one or two tickets When you guys were making this decision was there any consideration given to just having one rate -- one cost per the tickets like just make the an even 250

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gtgt MICHAEL There was thought to doing that but what we found is only 11 percent of our trips actually fall outside the service area So we didnt want to put undue burden on the majority of the customers that utilize it just within the service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So the customers that do need to go outside the service area still have the option to do so

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So if the regular METRO bus runs in that area -- that is within

gtgt MICHAEL Yes Lets talk about this I think I may be able to answer a lot of your questions Lets hold the questions until I get through all the different scenarios here

Now we talked about fixed route fare With this new change the board has also said that any METROLift customer that utilizes the fixed route and rail Park amp Ride can utilize the service for free now Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER All right [APPLAUSE]

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats good

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gtgt MICHAEL So again the fare is going up but now everybody has the opportunity to use the fixed route and rail when they can Okay Its an option

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill talk about that in a second

Feeder service -- okay feeder service let me explain what that is Feeder service is -- lets say we pick you up from your home and take you to the -- lets say -- the VA hospital Thats a normal METROLift trip

A feeder service trip would be picking you up from your home lets say on the north side of town and taking you to the bus -- or to the rail service the rail pick up spot at Northline and having you run the rail all the way in and utilize the fixed route service

Then when you come back we pick you up from the Northline Transit Center at the rail platform and take you the rest of the way home Thats what we call feeder service So were looking at providing or offering that as an option for you

So what well do is pick you up from home take you to a METRO facility which is a transit center a bus platform a rail platform and then having you connect with the service there for a discounted rate

So the discounted rate has not been established yet So if the normal fare is 125 maybe its a dollar Okay Or maybe its 60 cents I dont know what that fare is

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going to be but thats something that were looking at So again its another option

The other change that were looking at is an annual increase thats tied to the Social Security And it will be rounded to the nearest five cent mark So if there is an increase in Social Security for that year then METRO -- METRO staff will look at that and adjust the rate accordingly Okay

Now I know over the last couple of years there hasnt been any increase in the Social Security wages Okay So then there would be no change

So thats kind of where we are with the fare implementation And remember this begins February 1st 2016 So up until then were going to be going out to the community talking about it here Making sure that everyone understands whats about to happen and all their different options that they have

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I know [INAUDIBLE] On your website is that correct

gtgt MICHAEL Yes you can schedule ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] buy tickets online

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct Good question His question was he understands now that you can buy METRO fare online We do have an online store through METRO where you can buy tickets and you can buy a monthly pass Not a yearly pass but a monthly pass

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So again thats going to be more options And basically the way it works is you go in create an account Choose how many tickets you want or how many books of tickets you want You can buy singles or books

You use your account Visa MasterCard bank account and theyll mail it to you within three days Okay So you dont have to go to the grocery store and buy tickets You dont have to go and buy passes It saves you time and money

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Some [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check and see

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there a discount for using it online

gtgt MICHAEL No

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Next question will METROLift service ever go to Galveston Texas

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gtgt MICHAEL I doubt it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its something to think about

gtgt MICHAEL Its something to think about but its Harris County

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ladies and gentlemen can we kind of hold on the questions Well never get to the end if you guys keep interrupting

gtgt MICHAEL So we talked about the Freedom cards Now remember with this new change with the fares every METROLift customer will have free rides on regular fixed route rail and Park amp Ride

Freedom Pass

Now if you do want a Freedom Pass and youre not already grandfathered please call our customer service office and well be able to -- Jackie was it that they --where is Jackie Do they come in or do we mail it to them or how does that work -- the Freedom Pass If you already have a Freedom Pass just give us a call well talk to you on how you get them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is the Freedom Pass

gtgt MICHAEL If youre a METROLift customer then youre able to ride the fixed route and rail for free

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its not the same as a Q Card right The Q Card is different

gtgt MICHAEL Its going to be similar

Okay the next thing well talk about is our no show policy update and sunshine is here to discuss that Thank you

gtgt SUNSHINE Thank you guys for coming out The news is still good Were steadily improving on reducing our [INAUDIBLE] That our clients continue to stay in contact with dispatch about any service concerns Please consider how youre booking your rides planning them and also make sure you check on your status If you have any questions about where your no shows and late cancels are you are always welcome to call the policy administration office

This month has been our lowest month as far as client violations Were down to 19 percent of our total riders for the month of November When the policy began June 2014 I believe we were right around 3 percent Those numbers count Our on-time performance reflects that You guys have noticed the drivers being on time That is because we are working together

We will ask our clients again to please consider how you plan your trip Please make sure you verify details of your trip Please stay in contact with dispatch If you have any questions youre welcome to ask them but again our goal should be to reduce no shows and cancellations

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

Page 24

things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

Page 25

As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

Page 26

The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

Page 27

Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

Page 35

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

Page 37

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

Page 38

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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a busy h ighway t o cat ch t he other bus So w hen I take the 73 it drops me -- I forget the name of it -- but right in front of Fiesta Now I will have to cross a busy highway and I say hmmm this is very dangerous So it exposes us to special danger Why does this change -- why do you have to [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt HILDA That will change with the new bus network system

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im going to Gulfgate So the 73 from the end of METRORail to take 76 and to take 76 I would have to cross very busy highway

gtgt HILDA Maybe Ill get your information and just pass it on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It puts someone that is seriously disabled to potential danger [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt HILDA Okay Well talk after the meeting Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER The 79 Is 79 on there

gtgt HILDA Nope Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is 137 on there

gtgt HILDA If anyone else is interested we can talk after the meeting I dont want to hold up the agenda Did you say 137 Yes maam the Northshore

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express Yes Extend t he 547 a m westbound t rip t o st art from Maxey R oad P ark amp Ride lot extend the 511 am and the 237 and 835 pm eastbound trips to the NASA Road Park amp Ride lots

So if you want more detail well do it at the end of the meeting okay

So thats all about the service changes I just wanted to bring that up to you all Were going to continue with the agenda and Ill pass it over to Mike

gtgt MICHAEL Okay thank you Hilda Okay the next thing were going to talk about is alternative services and co mmunity co nnector service

Starting January 1st this is an existing service thats operating right now by MV Transit Right now many of you know many of you may not know were in a transition on the van service So were transitioning from MV Transit to First Transit And what Id like to do right now -- I think t his i s a g ood s egue f or the MV representative to kind of introduce himself and again we want to t hank M V for all the hard w ork t heyve done over the last five years Weve made a lot of progress Weve gone from again 85 percent on-time performance to 90 percent on-time performance and plus And part of that is having good partnership with our contractor

So I want to thank -- personally thank Maurice and his staff at MV for all the different things theyve done over the past years to help improve the service So Maurice can you stand up Lets give Maurice a round of applause

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its been a pleasure and a great opportunity to work with every one of you being a manager [INAUDIBLE] I wanted to say thank you

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Now what Id like to do is have the First Transit staff introduce themselves They are here today So again starting December 13th were going to be transitioning all of the service the van service to First Transit

So again Jody would you like to start or Randy This is the staff we have here today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Good afternoon everybody My name is Randy Hendrickson Im the general manager for First Transit paratransit project here in Houston Id like to introduce my staff to you We have Shawan Harris assistant general manager Sean Rackley who will be here at METROLift in dispatch and another assistant general manager Jody N ewman

So again as Michael says we have taken over some of the service that runs out of Labco the van light service we took that over on November 9th and weve been there almost a month And we took over part of the van service just this past Sunday so were looking forward to having all of the MV employees come over and j oin u s finally o n t he 13thand t hen w e will be the provider for METROLift services here in t he Houston ar ea

So it is our pleasure to be here and meet with you all and I want you to know that were all only a phone call away So if you have issues direct your phone calls to the appropriate people and we want to make sure that your service is primarily safe comfortable and o bviously o n t ime because everybodys got to g o so meplace

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on time So were happy to be here and were very happy to be doing the service for Houston M ETRO So t hank y ou

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Randy

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sir define service -- which is part of METRO

gtgt MICHAEL Thats a good question When talking about the van service were talking about the cut away vehicles the red white and blue vehicles Those are METRO owned vehicles but we contract the driver and t he maintenance and t he safety an d t he training o f the drivers out to o ur contractors So t hats the service that were talking about

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And that would be transferred to those people

gtgt MICHAEL Correct And part of it -- 66 percent of it has already been transferred

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So hopefully you havent seen a real big change in service right Because what were doing is were on boarding basically the same drivers that worked fo r MV on t o t his new service

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And MV service is what service

gtgt MICHAEL The cut away vehicles the ones were talking about Yes

So again this is basically whats been going on behind the scenes There has been a lot of preparation involved in this There have been a lot of meetings because first of all we want to m ake sure that the transition i s smooth which i t has been But we want to make sure the quality of service remains the same or higher moving forward because thats our goal

So having First Transit on board having MV as a provider before again we want to thank them for all the service that theyve provided to us One of the things that I also w ant to b ring u p i s t hat MV transit is a lso g oing a bove a nd b eyond for us because with this communities connector service there is software there is logistical things that we have to do and they are actually allowing METRO to actually o perate their software until March 3 1stuntil we can g et our system online Thats huge That doesnt normally h appen Because actually t his contract ends on December 31stof this year So having them allow us to do this again speaks to the partnership that METRO has with its contractors and the ability for us to work together even transitioning over to another contractor

So going back to the alternative services -- METRO will be operating this service Basically what they are are the ARBOC buses that you see out on the road They look like METROLift buses They are smaller or they are actually bigger than METROLift buses but they operate on fixed route service

Previously that service was operated by MV That service is being transferred over to METRO so they will be METRO drivers and METRO staff operating the

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service The other thing transferring over to METRO is a community connector service That is the service that operates in t he Acres Homes area and b asically i ts a demand r esponse service that anybody can o perate or use on t he same day o r they can cal l in ad vance one day It picks them up from their home as long as they are in that service area and takes them wherever they need to go within that service area

We have two time points -- one is the Acres Home Transit Center and the other is the Wal-Mart on West Road So b asically w e have two b uses running i n t hat area running b ack a nd f orth f or time p oints e very h our So t hats a s ervice t hat again METRO is going to be taking in-house Were going to have a dispatch center housed at 1900 Main but its going to be separate from our METROLift operation So I just wanted to give you an update on that And that takes effect January 1

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike is there a cost to use the service

gtgt MICHAEL Yes its 125 just like regular fixed route and rail but for METROLift customers of course it would be free And well talk about that here in a second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So may I ask a question please

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] the METRO bus card -- you know how you put money on the card ndash

gtgt MICHAEL It has fare boxes just like the regular fixed route bus It has loaders so you can load money all the same things that the regular fixed route and rail has these b uses h ave Yes Mr Shaidnagle

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Youre talking about -- I believe i f I understand correctly the bus that picks people up an d y ou cal l them up an d t hey co me close to your house I think thats similar to what they have in D enver So p eople in Denver they get the ride free but here they will still have to pay

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Youre absolutely right Denver has a lot of community connector type service They h ave about 22 d ifferent zones that they o perate in Denver and this kind of mirrors what they are doing If youre a METROLift customer and w ell talk ab out this in a minute were introducing t he Freedom Pass where METROLift customers can ride fixed route and rail for free

So if you live in this zone in the Acres Home area and youre just trying to go to the store or the Wal-Mart you can actually call demand response on the same day and say hey I want to b e picked u p t o g o t o t he Wal-Mart and they will pick you up from your home and take you directly to Wal-Mart and drop you off at the door and p ick y ou u p an d t ake you b ack h ome So i ts a pretty co ol service if you l ive in that area

You can utilize it if you like by using the regular bus service to the Acres Homes Transit Center and then there you can u tilize the service there So t here is different ways you can -- and d ifferent options for you t o act ually u tilize the service You dont have to live in the service but you have to get to the zone to actually use the service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where is the zone at

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gtgt MICHAEL The zone is in the Acres Homes area I dont have the map but if you go on METROs website it talks about it I can get you some more information

gtgt MICHAEL If Im going to Katy whats my best route

gtgt MICHAEL If you want to go to Katy right now the best way to go is you would take a METROLift vehicle to the Addicks Park amp Ride off of I-10 and from there you would either have to take an msp or personal transportation but remember you p ay t he f irst dollar you pay the -- METRO pays the next eight and anything o ver nine dollars you w ould p ick u p

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike on the msp because we get a cab

[INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right And his question was -- is that as soon as you turn the meter on there is already so me fare there And t hats correct because we go b y full meter fare on t he msp ser vice And t hat is regulated b y t he city In t he back Ms Gilkerson

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know if you want to address this right now but ever since some of us came up here to look at your website since youve redone some things there is some new wrinkles that have been ad ded

gtgt MICHAEL Okay we can definitely talk offline about that but we can do that Hilda is here and Im here so we can talk to you about that after the meeting

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Okay yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to offer -- Id b e h appy t o s tay a f ew minutes after the meeting t o h elp w ith t hat since I helped w ith t esting t he new website

gtgt MICHAEL Absolutely Id appreciate that Hes willing t o st ay aft er and answer any q uestions or help

gtgt HILDA Oh okay

gtgt MICHAEL Okay lets move on to the next thing In our last board meeting our METRO board discussed fares As you know this is part of our METROLift Moving Forward initiative that we started three years ago

We went out probably to 13 different outreach meetings to specifically talk about fares We went to an other 26 m eetings where we did an o verview of our METROLift Moving Forward which fares was also t alked ab out

We gathered information TTI took all that information and presented it to the board and there was some recommendations that came down and actually passed at our last board meeting

So I just want to go through those changes with you today to kind of inform you of where were going starting February 1stof 2016 There is going to be some changes to t he fare structure

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So the first thing is our base fare is going to go from 115 to 125 And thats for the service within the ADA service area Thats a three-quarter mile buffer around our fixed route and rail

Also our ten ticket book is not going to be discounted in the same way it was before So with the raise of the fare a new ticket book is going to cost 1250 instead of 975 But were going to give you an extra ticket for free So its basically 10 percent discount So youll get a book of -- youll pay for a book of ten but youll get 11 tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes now when that change starts if you have tickets from the old p rice how long w ill we still be able to u se those tickets

gtgt MICHAEL Until you run out

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Got you

gtgt MICHAEL Now on monthly passes the monthly pass is going to go up to 4725 But the pass is only eligible for ADA service trips So if youre in a three-quarter mile buffer within a fixed route or rail thats when you can utilize your monthly pass

4725 Our annual pass is going to go up to 41850 and thats again for ADA only trips

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How do we know -- [INAUDIBLE]

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gtgt MICHAEL When you call to schedule a ride theyll be able to take a look at it or customer service office can take a look at it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is an ADA

gtgt MICHAEL An ADA trip is a trip that originates and ends within the ADA service area of a three-quarter mile buffer around a fixed route and rail

The next change ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER If you go out of the ADA you have to pay more money or something

gtgt MICHAEL Thats the next thing So the next thing on the list is premium fairs So if you do go outside into our 29 percent of the service area thats outside that fare goes up to 250 So its basically two tickets Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL You wouldnt No the pass will not cover it Thats what I said before The monthly pass only is eligible for ADA trips So you have to buy ticket books to utilize the service outside the ADA service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Did you just say that a book of tickets will have 11

Page 14

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The annual fare for the pass is 41850 And thats only for ADA trips

Okay ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So in other words youre saying part of the area that you used to cover is not officially ADA

gtgt MICHAEL Correct METRO operates 29 percent outside of the ADA required service area Our service area is 751 square miles The ADA required is only 521

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will we be given a letter that describes which area is which

gtgt MICHAEL Well well have to start working through that Were going to be working with trapeze to identify the customers that are outside the service area And we should have some more information for you on that So were still stepping through that

Page 15

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Say for example are you talking like the area that I work like on Hollister would that qualify as outside the ADA We dont have any buses that go from Tidwell Hollister ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You would have to take a look at it I dont know right off the top of my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Do you know which ones are ADA and which ones are not -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right So well be able to take a look at it All right lets talk about ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will the new METROLift ticket in February have 250 on it

gtgt MICHAEL No It will have 125 and you use two tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know about that area Sometime Ill take METROLift to go to Stanford and I guess the -- Im still new three years Im still learning Houston

Okay would that be considered outside because I dont see a fixed bus route three blocks from where Im going

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gtgt MICHAEL I dont have the map with me So well have to look at it individually Again when you call in well have stuff set up to say whether its inside or outside And that will be the within the next month

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So with my monthly pass Ill have two tickets ndash

gtgt MICHAEL With your monthly pass it wont work So you have to buy tickets So if you buy a pass the monthly pass thats only good for ADA trips Okay

If you decide to go outside the service area the normal service area you would have to buy a book of tickets to actually utilize that service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And give it to the driver and they pick me up within the zone but Im going outside ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Its going to be marked in their box whether its a 250 fare or 125 So theyll know

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question Im wondering -- because it seems to me for some people it might be confusing you know to pay one or two tickets When you guys were making this decision was there any consideration given to just having one rate -- one cost per the tickets like just make the an even 250

Page 17

gtgt MICHAEL There was thought to doing that but what we found is only 11 percent of our trips actually fall outside the service area So we didnt want to put undue burden on the majority of the customers that utilize it just within the service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So the customers that do need to go outside the service area still have the option to do so

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So if the regular METRO bus runs in that area -- that is within

gtgt MICHAEL Yes Lets talk about this I think I may be able to answer a lot of your questions Lets hold the questions until I get through all the different scenarios here

Now we talked about fixed route fare With this new change the board has also said that any METROLift customer that utilizes the fixed route and rail Park amp Ride can utilize the service for free now Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER All right [APPLAUSE]

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats good

Page 18

gtgt MICHAEL So again the fare is going up but now everybody has the opportunity to use the fixed route and rail when they can Okay Its an option

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill talk about that in a second

Feeder service -- okay feeder service let me explain what that is Feeder service is -- lets say we pick you up from your home and take you to the -- lets say -- the VA hospital Thats a normal METROLift trip

A feeder service trip would be picking you up from your home lets say on the north side of town and taking you to the bus -- or to the rail service the rail pick up spot at Northline and having you run the rail all the way in and utilize the fixed route service

Then when you come back we pick you up from the Northline Transit Center at the rail platform and take you the rest of the way home Thats what we call feeder service So were looking at providing or offering that as an option for you

So what well do is pick you up from home take you to a METRO facility which is a transit center a bus platform a rail platform and then having you connect with the service there for a discounted rate

So the discounted rate has not been established yet So if the normal fare is 125 maybe its a dollar Okay Or maybe its 60 cents I dont know what that fare is

Page 19

going to be but thats something that were looking at So again its another option

The other change that were looking at is an annual increase thats tied to the Social Security And it will be rounded to the nearest five cent mark So if there is an increase in Social Security for that year then METRO -- METRO staff will look at that and adjust the rate accordingly Okay

Now I know over the last couple of years there hasnt been any increase in the Social Security wages Okay So then there would be no change

So thats kind of where we are with the fare implementation And remember this begins February 1st 2016 So up until then were going to be going out to the community talking about it here Making sure that everyone understands whats about to happen and all their different options that they have

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I know [INAUDIBLE] On your website is that correct

gtgt MICHAEL Yes you can schedule ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] buy tickets online

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct Good question His question was he understands now that you can buy METRO fare online We do have an online store through METRO where you can buy tickets and you can buy a monthly pass Not a yearly pass but a monthly pass

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So again thats going to be more options And basically the way it works is you go in create an account Choose how many tickets you want or how many books of tickets you want You can buy singles or books

You use your account Visa MasterCard bank account and theyll mail it to you within three days Okay So you dont have to go to the grocery store and buy tickets You dont have to go and buy passes It saves you time and money

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Some [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check and see

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there a discount for using it online

gtgt MICHAEL No

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Next question will METROLift service ever go to Galveston Texas

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gtgt MICHAEL I doubt it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its something to think about

gtgt MICHAEL Its something to think about but its Harris County

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ladies and gentlemen can we kind of hold on the questions Well never get to the end if you guys keep interrupting

gtgt MICHAEL So we talked about the Freedom cards Now remember with this new change with the fares every METROLift customer will have free rides on regular fixed route rail and Park amp Ride

Freedom Pass

Now if you do want a Freedom Pass and youre not already grandfathered please call our customer service office and well be able to -- Jackie was it that they --where is Jackie Do they come in or do we mail it to them or how does that work -- the Freedom Pass If you already have a Freedom Pass just give us a call well talk to you on how you get them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is the Freedom Pass

gtgt MICHAEL If youre a METROLift customer then youre able to ride the fixed route and rail for free

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its not the same as a Q Card right The Q Card is different

gtgt MICHAEL Its going to be similar

Okay the next thing well talk about is our no show policy update and sunshine is here to discuss that Thank you

gtgt SUNSHINE Thank you guys for coming out The news is still good Were steadily improving on reducing our [INAUDIBLE] That our clients continue to stay in contact with dispatch about any service concerns Please consider how youre booking your rides planning them and also make sure you check on your status If you have any questions about where your no shows and late cancels are you are always welcome to call the policy administration office

This month has been our lowest month as far as client violations Were down to 19 percent of our total riders for the month of November When the policy began June 2014 I believe we were right around 3 percent Those numbers count Our on-time performance reflects that You guys have noticed the drivers being on time That is because we are working together

We will ask our clients again to please consider how you plan your trip Please make sure you verify details of your trip Please stay in contact with dispatch If you have any questions youre welcome to ask them but again our goal should be to reduce no shows and cancellations

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

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things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

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As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

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The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

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Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

Page 35

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

Page 47

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

Page 48

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

Page 49

express Yes Extend t he 547 a m westbound t rip t o st art from Maxey R oad P ark amp Ride lot extend the 511 am and the 237 and 835 pm eastbound trips to the NASA Road Park amp Ride lots

So if you want more detail well do it at the end of the meeting okay

So thats all about the service changes I just wanted to bring that up to you all Were going to continue with the agenda and Ill pass it over to Mike

gtgt MICHAEL Okay thank you Hilda Okay the next thing were going to talk about is alternative services and co mmunity co nnector service

Starting January 1st this is an existing service thats operating right now by MV Transit Right now many of you know many of you may not know were in a transition on the van service So were transitioning from MV Transit to First Transit And what Id like to do right now -- I think t his i s a g ood s egue f or the MV representative to kind of introduce himself and again we want to t hank M V for all the hard w ork t heyve done over the last five years Weve made a lot of progress Weve gone from again 85 percent on-time performance to 90 percent on-time performance and plus And part of that is having good partnership with our contractor

So I want to thank -- personally thank Maurice and his staff at MV for all the different things theyve done over the past years to help improve the service So Maurice can you stand up Lets give Maurice a round of applause

[APPLAUSE]

Page 5

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its been a pleasure and a great opportunity to work with every one of you being a manager [INAUDIBLE] I wanted to say thank you

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Now what Id like to do is have the First Transit staff introduce themselves They are here today So again starting December 13th were going to be transitioning all of the service the van service to First Transit

So again Jody would you like to start or Randy This is the staff we have here today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Good afternoon everybody My name is Randy Hendrickson Im the general manager for First Transit paratransit project here in Houston Id like to introduce my staff to you We have Shawan Harris assistant general manager Sean Rackley who will be here at METROLift in dispatch and another assistant general manager Jody N ewman

So again as Michael says we have taken over some of the service that runs out of Labco the van light service we took that over on November 9th and weve been there almost a month And we took over part of the van service just this past Sunday so were looking forward to having all of the MV employees come over and j oin u s finally o n t he 13thand t hen w e will be the provider for METROLift services here in t he Houston ar ea

So it is our pleasure to be here and meet with you all and I want you to know that were all only a phone call away So if you have issues direct your phone calls to the appropriate people and we want to make sure that your service is primarily safe comfortable and o bviously o n t ime because everybodys got to g o so meplace

Page 6

on time So were happy to be here and were very happy to be doing the service for Houston M ETRO So t hank y ou

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Randy

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sir define service -- which is part of METRO

gtgt MICHAEL Thats a good question When talking about the van service were talking about the cut away vehicles the red white and blue vehicles Those are METRO owned vehicles but we contract the driver and t he maintenance and t he safety an d t he training o f the drivers out to o ur contractors So t hats the service that were talking about

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And that would be transferred to those people

gtgt MICHAEL Correct And part of it -- 66 percent of it has already been transferred

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So hopefully you havent seen a real big change in service right Because what were doing is were on boarding basically the same drivers that worked fo r MV on t o t his new service

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And MV service is what service

gtgt MICHAEL The cut away vehicles the ones were talking about Yes

So again this is basically whats been going on behind the scenes There has been a lot of preparation involved in this There have been a lot of meetings because first of all we want to m ake sure that the transition i s smooth which i t has been But we want to make sure the quality of service remains the same or higher moving forward because thats our goal

So having First Transit on board having MV as a provider before again we want to thank them for all the service that theyve provided to us One of the things that I also w ant to b ring u p i s t hat MV transit is a lso g oing a bove a nd b eyond for us because with this communities connector service there is software there is logistical things that we have to do and they are actually allowing METRO to actually o perate their software until March 3 1stuntil we can g et our system online Thats huge That doesnt normally h appen Because actually t his contract ends on December 31stof this year So having them allow us to do this again speaks to the partnership that METRO has with its contractors and the ability for us to work together even transitioning over to another contractor

So going back to the alternative services -- METRO will be operating this service Basically what they are are the ARBOC buses that you see out on the road They look like METROLift buses They are smaller or they are actually bigger than METROLift buses but they operate on fixed route service

Previously that service was operated by MV That service is being transferred over to METRO so they will be METRO drivers and METRO staff operating the

Page 8

service The other thing transferring over to METRO is a community connector service That is the service that operates in t he Acres Homes area and b asically i ts a demand r esponse service that anybody can o perate or use on t he same day o r they can cal l in ad vance one day It picks them up from their home as long as they are in that service area and takes them wherever they need to go within that service area

We have two time points -- one is the Acres Home Transit Center and the other is the Wal-Mart on West Road So b asically w e have two b uses running i n t hat area running b ack a nd f orth f or time p oints e very h our So t hats a s ervice t hat again METRO is going to be taking in-house Were going to have a dispatch center housed at 1900 Main but its going to be separate from our METROLift operation So I just wanted to give you an update on that And that takes effect January 1

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike is there a cost to use the service

gtgt MICHAEL Yes its 125 just like regular fixed route and rail but for METROLift customers of course it would be free And well talk about that here in a second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So may I ask a question please

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] the METRO bus card -- you know how you put money on the card ndash

gtgt MICHAEL It has fare boxes just like the regular fixed route bus It has loaders so you can load money all the same things that the regular fixed route and rail has these b uses h ave Yes Mr Shaidnagle

Page 9

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Youre talking about -- I believe i f I understand correctly the bus that picks people up an d y ou cal l them up an d t hey co me close to your house I think thats similar to what they have in D enver So p eople in Denver they get the ride free but here they will still have to pay

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Youre absolutely right Denver has a lot of community connector type service They h ave about 22 d ifferent zones that they o perate in Denver and this kind of mirrors what they are doing If youre a METROLift customer and w ell talk ab out this in a minute were introducing t he Freedom Pass where METROLift customers can ride fixed route and rail for free

So if you live in this zone in the Acres Home area and youre just trying to go to the store or the Wal-Mart you can actually call demand response on the same day and say hey I want to b e picked u p t o g o t o t he Wal-Mart and they will pick you up from your home and take you directly to Wal-Mart and drop you off at the door and p ick y ou u p an d t ake you b ack h ome So i ts a pretty co ol service if you l ive in that area

You can utilize it if you like by using the regular bus service to the Acres Homes Transit Center and then there you can u tilize the service there So t here is different ways you can -- and d ifferent options for you t o act ually u tilize the service You dont have to live in the service but you have to get to the zone to actually use the service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where is the zone at

Page 10

gtgt MICHAEL The zone is in the Acres Homes area I dont have the map but if you go on METROs website it talks about it I can get you some more information

gtgt MICHAEL If Im going to Katy whats my best route

gtgt MICHAEL If you want to go to Katy right now the best way to go is you would take a METROLift vehicle to the Addicks Park amp Ride off of I-10 and from there you would either have to take an msp or personal transportation but remember you p ay t he f irst dollar you pay the -- METRO pays the next eight and anything o ver nine dollars you w ould p ick u p

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike on the msp because we get a cab

[INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right And his question was -- is that as soon as you turn the meter on there is already so me fare there And t hats correct because we go b y full meter fare on t he msp ser vice And t hat is regulated b y t he city In t he back Ms Gilkerson

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know if you want to address this right now but ever since some of us came up here to look at your website since youve redone some things there is some new wrinkles that have been ad ded

gtgt MICHAEL Okay we can definitely talk offline about that but we can do that Hilda is here and Im here so we can talk to you about that after the meeting

Page 11

Okay yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to offer -- Id b e h appy t o s tay a f ew minutes after the meeting t o h elp w ith t hat since I helped w ith t esting t he new website

gtgt MICHAEL Absolutely Id appreciate that Hes willing t o st ay aft er and answer any q uestions or help

gtgt HILDA Oh okay

gtgt MICHAEL Okay lets move on to the next thing In our last board meeting our METRO board discussed fares As you know this is part of our METROLift Moving Forward initiative that we started three years ago

We went out probably to 13 different outreach meetings to specifically talk about fares We went to an other 26 m eetings where we did an o verview of our METROLift Moving Forward which fares was also t alked ab out

We gathered information TTI took all that information and presented it to the board and there was some recommendations that came down and actually passed at our last board meeting

So I just want to go through those changes with you today to kind of inform you of where were going starting February 1stof 2016 There is going to be some changes to t he fare structure

Page 12

So the first thing is our base fare is going to go from 115 to 125 And thats for the service within the ADA service area Thats a three-quarter mile buffer around our fixed route and rail

Also our ten ticket book is not going to be discounted in the same way it was before So with the raise of the fare a new ticket book is going to cost 1250 instead of 975 But were going to give you an extra ticket for free So its basically 10 percent discount So youll get a book of -- youll pay for a book of ten but youll get 11 tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes now when that change starts if you have tickets from the old p rice how long w ill we still be able to u se those tickets

gtgt MICHAEL Until you run out

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Got you

gtgt MICHAEL Now on monthly passes the monthly pass is going to go up to 4725 But the pass is only eligible for ADA service trips So if youre in a three-quarter mile buffer within a fixed route or rail thats when you can utilize your monthly pass

4725 Our annual pass is going to go up to 41850 and thats again for ADA only trips

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How do we know -- [INAUDIBLE]

Page 13

gtgt MICHAEL When you call to schedule a ride theyll be able to take a look at it or customer service office can take a look at it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is an ADA

gtgt MICHAEL An ADA trip is a trip that originates and ends within the ADA service area of a three-quarter mile buffer around a fixed route and rail

The next change ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER If you go out of the ADA you have to pay more money or something

gtgt MICHAEL Thats the next thing So the next thing on the list is premium fairs So if you do go outside into our 29 percent of the service area thats outside that fare goes up to 250 So its basically two tickets Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL You wouldnt No the pass will not cover it Thats what I said before The monthly pass only is eligible for ADA trips So you have to buy ticket books to utilize the service outside the ADA service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Did you just say that a book of tickets will have 11

Page 14

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The annual fare for the pass is 41850 And thats only for ADA trips

Okay ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So in other words youre saying part of the area that you used to cover is not officially ADA

gtgt MICHAEL Correct METRO operates 29 percent outside of the ADA required service area Our service area is 751 square miles The ADA required is only 521

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will we be given a letter that describes which area is which

gtgt MICHAEL Well well have to start working through that Were going to be working with trapeze to identify the customers that are outside the service area And we should have some more information for you on that So were still stepping through that

Page 15

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Say for example are you talking like the area that I work like on Hollister would that qualify as outside the ADA We dont have any buses that go from Tidwell Hollister ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You would have to take a look at it I dont know right off the top of my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Do you know which ones are ADA and which ones are not -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right So well be able to take a look at it All right lets talk about ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will the new METROLift ticket in February have 250 on it

gtgt MICHAEL No It will have 125 and you use two tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know about that area Sometime Ill take METROLift to go to Stanford and I guess the -- Im still new three years Im still learning Houston

Okay would that be considered outside because I dont see a fixed bus route three blocks from where Im going

Page 16

gtgt MICHAEL I dont have the map with me So well have to look at it individually Again when you call in well have stuff set up to say whether its inside or outside And that will be the within the next month

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So with my monthly pass Ill have two tickets ndash

gtgt MICHAEL With your monthly pass it wont work So you have to buy tickets So if you buy a pass the monthly pass thats only good for ADA trips Okay

If you decide to go outside the service area the normal service area you would have to buy a book of tickets to actually utilize that service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And give it to the driver and they pick me up within the zone but Im going outside ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Its going to be marked in their box whether its a 250 fare or 125 So theyll know

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question Im wondering -- because it seems to me for some people it might be confusing you know to pay one or two tickets When you guys were making this decision was there any consideration given to just having one rate -- one cost per the tickets like just make the an even 250

Page 17

gtgt MICHAEL There was thought to doing that but what we found is only 11 percent of our trips actually fall outside the service area So we didnt want to put undue burden on the majority of the customers that utilize it just within the service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So the customers that do need to go outside the service area still have the option to do so

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So if the regular METRO bus runs in that area -- that is within

gtgt MICHAEL Yes Lets talk about this I think I may be able to answer a lot of your questions Lets hold the questions until I get through all the different scenarios here

Now we talked about fixed route fare With this new change the board has also said that any METROLift customer that utilizes the fixed route and rail Park amp Ride can utilize the service for free now Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER All right [APPLAUSE]

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats good

Page 18

gtgt MICHAEL So again the fare is going up but now everybody has the opportunity to use the fixed route and rail when they can Okay Its an option

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill talk about that in a second

Feeder service -- okay feeder service let me explain what that is Feeder service is -- lets say we pick you up from your home and take you to the -- lets say -- the VA hospital Thats a normal METROLift trip

A feeder service trip would be picking you up from your home lets say on the north side of town and taking you to the bus -- or to the rail service the rail pick up spot at Northline and having you run the rail all the way in and utilize the fixed route service

Then when you come back we pick you up from the Northline Transit Center at the rail platform and take you the rest of the way home Thats what we call feeder service So were looking at providing or offering that as an option for you

So what well do is pick you up from home take you to a METRO facility which is a transit center a bus platform a rail platform and then having you connect with the service there for a discounted rate

So the discounted rate has not been established yet So if the normal fare is 125 maybe its a dollar Okay Or maybe its 60 cents I dont know what that fare is

Page 19

going to be but thats something that were looking at So again its another option

The other change that were looking at is an annual increase thats tied to the Social Security And it will be rounded to the nearest five cent mark So if there is an increase in Social Security for that year then METRO -- METRO staff will look at that and adjust the rate accordingly Okay

Now I know over the last couple of years there hasnt been any increase in the Social Security wages Okay So then there would be no change

So thats kind of where we are with the fare implementation And remember this begins February 1st 2016 So up until then were going to be going out to the community talking about it here Making sure that everyone understands whats about to happen and all their different options that they have

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I know [INAUDIBLE] On your website is that correct

gtgt MICHAEL Yes you can schedule ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] buy tickets online

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct Good question His question was he understands now that you can buy METRO fare online We do have an online store through METRO where you can buy tickets and you can buy a monthly pass Not a yearly pass but a monthly pass

Page 20

So again thats going to be more options And basically the way it works is you go in create an account Choose how many tickets you want or how many books of tickets you want You can buy singles or books

You use your account Visa MasterCard bank account and theyll mail it to you within three days Okay So you dont have to go to the grocery store and buy tickets You dont have to go and buy passes It saves you time and money

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Some [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check and see

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there a discount for using it online

gtgt MICHAEL No

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Next question will METROLift service ever go to Galveston Texas

Page 21

gtgt MICHAEL I doubt it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its something to think about

gtgt MICHAEL Its something to think about but its Harris County

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ladies and gentlemen can we kind of hold on the questions Well never get to the end if you guys keep interrupting

gtgt MICHAEL So we talked about the Freedom cards Now remember with this new change with the fares every METROLift customer will have free rides on regular fixed route rail and Park amp Ride

Freedom Pass

Now if you do want a Freedom Pass and youre not already grandfathered please call our customer service office and well be able to -- Jackie was it that they --where is Jackie Do they come in or do we mail it to them or how does that work -- the Freedom Pass If you already have a Freedom Pass just give us a call well talk to you on how you get them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is the Freedom Pass

gtgt MICHAEL If youre a METROLift customer then youre able to ride the fixed route and rail for free

Page 22

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its not the same as a Q Card right The Q Card is different

gtgt MICHAEL Its going to be similar

Okay the next thing well talk about is our no show policy update and sunshine is here to discuss that Thank you

gtgt SUNSHINE Thank you guys for coming out The news is still good Were steadily improving on reducing our [INAUDIBLE] That our clients continue to stay in contact with dispatch about any service concerns Please consider how youre booking your rides planning them and also make sure you check on your status If you have any questions about where your no shows and late cancels are you are always welcome to call the policy administration office

This month has been our lowest month as far as client violations Were down to 19 percent of our total riders for the month of November When the policy began June 2014 I believe we were right around 3 percent Those numbers count Our on-time performance reflects that You guys have noticed the drivers being on time That is because we are working together

We will ask our clients again to please consider how you plan your trip Please make sure you verify details of your trip Please stay in contact with dispatch If you have any questions youre welcome to ask them but again our goal should be to reduce no shows and cancellations

[APPLAUSE]

Page 23

gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

Page 24

things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

Page 25

As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

Page 26

The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

Page 27

Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its been a pleasure and a great opportunity to work with every one of you being a manager [INAUDIBLE] I wanted to say thank you

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Now what Id like to do is have the First Transit staff introduce themselves They are here today So again starting December 13th were going to be transitioning all of the service the van service to First Transit

So again Jody would you like to start or Randy This is the staff we have here today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Good afternoon everybody My name is Randy Hendrickson Im the general manager for First Transit paratransit project here in Houston Id like to introduce my staff to you We have Shawan Harris assistant general manager Sean Rackley who will be here at METROLift in dispatch and another assistant general manager Jody N ewman

So again as Michael says we have taken over some of the service that runs out of Labco the van light service we took that over on November 9th and weve been there almost a month And we took over part of the van service just this past Sunday so were looking forward to having all of the MV employees come over and j oin u s finally o n t he 13thand t hen w e will be the provider for METROLift services here in t he Houston ar ea

So it is our pleasure to be here and meet with you all and I want you to know that were all only a phone call away So if you have issues direct your phone calls to the appropriate people and we want to make sure that your service is primarily safe comfortable and o bviously o n t ime because everybodys got to g o so meplace

Page 6

on time So were happy to be here and were very happy to be doing the service for Houston M ETRO So t hank y ou

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Randy

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sir define service -- which is part of METRO

gtgt MICHAEL Thats a good question When talking about the van service were talking about the cut away vehicles the red white and blue vehicles Those are METRO owned vehicles but we contract the driver and t he maintenance and t he safety an d t he training o f the drivers out to o ur contractors So t hats the service that were talking about

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And that would be transferred to those people

gtgt MICHAEL Correct And part of it -- 66 percent of it has already been transferred

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So hopefully you havent seen a real big change in service right Because what were doing is were on boarding basically the same drivers that worked fo r MV on t o t his new service

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And MV service is what service

gtgt MICHAEL The cut away vehicles the ones were talking about Yes

So again this is basically whats been going on behind the scenes There has been a lot of preparation involved in this There have been a lot of meetings because first of all we want to m ake sure that the transition i s smooth which i t has been But we want to make sure the quality of service remains the same or higher moving forward because thats our goal

So having First Transit on board having MV as a provider before again we want to thank them for all the service that theyve provided to us One of the things that I also w ant to b ring u p i s t hat MV transit is a lso g oing a bove a nd b eyond for us because with this communities connector service there is software there is logistical things that we have to do and they are actually allowing METRO to actually o perate their software until March 3 1stuntil we can g et our system online Thats huge That doesnt normally h appen Because actually t his contract ends on December 31stof this year So having them allow us to do this again speaks to the partnership that METRO has with its contractors and the ability for us to work together even transitioning over to another contractor

So going back to the alternative services -- METRO will be operating this service Basically what they are are the ARBOC buses that you see out on the road They look like METROLift buses They are smaller or they are actually bigger than METROLift buses but they operate on fixed route service

Previously that service was operated by MV That service is being transferred over to METRO so they will be METRO drivers and METRO staff operating the

Page 8

service The other thing transferring over to METRO is a community connector service That is the service that operates in t he Acres Homes area and b asically i ts a demand r esponse service that anybody can o perate or use on t he same day o r they can cal l in ad vance one day It picks them up from their home as long as they are in that service area and takes them wherever they need to go within that service area

We have two time points -- one is the Acres Home Transit Center and the other is the Wal-Mart on West Road So b asically w e have two b uses running i n t hat area running b ack a nd f orth f or time p oints e very h our So t hats a s ervice t hat again METRO is going to be taking in-house Were going to have a dispatch center housed at 1900 Main but its going to be separate from our METROLift operation So I just wanted to give you an update on that And that takes effect January 1

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike is there a cost to use the service

gtgt MICHAEL Yes its 125 just like regular fixed route and rail but for METROLift customers of course it would be free And well talk about that here in a second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So may I ask a question please

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] the METRO bus card -- you know how you put money on the card ndash

gtgt MICHAEL It has fare boxes just like the regular fixed route bus It has loaders so you can load money all the same things that the regular fixed route and rail has these b uses h ave Yes Mr Shaidnagle

Page 9

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Youre talking about -- I believe i f I understand correctly the bus that picks people up an d y ou cal l them up an d t hey co me close to your house I think thats similar to what they have in D enver So p eople in Denver they get the ride free but here they will still have to pay

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Youre absolutely right Denver has a lot of community connector type service They h ave about 22 d ifferent zones that they o perate in Denver and this kind of mirrors what they are doing If youre a METROLift customer and w ell talk ab out this in a minute were introducing t he Freedom Pass where METROLift customers can ride fixed route and rail for free

So if you live in this zone in the Acres Home area and youre just trying to go to the store or the Wal-Mart you can actually call demand response on the same day and say hey I want to b e picked u p t o g o t o t he Wal-Mart and they will pick you up from your home and take you directly to Wal-Mart and drop you off at the door and p ick y ou u p an d t ake you b ack h ome So i ts a pretty co ol service if you l ive in that area

You can utilize it if you like by using the regular bus service to the Acres Homes Transit Center and then there you can u tilize the service there So t here is different ways you can -- and d ifferent options for you t o act ually u tilize the service You dont have to live in the service but you have to get to the zone to actually use the service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where is the zone at

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gtgt MICHAEL The zone is in the Acres Homes area I dont have the map but if you go on METROs website it talks about it I can get you some more information

gtgt MICHAEL If Im going to Katy whats my best route

gtgt MICHAEL If you want to go to Katy right now the best way to go is you would take a METROLift vehicle to the Addicks Park amp Ride off of I-10 and from there you would either have to take an msp or personal transportation but remember you p ay t he f irst dollar you pay the -- METRO pays the next eight and anything o ver nine dollars you w ould p ick u p

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike on the msp because we get a cab

[INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right And his question was -- is that as soon as you turn the meter on there is already so me fare there And t hats correct because we go b y full meter fare on t he msp ser vice And t hat is regulated b y t he city In t he back Ms Gilkerson

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know if you want to address this right now but ever since some of us came up here to look at your website since youve redone some things there is some new wrinkles that have been ad ded

gtgt MICHAEL Okay we can definitely talk offline about that but we can do that Hilda is here and Im here so we can talk to you about that after the meeting

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Okay yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to offer -- Id b e h appy t o s tay a f ew minutes after the meeting t o h elp w ith t hat since I helped w ith t esting t he new website

gtgt MICHAEL Absolutely Id appreciate that Hes willing t o st ay aft er and answer any q uestions or help

gtgt HILDA Oh okay

gtgt MICHAEL Okay lets move on to the next thing In our last board meeting our METRO board discussed fares As you know this is part of our METROLift Moving Forward initiative that we started three years ago

We went out probably to 13 different outreach meetings to specifically talk about fares We went to an other 26 m eetings where we did an o verview of our METROLift Moving Forward which fares was also t alked ab out

We gathered information TTI took all that information and presented it to the board and there was some recommendations that came down and actually passed at our last board meeting

So I just want to go through those changes with you today to kind of inform you of where were going starting February 1stof 2016 There is going to be some changes to t he fare structure

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So the first thing is our base fare is going to go from 115 to 125 And thats for the service within the ADA service area Thats a three-quarter mile buffer around our fixed route and rail

Also our ten ticket book is not going to be discounted in the same way it was before So with the raise of the fare a new ticket book is going to cost 1250 instead of 975 But were going to give you an extra ticket for free So its basically 10 percent discount So youll get a book of -- youll pay for a book of ten but youll get 11 tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes now when that change starts if you have tickets from the old p rice how long w ill we still be able to u se those tickets

gtgt MICHAEL Until you run out

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Got you

gtgt MICHAEL Now on monthly passes the monthly pass is going to go up to 4725 But the pass is only eligible for ADA service trips So if youre in a three-quarter mile buffer within a fixed route or rail thats when you can utilize your monthly pass

4725 Our annual pass is going to go up to 41850 and thats again for ADA only trips

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How do we know -- [INAUDIBLE]

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gtgt MICHAEL When you call to schedule a ride theyll be able to take a look at it or customer service office can take a look at it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is an ADA

gtgt MICHAEL An ADA trip is a trip that originates and ends within the ADA service area of a three-quarter mile buffer around a fixed route and rail

The next change ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER If you go out of the ADA you have to pay more money or something

gtgt MICHAEL Thats the next thing So the next thing on the list is premium fairs So if you do go outside into our 29 percent of the service area thats outside that fare goes up to 250 So its basically two tickets Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL You wouldnt No the pass will not cover it Thats what I said before The monthly pass only is eligible for ADA trips So you have to buy ticket books to utilize the service outside the ADA service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Did you just say that a book of tickets will have 11

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The annual fare for the pass is 41850 And thats only for ADA trips

Okay ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So in other words youre saying part of the area that you used to cover is not officially ADA

gtgt MICHAEL Correct METRO operates 29 percent outside of the ADA required service area Our service area is 751 square miles The ADA required is only 521

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will we be given a letter that describes which area is which

gtgt MICHAEL Well well have to start working through that Were going to be working with trapeze to identify the customers that are outside the service area And we should have some more information for you on that So were still stepping through that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Say for example are you talking like the area that I work like on Hollister would that qualify as outside the ADA We dont have any buses that go from Tidwell Hollister ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You would have to take a look at it I dont know right off the top of my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Do you know which ones are ADA and which ones are not -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right So well be able to take a look at it All right lets talk about ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will the new METROLift ticket in February have 250 on it

gtgt MICHAEL No It will have 125 and you use two tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know about that area Sometime Ill take METROLift to go to Stanford and I guess the -- Im still new three years Im still learning Houston

Okay would that be considered outside because I dont see a fixed bus route three blocks from where Im going

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gtgt MICHAEL I dont have the map with me So well have to look at it individually Again when you call in well have stuff set up to say whether its inside or outside And that will be the within the next month

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So with my monthly pass Ill have two tickets ndash

gtgt MICHAEL With your monthly pass it wont work So you have to buy tickets So if you buy a pass the monthly pass thats only good for ADA trips Okay

If you decide to go outside the service area the normal service area you would have to buy a book of tickets to actually utilize that service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And give it to the driver and they pick me up within the zone but Im going outside ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Its going to be marked in their box whether its a 250 fare or 125 So theyll know

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question Im wondering -- because it seems to me for some people it might be confusing you know to pay one or two tickets When you guys were making this decision was there any consideration given to just having one rate -- one cost per the tickets like just make the an even 250

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gtgt MICHAEL There was thought to doing that but what we found is only 11 percent of our trips actually fall outside the service area So we didnt want to put undue burden on the majority of the customers that utilize it just within the service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So the customers that do need to go outside the service area still have the option to do so

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So if the regular METRO bus runs in that area -- that is within

gtgt MICHAEL Yes Lets talk about this I think I may be able to answer a lot of your questions Lets hold the questions until I get through all the different scenarios here

Now we talked about fixed route fare With this new change the board has also said that any METROLift customer that utilizes the fixed route and rail Park amp Ride can utilize the service for free now Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER All right [APPLAUSE]

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats good

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gtgt MICHAEL So again the fare is going up but now everybody has the opportunity to use the fixed route and rail when they can Okay Its an option

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill talk about that in a second

Feeder service -- okay feeder service let me explain what that is Feeder service is -- lets say we pick you up from your home and take you to the -- lets say -- the VA hospital Thats a normal METROLift trip

A feeder service trip would be picking you up from your home lets say on the north side of town and taking you to the bus -- or to the rail service the rail pick up spot at Northline and having you run the rail all the way in and utilize the fixed route service

Then when you come back we pick you up from the Northline Transit Center at the rail platform and take you the rest of the way home Thats what we call feeder service So were looking at providing or offering that as an option for you

So what well do is pick you up from home take you to a METRO facility which is a transit center a bus platform a rail platform and then having you connect with the service there for a discounted rate

So the discounted rate has not been established yet So if the normal fare is 125 maybe its a dollar Okay Or maybe its 60 cents I dont know what that fare is

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going to be but thats something that were looking at So again its another option

The other change that were looking at is an annual increase thats tied to the Social Security And it will be rounded to the nearest five cent mark So if there is an increase in Social Security for that year then METRO -- METRO staff will look at that and adjust the rate accordingly Okay

Now I know over the last couple of years there hasnt been any increase in the Social Security wages Okay So then there would be no change

So thats kind of where we are with the fare implementation And remember this begins February 1st 2016 So up until then were going to be going out to the community talking about it here Making sure that everyone understands whats about to happen and all their different options that they have

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I know [INAUDIBLE] On your website is that correct

gtgt MICHAEL Yes you can schedule ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] buy tickets online

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct Good question His question was he understands now that you can buy METRO fare online We do have an online store through METRO where you can buy tickets and you can buy a monthly pass Not a yearly pass but a monthly pass

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So again thats going to be more options And basically the way it works is you go in create an account Choose how many tickets you want or how many books of tickets you want You can buy singles or books

You use your account Visa MasterCard bank account and theyll mail it to you within three days Okay So you dont have to go to the grocery store and buy tickets You dont have to go and buy passes It saves you time and money

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Some [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check and see

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there a discount for using it online

gtgt MICHAEL No

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Next question will METROLift service ever go to Galveston Texas

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gtgt MICHAEL I doubt it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its something to think about

gtgt MICHAEL Its something to think about but its Harris County

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ladies and gentlemen can we kind of hold on the questions Well never get to the end if you guys keep interrupting

gtgt MICHAEL So we talked about the Freedom cards Now remember with this new change with the fares every METROLift customer will have free rides on regular fixed route rail and Park amp Ride

Freedom Pass

Now if you do want a Freedom Pass and youre not already grandfathered please call our customer service office and well be able to -- Jackie was it that they --where is Jackie Do they come in or do we mail it to them or how does that work -- the Freedom Pass If you already have a Freedom Pass just give us a call well talk to you on how you get them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is the Freedom Pass

gtgt MICHAEL If youre a METROLift customer then youre able to ride the fixed route and rail for free

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its not the same as a Q Card right The Q Card is different

gtgt MICHAEL Its going to be similar

Okay the next thing well talk about is our no show policy update and sunshine is here to discuss that Thank you

gtgt SUNSHINE Thank you guys for coming out The news is still good Were steadily improving on reducing our [INAUDIBLE] That our clients continue to stay in contact with dispatch about any service concerns Please consider how youre booking your rides planning them and also make sure you check on your status If you have any questions about where your no shows and late cancels are you are always welcome to call the policy administration office

This month has been our lowest month as far as client violations Were down to 19 percent of our total riders for the month of November When the policy began June 2014 I believe we were right around 3 percent Those numbers count Our on-time performance reflects that You guys have noticed the drivers being on time That is because we are working together

We will ask our clients again to please consider how you plan your trip Please make sure you verify details of your trip Please stay in contact with dispatch If you have any questions youre welcome to ask them but again our goal should be to reduce no shows and cancellations

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

Page 24

things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

Page 25

As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

Page 26

The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

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Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

Page 35

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

Page 37

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

Page 48

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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on time So were happy to be here and were very happy to be doing the service for Houston M ETRO So t hank y ou

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Randy

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sir define service -- which is part of METRO

gtgt MICHAEL Thats a good question When talking about the van service were talking about the cut away vehicles the red white and blue vehicles Those are METRO owned vehicles but we contract the driver and t he maintenance and t he safety an d t he training o f the drivers out to o ur contractors So t hats the service that were talking about

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And that would be transferred to those people

gtgt MICHAEL Correct And part of it -- 66 percent of it has already been transferred

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So hopefully you havent seen a real big change in service right Because what were doing is were on boarding basically the same drivers that worked fo r MV on t o t his new service

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And MV service is what service

gtgt MICHAEL The cut away vehicles the ones were talking about Yes

So again this is basically whats been going on behind the scenes There has been a lot of preparation involved in this There have been a lot of meetings because first of all we want to m ake sure that the transition i s smooth which i t has been But we want to make sure the quality of service remains the same or higher moving forward because thats our goal

So having First Transit on board having MV as a provider before again we want to thank them for all the service that theyve provided to us One of the things that I also w ant to b ring u p i s t hat MV transit is a lso g oing a bove a nd b eyond for us because with this communities connector service there is software there is logistical things that we have to do and they are actually allowing METRO to actually o perate their software until March 3 1stuntil we can g et our system online Thats huge That doesnt normally h appen Because actually t his contract ends on December 31stof this year So having them allow us to do this again speaks to the partnership that METRO has with its contractors and the ability for us to work together even transitioning over to another contractor

So going back to the alternative services -- METRO will be operating this service Basically what they are are the ARBOC buses that you see out on the road They look like METROLift buses They are smaller or they are actually bigger than METROLift buses but they operate on fixed route service

Previously that service was operated by MV That service is being transferred over to METRO so they will be METRO drivers and METRO staff operating the

Page 8

service The other thing transferring over to METRO is a community connector service That is the service that operates in t he Acres Homes area and b asically i ts a demand r esponse service that anybody can o perate or use on t he same day o r they can cal l in ad vance one day It picks them up from their home as long as they are in that service area and takes them wherever they need to go within that service area

We have two time points -- one is the Acres Home Transit Center and the other is the Wal-Mart on West Road So b asically w e have two b uses running i n t hat area running b ack a nd f orth f or time p oints e very h our So t hats a s ervice t hat again METRO is going to be taking in-house Were going to have a dispatch center housed at 1900 Main but its going to be separate from our METROLift operation So I just wanted to give you an update on that And that takes effect January 1

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike is there a cost to use the service

gtgt MICHAEL Yes its 125 just like regular fixed route and rail but for METROLift customers of course it would be free And well talk about that here in a second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So may I ask a question please

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] the METRO bus card -- you know how you put money on the card ndash

gtgt MICHAEL It has fare boxes just like the regular fixed route bus It has loaders so you can load money all the same things that the regular fixed route and rail has these b uses h ave Yes Mr Shaidnagle

Page 9

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Youre talking about -- I believe i f I understand correctly the bus that picks people up an d y ou cal l them up an d t hey co me close to your house I think thats similar to what they have in D enver So p eople in Denver they get the ride free but here they will still have to pay

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Youre absolutely right Denver has a lot of community connector type service They h ave about 22 d ifferent zones that they o perate in Denver and this kind of mirrors what they are doing If youre a METROLift customer and w ell talk ab out this in a minute were introducing t he Freedom Pass where METROLift customers can ride fixed route and rail for free

So if you live in this zone in the Acres Home area and youre just trying to go to the store or the Wal-Mart you can actually call demand response on the same day and say hey I want to b e picked u p t o g o t o t he Wal-Mart and they will pick you up from your home and take you directly to Wal-Mart and drop you off at the door and p ick y ou u p an d t ake you b ack h ome So i ts a pretty co ol service if you l ive in that area

You can utilize it if you like by using the regular bus service to the Acres Homes Transit Center and then there you can u tilize the service there So t here is different ways you can -- and d ifferent options for you t o act ually u tilize the service You dont have to live in the service but you have to get to the zone to actually use the service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where is the zone at

Page 10

gtgt MICHAEL The zone is in the Acres Homes area I dont have the map but if you go on METROs website it talks about it I can get you some more information

gtgt MICHAEL If Im going to Katy whats my best route

gtgt MICHAEL If you want to go to Katy right now the best way to go is you would take a METROLift vehicle to the Addicks Park amp Ride off of I-10 and from there you would either have to take an msp or personal transportation but remember you p ay t he f irst dollar you pay the -- METRO pays the next eight and anything o ver nine dollars you w ould p ick u p

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike on the msp because we get a cab

[INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right And his question was -- is that as soon as you turn the meter on there is already so me fare there And t hats correct because we go b y full meter fare on t he msp ser vice And t hat is regulated b y t he city In t he back Ms Gilkerson

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know if you want to address this right now but ever since some of us came up here to look at your website since youve redone some things there is some new wrinkles that have been ad ded

gtgt MICHAEL Okay we can definitely talk offline about that but we can do that Hilda is here and Im here so we can talk to you about that after the meeting

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Okay yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to offer -- Id b e h appy t o s tay a f ew minutes after the meeting t o h elp w ith t hat since I helped w ith t esting t he new website

gtgt MICHAEL Absolutely Id appreciate that Hes willing t o st ay aft er and answer any q uestions or help

gtgt HILDA Oh okay

gtgt MICHAEL Okay lets move on to the next thing In our last board meeting our METRO board discussed fares As you know this is part of our METROLift Moving Forward initiative that we started three years ago

We went out probably to 13 different outreach meetings to specifically talk about fares We went to an other 26 m eetings where we did an o verview of our METROLift Moving Forward which fares was also t alked ab out

We gathered information TTI took all that information and presented it to the board and there was some recommendations that came down and actually passed at our last board meeting

So I just want to go through those changes with you today to kind of inform you of where were going starting February 1stof 2016 There is going to be some changes to t he fare structure

Page 12

So the first thing is our base fare is going to go from 115 to 125 And thats for the service within the ADA service area Thats a three-quarter mile buffer around our fixed route and rail

Also our ten ticket book is not going to be discounted in the same way it was before So with the raise of the fare a new ticket book is going to cost 1250 instead of 975 But were going to give you an extra ticket for free So its basically 10 percent discount So youll get a book of -- youll pay for a book of ten but youll get 11 tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes now when that change starts if you have tickets from the old p rice how long w ill we still be able to u se those tickets

gtgt MICHAEL Until you run out

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Got you

gtgt MICHAEL Now on monthly passes the monthly pass is going to go up to 4725 But the pass is only eligible for ADA service trips So if youre in a three-quarter mile buffer within a fixed route or rail thats when you can utilize your monthly pass

4725 Our annual pass is going to go up to 41850 and thats again for ADA only trips

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How do we know -- [INAUDIBLE]

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gtgt MICHAEL When you call to schedule a ride theyll be able to take a look at it or customer service office can take a look at it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is an ADA

gtgt MICHAEL An ADA trip is a trip that originates and ends within the ADA service area of a three-quarter mile buffer around a fixed route and rail

The next change ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER If you go out of the ADA you have to pay more money or something

gtgt MICHAEL Thats the next thing So the next thing on the list is premium fairs So if you do go outside into our 29 percent of the service area thats outside that fare goes up to 250 So its basically two tickets Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL You wouldnt No the pass will not cover it Thats what I said before The monthly pass only is eligible for ADA trips So you have to buy ticket books to utilize the service outside the ADA service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Did you just say that a book of tickets will have 11

Page 14

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The annual fare for the pass is 41850 And thats only for ADA trips

Okay ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So in other words youre saying part of the area that you used to cover is not officially ADA

gtgt MICHAEL Correct METRO operates 29 percent outside of the ADA required service area Our service area is 751 square miles The ADA required is only 521

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will we be given a letter that describes which area is which

gtgt MICHAEL Well well have to start working through that Were going to be working with trapeze to identify the customers that are outside the service area And we should have some more information for you on that So were still stepping through that

Page 15

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Say for example are you talking like the area that I work like on Hollister would that qualify as outside the ADA We dont have any buses that go from Tidwell Hollister ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You would have to take a look at it I dont know right off the top of my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Do you know which ones are ADA and which ones are not -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right So well be able to take a look at it All right lets talk about ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will the new METROLift ticket in February have 250 on it

gtgt MICHAEL No It will have 125 and you use two tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know about that area Sometime Ill take METROLift to go to Stanford and I guess the -- Im still new three years Im still learning Houston

Okay would that be considered outside because I dont see a fixed bus route three blocks from where Im going

Page 16

gtgt MICHAEL I dont have the map with me So well have to look at it individually Again when you call in well have stuff set up to say whether its inside or outside And that will be the within the next month

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So with my monthly pass Ill have two tickets ndash

gtgt MICHAEL With your monthly pass it wont work So you have to buy tickets So if you buy a pass the monthly pass thats only good for ADA trips Okay

If you decide to go outside the service area the normal service area you would have to buy a book of tickets to actually utilize that service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And give it to the driver and they pick me up within the zone but Im going outside ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Its going to be marked in their box whether its a 250 fare or 125 So theyll know

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question Im wondering -- because it seems to me for some people it might be confusing you know to pay one or two tickets When you guys were making this decision was there any consideration given to just having one rate -- one cost per the tickets like just make the an even 250

Page 17

gtgt MICHAEL There was thought to doing that but what we found is only 11 percent of our trips actually fall outside the service area So we didnt want to put undue burden on the majority of the customers that utilize it just within the service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So the customers that do need to go outside the service area still have the option to do so

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So if the regular METRO bus runs in that area -- that is within

gtgt MICHAEL Yes Lets talk about this I think I may be able to answer a lot of your questions Lets hold the questions until I get through all the different scenarios here

Now we talked about fixed route fare With this new change the board has also said that any METROLift customer that utilizes the fixed route and rail Park amp Ride can utilize the service for free now Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER All right [APPLAUSE]

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats good

Page 18

gtgt MICHAEL So again the fare is going up but now everybody has the opportunity to use the fixed route and rail when they can Okay Its an option

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill talk about that in a second

Feeder service -- okay feeder service let me explain what that is Feeder service is -- lets say we pick you up from your home and take you to the -- lets say -- the VA hospital Thats a normal METROLift trip

A feeder service trip would be picking you up from your home lets say on the north side of town and taking you to the bus -- or to the rail service the rail pick up spot at Northline and having you run the rail all the way in and utilize the fixed route service

Then when you come back we pick you up from the Northline Transit Center at the rail platform and take you the rest of the way home Thats what we call feeder service So were looking at providing or offering that as an option for you

So what well do is pick you up from home take you to a METRO facility which is a transit center a bus platform a rail platform and then having you connect with the service there for a discounted rate

So the discounted rate has not been established yet So if the normal fare is 125 maybe its a dollar Okay Or maybe its 60 cents I dont know what that fare is

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going to be but thats something that were looking at So again its another option

The other change that were looking at is an annual increase thats tied to the Social Security And it will be rounded to the nearest five cent mark So if there is an increase in Social Security for that year then METRO -- METRO staff will look at that and adjust the rate accordingly Okay

Now I know over the last couple of years there hasnt been any increase in the Social Security wages Okay So then there would be no change

So thats kind of where we are with the fare implementation And remember this begins February 1st 2016 So up until then were going to be going out to the community talking about it here Making sure that everyone understands whats about to happen and all their different options that they have

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I know [INAUDIBLE] On your website is that correct

gtgt MICHAEL Yes you can schedule ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] buy tickets online

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct Good question His question was he understands now that you can buy METRO fare online We do have an online store through METRO where you can buy tickets and you can buy a monthly pass Not a yearly pass but a monthly pass

Page 20

So again thats going to be more options And basically the way it works is you go in create an account Choose how many tickets you want or how many books of tickets you want You can buy singles or books

You use your account Visa MasterCard bank account and theyll mail it to you within three days Okay So you dont have to go to the grocery store and buy tickets You dont have to go and buy passes It saves you time and money

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Some [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check and see

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there a discount for using it online

gtgt MICHAEL No

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Next question will METROLift service ever go to Galveston Texas

Page 21

gtgt MICHAEL I doubt it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its something to think about

gtgt MICHAEL Its something to think about but its Harris County

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ladies and gentlemen can we kind of hold on the questions Well never get to the end if you guys keep interrupting

gtgt MICHAEL So we talked about the Freedom cards Now remember with this new change with the fares every METROLift customer will have free rides on regular fixed route rail and Park amp Ride

Freedom Pass

Now if you do want a Freedom Pass and youre not already grandfathered please call our customer service office and well be able to -- Jackie was it that they --where is Jackie Do they come in or do we mail it to them or how does that work -- the Freedom Pass If you already have a Freedom Pass just give us a call well talk to you on how you get them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is the Freedom Pass

gtgt MICHAEL If youre a METROLift customer then youre able to ride the fixed route and rail for free

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its not the same as a Q Card right The Q Card is different

gtgt MICHAEL Its going to be similar

Okay the next thing well talk about is our no show policy update and sunshine is here to discuss that Thank you

gtgt SUNSHINE Thank you guys for coming out The news is still good Were steadily improving on reducing our [INAUDIBLE] That our clients continue to stay in contact with dispatch about any service concerns Please consider how youre booking your rides planning them and also make sure you check on your status If you have any questions about where your no shows and late cancels are you are always welcome to call the policy administration office

This month has been our lowest month as far as client violations Were down to 19 percent of our total riders for the month of November When the policy began June 2014 I believe we were right around 3 percent Those numbers count Our on-time performance reflects that You guys have noticed the drivers being on time That is because we are working together

We will ask our clients again to please consider how you plan your trip Please make sure you verify details of your trip Please stay in contact with dispatch If you have any questions youre welcome to ask them but again our goal should be to reduce no shows and cancellations

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

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things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

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As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

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The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

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Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

Page 35

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And MV service is what service

gtgt MICHAEL The cut away vehicles the ones were talking about Yes

So again this is basically whats been going on behind the scenes There has been a lot of preparation involved in this There have been a lot of meetings because first of all we want to m ake sure that the transition i s smooth which i t has been But we want to make sure the quality of service remains the same or higher moving forward because thats our goal

So having First Transit on board having MV as a provider before again we want to thank them for all the service that theyve provided to us One of the things that I also w ant to b ring u p i s t hat MV transit is a lso g oing a bove a nd b eyond for us because with this communities connector service there is software there is logistical things that we have to do and they are actually allowing METRO to actually o perate their software until March 3 1stuntil we can g et our system online Thats huge That doesnt normally h appen Because actually t his contract ends on December 31stof this year So having them allow us to do this again speaks to the partnership that METRO has with its contractors and the ability for us to work together even transitioning over to another contractor

So going back to the alternative services -- METRO will be operating this service Basically what they are are the ARBOC buses that you see out on the road They look like METROLift buses They are smaller or they are actually bigger than METROLift buses but they operate on fixed route service

Previously that service was operated by MV That service is being transferred over to METRO so they will be METRO drivers and METRO staff operating the

Page 8

service The other thing transferring over to METRO is a community connector service That is the service that operates in t he Acres Homes area and b asically i ts a demand r esponse service that anybody can o perate or use on t he same day o r they can cal l in ad vance one day It picks them up from their home as long as they are in that service area and takes them wherever they need to go within that service area

We have two time points -- one is the Acres Home Transit Center and the other is the Wal-Mart on West Road So b asically w e have two b uses running i n t hat area running b ack a nd f orth f or time p oints e very h our So t hats a s ervice t hat again METRO is going to be taking in-house Were going to have a dispatch center housed at 1900 Main but its going to be separate from our METROLift operation So I just wanted to give you an update on that And that takes effect January 1

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike is there a cost to use the service

gtgt MICHAEL Yes its 125 just like regular fixed route and rail but for METROLift customers of course it would be free And well talk about that here in a second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So may I ask a question please

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] the METRO bus card -- you know how you put money on the card ndash

gtgt MICHAEL It has fare boxes just like the regular fixed route bus It has loaders so you can load money all the same things that the regular fixed route and rail has these b uses h ave Yes Mr Shaidnagle

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Youre talking about -- I believe i f I understand correctly the bus that picks people up an d y ou cal l them up an d t hey co me close to your house I think thats similar to what they have in D enver So p eople in Denver they get the ride free but here they will still have to pay

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Youre absolutely right Denver has a lot of community connector type service They h ave about 22 d ifferent zones that they o perate in Denver and this kind of mirrors what they are doing If youre a METROLift customer and w ell talk ab out this in a minute were introducing t he Freedom Pass where METROLift customers can ride fixed route and rail for free

So if you live in this zone in the Acres Home area and youre just trying to go to the store or the Wal-Mart you can actually call demand response on the same day and say hey I want to b e picked u p t o g o t o t he Wal-Mart and they will pick you up from your home and take you directly to Wal-Mart and drop you off at the door and p ick y ou u p an d t ake you b ack h ome So i ts a pretty co ol service if you l ive in that area

You can utilize it if you like by using the regular bus service to the Acres Homes Transit Center and then there you can u tilize the service there So t here is different ways you can -- and d ifferent options for you t o act ually u tilize the service You dont have to live in the service but you have to get to the zone to actually use the service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where is the zone at

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gtgt MICHAEL The zone is in the Acres Homes area I dont have the map but if you go on METROs website it talks about it I can get you some more information

gtgt MICHAEL If Im going to Katy whats my best route

gtgt MICHAEL If you want to go to Katy right now the best way to go is you would take a METROLift vehicle to the Addicks Park amp Ride off of I-10 and from there you would either have to take an msp or personal transportation but remember you p ay t he f irst dollar you pay the -- METRO pays the next eight and anything o ver nine dollars you w ould p ick u p

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike on the msp because we get a cab

[INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right And his question was -- is that as soon as you turn the meter on there is already so me fare there And t hats correct because we go b y full meter fare on t he msp ser vice And t hat is regulated b y t he city In t he back Ms Gilkerson

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know if you want to address this right now but ever since some of us came up here to look at your website since youve redone some things there is some new wrinkles that have been ad ded

gtgt MICHAEL Okay we can definitely talk offline about that but we can do that Hilda is here and Im here so we can talk to you about that after the meeting

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Okay yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to offer -- Id b e h appy t o s tay a f ew minutes after the meeting t o h elp w ith t hat since I helped w ith t esting t he new website

gtgt MICHAEL Absolutely Id appreciate that Hes willing t o st ay aft er and answer any q uestions or help

gtgt HILDA Oh okay

gtgt MICHAEL Okay lets move on to the next thing In our last board meeting our METRO board discussed fares As you know this is part of our METROLift Moving Forward initiative that we started three years ago

We went out probably to 13 different outreach meetings to specifically talk about fares We went to an other 26 m eetings where we did an o verview of our METROLift Moving Forward which fares was also t alked ab out

We gathered information TTI took all that information and presented it to the board and there was some recommendations that came down and actually passed at our last board meeting

So I just want to go through those changes with you today to kind of inform you of where were going starting February 1stof 2016 There is going to be some changes to t he fare structure

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So the first thing is our base fare is going to go from 115 to 125 And thats for the service within the ADA service area Thats a three-quarter mile buffer around our fixed route and rail

Also our ten ticket book is not going to be discounted in the same way it was before So with the raise of the fare a new ticket book is going to cost 1250 instead of 975 But were going to give you an extra ticket for free So its basically 10 percent discount So youll get a book of -- youll pay for a book of ten but youll get 11 tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes now when that change starts if you have tickets from the old p rice how long w ill we still be able to u se those tickets

gtgt MICHAEL Until you run out

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Got you

gtgt MICHAEL Now on monthly passes the monthly pass is going to go up to 4725 But the pass is only eligible for ADA service trips So if youre in a three-quarter mile buffer within a fixed route or rail thats when you can utilize your monthly pass

4725 Our annual pass is going to go up to 41850 and thats again for ADA only trips

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How do we know -- [INAUDIBLE]

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gtgt MICHAEL When you call to schedule a ride theyll be able to take a look at it or customer service office can take a look at it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is an ADA

gtgt MICHAEL An ADA trip is a trip that originates and ends within the ADA service area of a three-quarter mile buffer around a fixed route and rail

The next change ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER If you go out of the ADA you have to pay more money or something

gtgt MICHAEL Thats the next thing So the next thing on the list is premium fairs So if you do go outside into our 29 percent of the service area thats outside that fare goes up to 250 So its basically two tickets Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL You wouldnt No the pass will not cover it Thats what I said before The monthly pass only is eligible for ADA trips So you have to buy ticket books to utilize the service outside the ADA service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Did you just say that a book of tickets will have 11

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The annual fare for the pass is 41850 And thats only for ADA trips

Okay ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So in other words youre saying part of the area that you used to cover is not officially ADA

gtgt MICHAEL Correct METRO operates 29 percent outside of the ADA required service area Our service area is 751 square miles The ADA required is only 521

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will we be given a letter that describes which area is which

gtgt MICHAEL Well well have to start working through that Were going to be working with trapeze to identify the customers that are outside the service area And we should have some more information for you on that So were still stepping through that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Say for example are you talking like the area that I work like on Hollister would that qualify as outside the ADA We dont have any buses that go from Tidwell Hollister ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You would have to take a look at it I dont know right off the top of my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Do you know which ones are ADA and which ones are not -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right So well be able to take a look at it All right lets talk about ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will the new METROLift ticket in February have 250 on it

gtgt MICHAEL No It will have 125 and you use two tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know about that area Sometime Ill take METROLift to go to Stanford and I guess the -- Im still new three years Im still learning Houston

Okay would that be considered outside because I dont see a fixed bus route three blocks from where Im going

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gtgt MICHAEL I dont have the map with me So well have to look at it individually Again when you call in well have stuff set up to say whether its inside or outside And that will be the within the next month

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So with my monthly pass Ill have two tickets ndash

gtgt MICHAEL With your monthly pass it wont work So you have to buy tickets So if you buy a pass the monthly pass thats only good for ADA trips Okay

If you decide to go outside the service area the normal service area you would have to buy a book of tickets to actually utilize that service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And give it to the driver and they pick me up within the zone but Im going outside ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Its going to be marked in their box whether its a 250 fare or 125 So theyll know

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question Im wondering -- because it seems to me for some people it might be confusing you know to pay one or two tickets When you guys were making this decision was there any consideration given to just having one rate -- one cost per the tickets like just make the an even 250

Page 17

gtgt MICHAEL There was thought to doing that but what we found is only 11 percent of our trips actually fall outside the service area So we didnt want to put undue burden on the majority of the customers that utilize it just within the service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So the customers that do need to go outside the service area still have the option to do so

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So if the regular METRO bus runs in that area -- that is within

gtgt MICHAEL Yes Lets talk about this I think I may be able to answer a lot of your questions Lets hold the questions until I get through all the different scenarios here

Now we talked about fixed route fare With this new change the board has also said that any METROLift customer that utilizes the fixed route and rail Park amp Ride can utilize the service for free now Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER All right [APPLAUSE]

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats good

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gtgt MICHAEL So again the fare is going up but now everybody has the opportunity to use the fixed route and rail when they can Okay Its an option

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill talk about that in a second

Feeder service -- okay feeder service let me explain what that is Feeder service is -- lets say we pick you up from your home and take you to the -- lets say -- the VA hospital Thats a normal METROLift trip

A feeder service trip would be picking you up from your home lets say on the north side of town and taking you to the bus -- or to the rail service the rail pick up spot at Northline and having you run the rail all the way in and utilize the fixed route service

Then when you come back we pick you up from the Northline Transit Center at the rail platform and take you the rest of the way home Thats what we call feeder service So were looking at providing or offering that as an option for you

So what well do is pick you up from home take you to a METRO facility which is a transit center a bus platform a rail platform and then having you connect with the service there for a discounted rate

So the discounted rate has not been established yet So if the normal fare is 125 maybe its a dollar Okay Or maybe its 60 cents I dont know what that fare is

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going to be but thats something that were looking at So again its another option

The other change that were looking at is an annual increase thats tied to the Social Security And it will be rounded to the nearest five cent mark So if there is an increase in Social Security for that year then METRO -- METRO staff will look at that and adjust the rate accordingly Okay

Now I know over the last couple of years there hasnt been any increase in the Social Security wages Okay So then there would be no change

So thats kind of where we are with the fare implementation And remember this begins February 1st 2016 So up until then were going to be going out to the community talking about it here Making sure that everyone understands whats about to happen and all their different options that they have

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I know [INAUDIBLE] On your website is that correct

gtgt MICHAEL Yes you can schedule ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] buy tickets online

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct Good question His question was he understands now that you can buy METRO fare online We do have an online store through METRO where you can buy tickets and you can buy a monthly pass Not a yearly pass but a monthly pass

Page 20

So again thats going to be more options And basically the way it works is you go in create an account Choose how many tickets you want or how many books of tickets you want You can buy singles or books

You use your account Visa MasterCard bank account and theyll mail it to you within three days Okay So you dont have to go to the grocery store and buy tickets You dont have to go and buy passes It saves you time and money

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Some [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check and see

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there a discount for using it online

gtgt MICHAEL No

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Next question will METROLift service ever go to Galveston Texas

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gtgt MICHAEL I doubt it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its something to think about

gtgt MICHAEL Its something to think about but its Harris County

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ladies and gentlemen can we kind of hold on the questions Well never get to the end if you guys keep interrupting

gtgt MICHAEL So we talked about the Freedom cards Now remember with this new change with the fares every METROLift customer will have free rides on regular fixed route rail and Park amp Ride

Freedom Pass

Now if you do want a Freedom Pass and youre not already grandfathered please call our customer service office and well be able to -- Jackie was it that they --where is Jackie Do they come in or do we mail it to them or how does that work -- the Freedom Pass If you already have a Freedom Pass just give us a call well talk to you on how you get them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is the Freedom Pass

gtgt MICHAEL If youre a METROLift customer then youre able to ride the fixed route and rail for free

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its not the same as a Q Card right The Q Card is different

gtgt MICHAEL Its going to be similar

Okay the next thing well talk about is our no show policy update and sunshine is here to discuss that Thank you

gtgt SUNSHINE Thank you guys for coming out The news is still good Were steadily improving on reducing our [INAUDIBLE] That our clients continue to stay in contact with dispatch about any service concerns Please consider how youre booking your rides planning them and also make sure you check on your status If you have any questions about where your no shows and late cancels are you are always welcome to call the policy administration office

This month has been our lowest month as far as client violations Were down to 19 percent of our total riders for the month of November When the policy began June 2014 I believe we were right around 3 percent Those numbers count Our on-time performance reflects that You guys have noticed the drivers being on time That is because we are working together

We will ask our clients again to please consider how you plan your trip Please make sure you verify details of your trip Please stay in contact with dispatch If you have any questions youre welcome to ask them but again our goal should be to reduce no shows and cancellations

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

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things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

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As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

Page 26

The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

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Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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service The other thing transferring over to METRO is a community connector service That is the service that operates in t he Acres Homes area and b asically i ts a demand r esponse service that anybody can o perate or use on t he same day o r they can cal l in ad vance one day It picks them up from their home as long as they are in that service area and takes them wherever they need to go within that service area

We have two time points -- one is the Acres Home Transit Center and the other is the Wal-Mart on West Road So b asically w e have two b uses running i n t hat area running b ack a nd f orth f or time p oints e very h our So t hats a s ervice t hat again METRO is going to be taking in-house Were going to have a dispatch center housed at 1900 Main but its going to be separate from our METROLift operation So I just wanted to give you an update on that And that takes effect January 1

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike is there a cost to use the service

gtgt MICHAEL Yes its 125 just like regular fixed route and rail but for METROLift customers of course it would be free And well talk about that here in a second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So may I ask a question please

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] the METRO bus card -- you know how you put money on the card ndash

gtgt MICHAEL It has fare boxes just like the regular fixed route bus It has loaders so you can load money all the same things that the regular fixed route and rail has these b uses h ave Yes Mr Shaidnagle

Page 9

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Youre talking about -- I believe i f I understand correctly the bus that picks people up an d y ou cal l them up an d t hey co me close to your house I think thats similar to what they have in D enver So p eople in Denver they get the ride free but here they will still have to pay

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Youre absolutely right Denver has a lot of community connector type service They h ave about 22 d ifferent zones that they o perate in Denver and this kind of mirrors what they are doing If youre a METROLift customer and w ell talk ab out this in a minute were introducing t he Freedom Pass where METROLift customers can ride fixed route and rail for free

So if you live in this zone in the Acres Home area and youre just trying to go to the store or the Wal-Mart you can actually call demand response on the same day and say hey I want to b e picked u p t o g o t o t he Wal-Mart and they will pick you up from your home and take you directly to Wal-Mart and drop you off at the door and p ick y ou u p an d t ake you b ack h ome So i ts a pretty co ol service if you l ive in that area

You can utilize it if you like by using the regular bus service to the Acres Homes Transit Center and then there you can u tilize the service there So t here is different ways you can -- and d ifferent options for you t o act ually u tilize the service You dont have to live in the service but you have to get to the zone to actually use the service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where is the zone at

Page 10

gtgt MICHAEL The zone is in the Acres Homes area I dont have the map but if you go on METROs website it talks about it I can get you some more information

gtgt MICHAEL If Im going to Katy whats my best route

gtgt MICHAEL If you want to go to Katy right now the best way to go is you would take a METROLift vehicle to the Addicks Park amp Ride off of I-10 and from there you would either have to take an msp or personal transportation but remember you p ay t he f irst dollar you pay the -- METRO pays the next eight and anything o ver nine dollars you w ould p ick u p

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike on the msp because we get a cab

[INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right And his question was -- is that as soon as you turn the meter on there is already so me fare there And t hats correct because we go b y full meter fare on t he msp ser vice And t hat is regulated b y t he city In t he back Ms Gilkerson

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know if you want to address this right now but ever since some of us came up here to look at your website since youve redone some things there is some new wrinkles that have been ad ded

gtgt MICHAEL Okay we can definitely talk offline about that but we can do that Hilda is here and Im here so we can talk to you about that after the meeting

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Okay yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to offer -- Id b e h appy t o s tay a f ew minutes after the meeting t o h elp w ith t hat since I helped w ith t esting t he new website

gtgt MICHAEL Absolutely Id appreciate that Hes willing t o st ay aft er and answer any q uestions or help

gtgt HILDA Oh okay

gtgt MICHAEL Okay lets move on to the next thing In our last board meeting our METRO board discussed fares As you know this is part of our METROLift Moving Forward initiative that we started three years ago

We went out probably to 13 different outreach meetings to specifically talk about fares We went to an other 26 m eetings where we did an o verview of our METROLift Moving Forward which fares was also t alked ab out

We gathered information TTI took all that information and presented it to the board and there was some recommendations that came down and actually passed at our last board meeting

So I just want to go through those changes with you today to kind of inform you of where were going starting February 1stof 2016 There is going to be some changes to t he fare structure

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So the first thing is our base fare is going to go from 115 to 125 And thats for the service within the ADA service area Thats a three-quarter mile buffer around our fixed route and rail

Also our ten ticket book is not going to be discounted in the same way it was before So with the raise of the fare a new ticket book is going to cost 1250 instead of 975 But were going to give you an extra ticket for free So its basically 10 percent discount So youll get a book of -- youll pay for a book of ten but youll get 11 tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes now when that change starts if you have tickets from the old p rice how long w ill we still be able to u se those tickets

gtgt MICHAEL Until you run out

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Got you

gtgt MICHAEL Now on monthly passes the monthly pass is going to go up to 4725 But the pass is only eligible for ADA service trips So if youre in a three-quarter mile buffer within a fixed route or rail thats when you can utilize your monthly pass

4725 Our annual pass is going to go up to 41850 and thats again for ADA only trips

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How do we know -- [INAUDIBLE]

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gtgt MICHAEL When you call to schedule a ride theyll be able to take a look at it or customer service office can take a look at it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is an ADA

gtgt MICHAEL An ADA trip is a trip that originates and ends within the ADA service area of a three-quarter mile buffer around a fixed route and rail

The next change ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER If you go out of the ADA you have to pay more money or something

gtgt MICHAEL Thats the next thing So the next thing on the list is premium fairs So if you do go outside into our 29 percent of the service area thats outside that fare goes up to 250 So its basically two tickets Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL You wouldnt No the pass will not cover it Thats what I said before The monthly pass only is eligible for ADA trips So you have to buy ticket books to utilize the service outside the ADA service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Did you just say that a book of tickets will have 11

Page 14

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The annual fare for the pass is 41850 And thats only for ADA trips

Okay ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So in other words youre saying part of the area that you used to cover is not officially ADA

gtgt MICHAEL Correct METRO operates 29 percent outside of the ADA required service area Our service area is 751 square miles The ADA required is only 521

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will we be given a letter that describes which area is which

gtgt MICHAEL Well well have to start working through that Were going to be working with trapeze to identify the customers that are outside the service area And we should have some more information for you on that So were still stepping through that

Page 15

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Say for example are you talking like the area that I work like on Hollister would that qualify as outside the ADA We dont have any buses that go from Tidwell Hollister ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You would have to take a look at it I dont know right off the top of my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Do you know which ones are ADA and which ones are not -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right So well be able to take a look at it All right lets talk about ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will the new METROLift ticket in February have 250 on it

gtgt MICHAEL No It will have 125 and you use two tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know about that area Sometime Ill take METROLift to go to Stanford and I guess the -- Im still new three years Im still learning Houston

Okay would that be considered outside because I dont see a fixed bus route three blocks from where Im going

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gtgt MICHAEL I dont have the map with me So well have to look at it individually Again when you call in well have stuff set up to say whether its inside or outside And that will be the within the next month

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So with my monthly pass Ill have two tickets ndash

gtgt MICHAEL With your monthly pass it wont work So you have to buy tickets So if you buy a pass the monthly pass thats only good for ADA trips Okay

If you decide to go outside the service area the normal service area you would have to buy a book of tickets to actually utilize that service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And give it to the driver and they pick me up within the zone but Im going outside ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Its going to be marked in their box whether its a 250 fare or 125 So theyll know

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question Im wondering -- because it seems to me for some people it might be confusing you know to pay one or two tickets When you guys were making this decision was there any consideration given to just having one rate -- one cost per the tickets like just make the an even 250

Page 17

gtgt MICHAEL There was thought to doing that but what we found is only 11 percent of our trips actually fall outside the service area So we didnt want to put undue burden on the majority of the customers that utilize it just within the service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So the customers that do need to go outside the service area still have the option to do so

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So if the regular METRO bus runs in that area -- that is within

gtgt MICHAEL Yes Lets talk about this I think I may be able to answer a lot of your questions Lets hold the questions until I get through all the different scenarios here

Now we talked about fixed route fare With this new change the board has also said that any METROLift customer that utilizes the fixed route and rail Park amp Ride can utilize the service for free now Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER All right [APPLAUSE]

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats good

Page 18

gtgt MICHAEL So again the fare is going up but now everybody has the opportunity to use the fixed route and rail when they can Okay Its an option

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill talk about that in a second

Feeder service -- okay feeder service let me explain what that is Feeder service is -- lets say we pick you up from your home and take you to the -- lets say -- the VA hospital Thats a normal METROLift trip

A feeder service trip would be picking you up from your home lets say on the north side of town and taking you to the bus -- or to the rail service the rail pick up spot at Northline and having you run the rail all the way in and utilize the fixed route service

Then when you come back we pick you up from the Northline Transit Center at the rail platform and take you the rest of the way home Thats what we call feeder service So were looking at providing or offering that as an option for you

So what well do is pick you up from home take you to a METRO facility which is a transit center a bus platform a rail platform and then having you connect with the service there for a discounted rate

So the discounted rate has not been established yet So if the normal fare is 125 maybe its a dollar Okay Or maybe its 60 cents I dont know what that fare is

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going to be but thats something that were looking at So again its another option

The other change that were looking at is an annual increase thats tied to the Social Security And it will be rounded to the nearest five cent mark So if there is an increase in Social Security for that year then METRO -- METRO staff will look at that and adjust the rate accordingly Okay

Now I know over the last couple of years there hasnt been any increase in the Social Security wages Okay So then there would be no change

So thats kind of where we are with the fare implementation And remember this begins February 1st 2016 So up until then were going to be going out to the community talking about it here Making sure that everyone understands whats about to happen and all their different options that they have

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I know [INAUDIBLE] On your website is that correct

gtgt MICHAEL Yes you can schedule ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] buy tickets online

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct Good question His question was he understands now that you can buy METRO fare online We do have an online store through METRO where you can buy tickets and you can buy a monthly pass Not a yearly pass but a monthly pass

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So again thats going to be more options And basically the way it works is you go in create an account Choose how many tickets you want or how many books of tickets you want You can buy singles or books

You use your account Visa MasterCard bank account and theyll mail it to you within three days Okay So you dont have to go to the grocery store and buy tickets You dont have to go and buy passes It saves you time and money

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Some [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check and see

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there a discount for using it online

gtgt MICHAEL No

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Next question will METROLift service ever go to Galveston Texas

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gtgt MICHAEL I doubt it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its something to think about

gtgt MICHAEL Its something to think about but its Harris County

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ladies and gentlemen can we kind of hold on the questions Well never get to the end if you guys keep interrupting

gtgt MICHAEL So we talked about the Freedom cards Now remember with this new change with the fares every METROLift customer will have free rides on regular fixed route rail and Park amp Ride

Freedom Pass

Now if you do want a Freedom Pass and youre not already grandfathered please call our customer service office and well be able to -- Jackie was it that they --where is Jackie Do they come in or do we mail it to them or how does that work -- the Freedom Pass If you already have a Freedom Pass just give us a call well talk to you on how you get them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is the Freedom Pass

gtgt MICHAEL If youre a METROLift customer then youre able to ride the fixed route and rail for free

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its not the same as a Q Card right The Q Card is different

gtgt MICHAEL Its going to be similar

Okay the next thing well talk about is our no show policy update and sunshine is here to discuss that Thank you

gtgt SUNSHINE Thank you guys for coming out The news is still good Were steadily improving on reducing our [INAUDIBLE] That our clients continue to stay in contact with dispatch about any service concerns Please consider how youre booking your rides planning them and also make sure you check on your status If you have any questions about where your no shows and late cancels are you are always welcome to call the policy administration office

This month has been our lowest month as far as client violations Were down to 19 percent of our total riders for the month of November When the policy began June 2014 I believe we were right around 3 percent Those numbers count Our on-time performance reflects that You guys have noticed the drivers being on time That is because we are working together

We will ask our clients again to please consider how you plan your trip Please make sure you verify details of your trip Please stay in contact with dispatch If you have any questions youre welcome to ask them but again our goal should be to reduce no shows and cancellations

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

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things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

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As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

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The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

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Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

Page 35

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

Page 46

sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Youre talking about -- I believe i f I understand correctly the bus that picks people up an d y ou cal l them up an d t hey co me close to your house I think thats similar to what they have in D enver So p eople in Denver they get the ride free but here they will still have to pay

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Youre absolutely right Denver has a lot of community connector type service They h ave about 22 d ifferent zones that they o perate in Denver and this kind of mirrors what they are doing If youre a METROLift customer and w ell talk ab out this in a minute were introducing t he Freedom Pass where METROLift customers can ride fixed route and rail for free

So if you live in this zone in the Acres Home area and youre just trying to go to the store or the Wal-Mart you can actually call demand response on the same day and say hey I want to b e picked u p t o g o t o t he Wal-Mart and they will pick you up from your home and take you directly to Wal-Mart and drop you off at the door and p ick y ou u p an d t ake you b ack h ome So i ts a pretty co ol service if you l ive in that area

You can utilize it if you like by using the regular bus service to the Acres Homes Transit Center and then there you can u tilize the service there So t here is different ways you can -- and d ifferent options for you t o act ually u tilize the service You dont have to live in the service but you have to get to the zone to actually use the service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where is the zone at

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gtgt MICHAEL The zone is in the Acres Homes area I dont have the map but if you go on METROs website it talks about it I can get you some more information

gtgt MICHAEL If Im going to Katy whats my best route

gtgt MICHAEL If you want to go to Katy right now the best way to go is you would take a METROLift vehicle to the Addicks Park amp Ride off of I-10 and from there you would either have to take an msp or personal transportation but remember you p ay t he f irst dollar you pay the -- METRO pays the next eight and anything o ver nine dollars you w ould p ick u p

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike on the msp because we get a cab

[INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right And his question was -- is that as soon as you turn the meter on there is already so me fare there And t hats correct because we go b y full meter fare on t he msp ser vice And t hat is regulated b y t he city In t he back Ms Gilkerson

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know if you want to address this right now but ever since some of us came up here to look at your website since youve redone some things there is some new wrinkles that have been ad ded

gtgt MICHAEL Okay we can definitely talk offline about that but we can do that Hilda is here and Im here so we can talk to you about that after the meeting

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Okay yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to offer -- Id b e h appy t o s tay a f ew minutes after the meeting t o h elp w ith t hat since I helped w ith t esting t he new website

gtgt MICHAEL Absolutely Id appreciate that Hes willing t o st ay aft er and answer any q uestions or help

gtgt HILDA Oh okay

gtgt MICHAEL Okay lets move on to the next thing In our last board meeting our METRO board discussed fares As you know this is part of our METROLift Moving Forward initiative that we started three years ago

We went out probably to 13 different outreach meetings to specifically talk about fares We went to an other 26 m eetings where we did an o verview of our METROLift Moving Forward which fares was also t alked ab out

We gathered information TTI took all that information and presented it to the board and there was some recommendations that came down and actually passed at our last board meeting

So I just want to go through those changes with you today to kind of inform you of where were going starting February 1stof 2016 There is going to be some changes to t he fare structure

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So the first thing is our base fare is going to go from 115 to 125 And thats for the service within the ADA service area Thats a three-quarter mile buffer around our fixed route and rail

Also our ten ticket book is not going to be discounted in the same way it was before So with the raise of the fare a new ticket book is going to cost 1250 instead of 975 But were going to give you an extra ticket for free So its basically 10 percent discount So youll get a book of -- youll pay for a book of ten but youll get 11 tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes now when that change starts if you have tickets from the old p rice how long w ill we still be able to u se those tickets

gtgt MICHAEL Until you run out

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Got you

gtgt MICHAEL Now on monthly passes the monthly pass is going to go up to 4725 But the pass is only eligible for ADA service trips So if youre in a three-quarter mile buffer within a fixed route or rail thats when you can utilize your monthly pass

4725 Our annual pass is going to go up to 41850 and thats again for ADA only trips

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How do we know -- [INAUDIBLE]

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gtgt MICHAEL When you call to schedule a ride theyll be able to take a look at it or customer service office can take a look at it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is an ADA

gtgt MICHAEL An ADA trip is a trip that originates and ends within the ADA service area of a three-quarter mile buffer around a fixed route and rail

The next change ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER If you go out of the ADA you have to pay more money or something

gtgt MICHAEL Thats the next thing So the next thing on the list is premium fairs So if you do go outside into our 29 percent of the service area thats outside that fare goes up to 250 So its basically two tickets Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL You wouldnt No the pass will not cover it Thats what I said before The monthly pass only is eligible for ADA trips So you have to buy ticket books to utilize the service outside the ADA service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Did you just say that a book of tickets will have 11

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The annual fare for the pass is 41850 And thats only for ADA trips

Okay ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So in other words youre saying part of the area that you used to cover is not officially ADA

gtgt MICHAEL Correct METRO operates 29 percent outside of the ADA required service area Our service area is 751 square miles The ADA required is only 521

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will we be given a letter that describes which area is which

gtgt MICHAEL Well well have to start working through that Were going to be working with trapeze to identify the customers that are outside the service area And we should have some more information for you on that So were still stepping through that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Say for example are you talking like the area that I work like on Hollister would that qualify as outside the ADA We dont have any buses that go from Tidwell Hollister ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You would have to take a look at it I dont know right off the top of my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Do you know which ones are ADA and which ones are not -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right So well be able to take a look at it All right lets talk about ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will the new METROLift ticket in February have 250 on it

gtgt MICHAEL No It will have 125 and you use two tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know about that area Sometime Ill take METROLift to go to Stanford and I guess the -- Im still new three years Im still learning Houston

Okay would that be considered outside because I dont see a fixed bus route three blocks from where Im going

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gtgt MICHAEL I dont have the map with me So well have to look at it individually Again when you call in well have stuff set up to say whether its inside or outside And that will be the within the next month

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So with my monthly pass Ill have two tickets ndash

gtgt MICHAEL With your monthly pass it wont work So you have to buy tickets So if you buy a pass the monthly pass thats only good for ADA trips Okay

If you decide to go outside the service area the normal service area you would have to buy a book of tickets to actually utilize that service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And give it to the driver and they pick me up within the zone but Im going outside ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Its going to be marked in their box whether its a 250 fare or 125 So theyll know

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question Im wondering -- because it seems to me for some people it might be confusing you know to pay one or two tickets When you guys were making this decision was there any consideration given to just having one rate -- one cost per the tickets like just make the an even 250

Page 17

gtgt MICHAEL There was thought to doing that but what we found is only 11 percent of our trips actually fall outside the service area So we didnt want to put undue burden on the majority of the customers that utilize it just within the service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So the customers that do need to go outside the service area still have the option to do so

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So if the regular METRO bus runs in that area -- that is within

gtgt MICHAEL Yes Lets talk about this I think I may be able to answer a lot of your questions Lets hold the questions until I get through all the different scenarios here

Now we talked about fixed route fare With this new change the board has also said that any METROLift customer that utilizes the fixed route and rail Park amp Ride can utilize the service for free now Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER All right [APPLAUSE]

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats good

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gtgt MICHAEL So again the fare is going up but now everybody has the opportunity to use the fixed route and rail when they can Okay Its an option

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill talk about that in a second

Feeder service -- okay feeder service let me explain what that is Feeder service is -- lets say we pick you up from your home and take you to the -- lets say -- the VA hospital Thats a normal METROLift trip

A feeder service trip would be picking you up from your home lets say on the north side of town and taking you to the bus -- or to the rail service the rail pick up spot at Northline and having you run the rail all the way in and utilize the fixed route service

Then when you come back we pick you up from the Northline Transit Center at the rail platform and take you the rest of the way home Thats what we call feeder service So were looking at providing or offering that as an option for you

So what well do is pick you up from home take you to a METRO facility which is a transit center a bus platform a rail platform and then having you connect with the service there for a discounted rate

So the discounted rate has not been established yet So if the normal fare is 125 maybe its a dollar Okay Or maybe its 60 cents I dont know what that fare is

Page 19

going to be but thats something that were looking at So again its another option

The other change that were looking at is an annual increase thats tied to the Social Security And it will be rounded to the nearest five cent mark So if there is an increase in Social Security for that year then METRO -- METRO staff will look at that and adjust the rate accordingly Okay

Now I know over the last couple of years there hasnt been any increase in the Social Security wages Okay So then there would be no change

So thats kind of where we are with the fare implementation And remember this begins February 1st 2016 So up until then were going to be going out to the community talking about it here Making sure that everyone understands whats about to happen and all their different options that they have

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I know [INAUDIBLE] On your website is that correct

gtgt MICHAEL Yes you can schedule ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] buy tickets online

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct Good question His question was he understands now that you can buy METRO fare online We do have an online store through METRO where you can buy tickets and you can buy a monthly pass Not a yearly pass but a monthly pass

Page 20

So again thats going to be more options And basically the way it works is you go in create an account Choose how many tickets you want or how many books of tickets you want You can buy singles or books

You use your account Visa MasterCard bank account and theyll mail it to you within three days Okay So you dont have to go to the grocery store and buy tickets You dont have to go and buy passes It saves you time and money

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Some [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check and see

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there a discount for using it online

gtgt MICHAEL No

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Next question will METROLift service ever go to Galveston Texas

Page 21

gtgt MICHAEL I doubt it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its something to think about

gtgt MICHAEL Its something to think about but its Harris County

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ladies and gentlemen can we kind of hold on the questions Well never get to the end if you guys keep interrupting

gtgt MICHAEL So we talked about the Freedom cards Now remember with this new change with the fares every METROLift customer will have free rides on regular fixed route rail and Park amp Ride

Freedom Pass

Now if you do want a Freedom Pass and youre not already grandfathered please call our customer service office and well be able to -- Jackie was it that they --where is Jackie Do they come in or do we mail it to them or how does that work -- the Freedom Pass If you already have a Freedom Pass just give us a call well talk to you on how you get them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is the Freedom Pass

gtgt MICHAEL If youre a METROLift customer then youre able to ride the fixed route and rail for free

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its not the same as a Q Card right The Q Card is different

gtgt MICHAEL Its going to be similar

Okay the next thing well talk about is our no show policy update and sunshine is here to discuss that Thank you

gtgt SUNSHINE Thank you guys for coming out The news is still good Were steadily improving on reducing our [INAUDIBLE] That our clients continue to stay in contact with dispatch about any service concerns Please consider how youre booking your rides planning them and also make sure you check on your status If you have any questions about where your no shows and late cancels are you are always welcome to call the policy administration office

This month has been our lowest month as far as client violations Were down to 19 percent of our total riders for the month of November When the policy began June 2014 I believe we were right around 3 percent Those numbers count Our on-time performance reflects that You guys have noticed the drivers being on time That is because we are working together

We will ask our clients again to please consider how you plan your trip Please make sure you verify details of your trip Please stay in contact with dispatch If you have any questions youre welcome to ask them but again our goal should be to reduce no shows and cancellations

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

Page 24

things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

Page 25

As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

Page 26

The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

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Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

Page 28

categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

Page 29

gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

Page 30

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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gtgt MICHAEL The zone is in the Acres Homes area I dont have the map but if you go on METROs website it talks about it I can get you some more information

gtgt MICHAEL If Im going to Katy whats my best route

gtgt MICHAEL If you want to go to Katy right now the best way to go is you would take a METROLift vehicle to the Addicks Park amp Ride off of I-10 and from there you would either have to take an msp or personal transportation but remember you p ay t he f irst dollar you pay the -- METRO pays the next eight and anything o ver nine dollars you w ould p ick u p

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike on the msp because we get a cab

[INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right And his question was -- is that as soon as you turn the meter on there is already so me fare there And t hats correct because we go b y full meter fare on t he msp ser vice And t hat is regulated b y t he city In t he back Ms Gilkerson

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know if you want to address this right now but ever since some of us came up here to look at your website since youve redone some things there is some new wrinkles that have been ad ded

gtgt MICHAEL Okay we can definitely talk offline about that but we can do that Hilda is here and Im here so we can talk to you about that after the meeting

Page 11

Okay yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to offer -- Id b e h appy t o s tay a f ew minutes after the meeting t o h elp w ith t hat since I helped w ith t esting t he new website

gtgt MICHAEL Absolutely Id appreciate that Hes willing t o st ay aft er and answer any q uestions or help

gtgt HILDA Oh okay

gtgt MICHAEL Okay lets move on to the next thing In our last board meeting our METRO board discussed fares As you know this is part of our METROLift Moving Forward initiative that we started three years ago

We went out probably to 13 different outreach meetings to specifically talk about fares We went to an other 26 m eetings where we did an o verview of our METROLift Moving Forward which fares was also t alked ab out

We gathered information TTI took all that information and presented it to the board and there was some recommendations that came down and actually passed at our last board meeting

So I just want to go through those changes with you today to kind of inform you of where were going starting February 1stof 2016 There is going to be some changes to t he fare structure

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So the first thing is our base fare is going to go from 115 to 125 And thats for the service within the ADA service area Thats a three-quarter mile buffer around our fixed route and rail

Also our ten ticket book is not going to be discounted in the same way it was before So with the raise of the fare a new ticket book is going to cost 1250 instead of 975 But were going to give you an extra ticket for free So its basically 10 percent discount So youll get a book of -- youll pay for a book of ten but youll get 11 tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes now when that change starts if you have tickets from the old p rice how long w ill we still be able to u se those tickets

gtgt MICHAEL Until you run out

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Got you

gtgt MICHAEL Now on monthly passes the monthly pass is going to go up to 4725 But the pass is only eligible for ADA service trips So if youre in a three-quarter mile buffer within a fixed route or rail thats when you can utilize your monthly pass

4725 Our annual pass is going to go up to 41850 and thats again for ADA only trips

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How do we know -- [INAUDIBLE]

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gtgt MICHAEL When you call to schedule a ride theyll be able to take a look at it or customer service office can take a look at it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is an ADA

gtgt MICHAEL An ADA trip is a trip that originates and ends within the ADA service area of a three-quarter mile buffer around a fixed route and rail

The next change ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER If you go out of the ADA you have to pay more money or something

gtgt MICHAEL Thats the next thing So the next thing on the list is premium fairs So if you do go outside into our 29 percent of the service area thats outside that fare goes up to 250 So its basically two tickets Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL You wouldnt No the pass will not cover it Thats what I said before The monthly pass only is eligible for ADA trips So you have to buy ticket books to utilize the service outside the ADA service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Did you just say that a book of tickets will have 11

Page 14

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The annual fare for the pass is 41850 And thats only for ADA trips

Okay ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So in other words youre saying part of the area that you used to cover is not officially ADA

gtgt MICHAEL Correct METRO operates 29 percent outside of the ADA required service area Our service area is 751 square miles The ADA required is only 521

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will we be given a letter that describes which area is which

gtgt MICHAEL Well well have to start working through that Were going to be working with trapeze to identify the customers that are outside the service area And we should have some more information for you on that So were still stepping through that

Page 15

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Say for example are you talking like the area that I work like on Hollister would that qualify as outside the ADA We dont have any buses that go from Tidwell Hollister ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You would have to take a look at it I dont know right off the top of my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Do you know which ones are ADA and which ones are not -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right So well be able to take a look at it All right lets talk about ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will the new METROLift ticket in February have 250 on it

gtgt MICHAEL No It will have 125 and you use two tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know about that area Sometime Ill take METROLift to go to Stanford and I guess the -- Im still new three years Im still learning Houston

Okay would that be considered outside because I dont see a fixed bus route three blocks from where Im going

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gtgt MICHAEL I dont have the map with me So well have to look at it individually Again when you call in well have stuff set up to say whether its inside or outside And that will be the within the next month

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So with my monthly pass Ill have two tickets ndash

gtgt MICHAEL With your monthly pass it wont work So you have to buy tickets So if you buy a pass the monthly pass thats only good for ADA trips Okay

If you decide to go outside the service area the normal service area you would have to buy a book of tickets to actually utilize that service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And give it to the driver and they pick me up within the zone but Im going outside ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Its going to be marked in their box whether its a 250 fare or 125 So theyll know

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question Im wondering -- because it seems to me for some people it might be confusing you know to pay one or two tickets When you guys were making this decision was there any consideration given to just having one rate -- one cost per the tickets like just make the an even 250

Page 17

gtgt MICHAEL There was thought to doing that but what we found is only 11 percent of our trips actually fall outside the service area So we didnt want to put undue burden on the majority of the customers that utilize it just within the service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So the customers that do need to go outside the service area still have the option to do so

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So if the regular METRO bus runs in that area -- that is within

gtgt MICHAEL Yes Lets talk about this I think I may be able to answer a lot of your questions Lets hold the questions until I get through all the different scenarios here

Now we talked about fixed route fare With this new change the board has also said that any METROLift customer that utilizes the fixed route and rail Park amp Ride can utilize the service for free now Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER All right [APPLAUSE]

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats good

Page 18

gtgt MICHAEL So again the fare is going up but now everybody has the opportunity to use the fixed route and rail when they can Okay Its an option

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill talk about that in a second

Feeder service -- okay feeder service let me explain what that is Feeder service is -- lets say we pick you up from your home and take you to the -- lets say -- the VA hospital Thats a normal METROLift trip

A feeder service trip would be picking you up from your home lets say on the north side of town and taking you to the bus -- or to the rail service the rail pick up spot at Northline and having you run the rail all the way in and utilize the fixed route service

Then when you come back we pick you up from the Northline Transit Center at the rail platform and take you the rest of the way home Thats what we call feeder service So were looking at providing or offering that as an option for you

So what well do is pick you up from home take you to a METRO facility which is a transit center a bus platform a rail platform and then having you connect with the service there for a discounted rate

So the discounted rate has not been established yet So if the normal fare is 125 maybe its a dollar Okay Or maybe its 60 cents I dont know what that fare is

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going to be but thats something that were looking at So again its another option

The other change that were looking at is an annual increase thats tied to the Social Security And it will be rounded to the nearest five cent mark So if there is an increase in Social Security for that year then METRO -- METRO staff will look at that and adjust the rate accordingly Okay

Now I know over the last couple of years there hasnt been any increase in the Social Security wages Okay So then there would be no change

So thats kind of where we are with the fare implementation And remember this begins February 1st 2016 So up until then were going to be going out to the community talking about it here Making sure that everyone understands whats about to happen and all their different options that they have

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I know [INAUDIBLE] On your website is that correct

gtgt MICHAEL Yes you can schedule ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] buy tickets online

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct Good question His question was he understands now that you can buy METRO fare online We do have an online store through METRO where you can buy tickets and you can buy a monthly pass Not a yearly pass but a monthly pass

Page 20

So again thats going to be more options And basically the way it works is you go in create an account Choose how many tickets you want or how many books of tickets you want You can buy singles or books

You use your account Visa MasterCard bank account and theyll mail it to you within three days Okay So you dont have to go to the grocery store and buy tickets You dont have to go and buy passes It saves you time and money

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Some [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check and see

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there a discount for using it online

gtgt MICHAEL No

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Next question will METROLift service ever go to Galveston Texas

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gtgt MICHAEL I doubt it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its something to think about

gtgt MICHAEL Its something to think about but its Harris County

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ladies and gentlemen can we kind of hold on the questions Well never get to the end if you guys keep interrupting

gtgt MICHAEL So we talked about the Freedom cards Now remember with this new change with the fares every METROLift customer will have free rides on regular fixed route rail and Park amp Ride

Freedom Pass

Now if you do want a Freedom Pass and youre not already grandfathered please call our customer service office and well be able to -- Jackie was it that they --where is Jackie Do they come in or do we mail it to them or how does that work -- the Freedom Pass If you already have a Freedom Pass just give us a call well talk to you on how you get them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is the Freedom Pass

gtgt MICHAEL If youre a METROLift customer then youre able to ride the fixed route and rail for free

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its not the same as a Q Card right The Q Card is different

gtgt MICHAEL Its going to be similar

Okay the next thing well talk about is our no show policy update and sunshine is here to discuss that Thank you

gtgt SUNSHINE Thank you guys for coming out The news is still good Were steadily improving on reducing our [INAUDIBLE] That our clients continue to stay in contact with dispatch about any service concerns Please consider how youre booking your rides planning them and also make sure you check on your status If you have any questions about where your no shows and late cancels are you are always welcome to call the policy administration office

This month has been our lowest month as far as client violations Were down to 19 percent of our total riders for the month of November When the policy began June 2014 I believe we were right around 3 percent Those numbers count Our on-time performance reflects that You guys have noticed the drivers being on time That is because we are working together

We will ask our clients again to please consider how you plan your trip Please make sure you verify details of your trip Please stay in contact with dispatch If you have any questions youre welcome to ask them but again our goal should be to reduce no shows and cancellations

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

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things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

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As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

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The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

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Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

Page 35

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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Okay yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to offer -- Id b e h appy t o s tay a f ew minutes after the meeting t o h elp w ith t hat since I helped w ith t esting t he new website

gtgt MICHAEL Absolutely Id appreciate that Hes willing t o st ay aft er and answer any q uestions or help

gtgt HILDA Oh okay

gtgt MICHAEL Okay lets move on to the next thing In our last board meeting our METRO board discussed fares As you know this is part of our METROLift Moving Forward initiative that we started three years ago

We went out probably to 13 different outreach meetings to specifically talk about fares We went to an other 26 m eetings where we did an o verview of our METROLift Moving Forward which fares was also t alked ab out

We gathered information TTI took all that information and presented it to the board and there was some recommendations that came down and actually passed at our last board meeting

So I just want to go through those changes with you today to kind of inform you of where were going starting February 1stof 2016 There is going to be some changes to t he fare structure

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So the first thing is our base fare is going to go from 115 to 125 And thats for the service within the ADA service area Thats a three-quarter mile buffer around our fixed route and rail

Also our ten ticket book is not going to be discounted in the same way it was before So with the raise of the fare a new ticket book is going to cost 1250 instead of 975 But were going to give you an extra ticket for free So its basically 10 percent discount So youll get a book of -- youll pay for a book of ten but youll get 11 tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes now when that change starts if you have tickets from the old p rice how long w ill we still be able to u se those tickets

gtgt MICHAEL Until you run out

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Got you

gtgt MICHAEL Now on monthly passes the monthly pass is going to go up to 4725 But the pass is only eligible for ADA service trips So if youre in a three-quarter mile buffer within a fixed route or rail thats when you can utilize your monthly pass

4725 Our annual pass is going to go up to 41850 and thats again for ADA only trips

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How do we know -- [INAUDIBLE]

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gtgt MICHAEL When you call to schedule a ride theyll be able to take a look at it or customer service office can take a look at it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is an ADA

gtgt MICHAEL An ADA trip is a trip that originates and ends within the ADA service area of a three-quarter mile buffer around a fixed route and rail

The next change ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER If you go out of the ADA you have to pay more money or something

gtgt MICHAEL Thats the next thing So the next thing on the list is premium fairs So if you do go outside into our 29 percent of the service area thats outside that fare goes up to 250 So its basically two tickets Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL You wouldnt No the pass will not cover it Thats what I said before The monthly pass only is eligible for ADA trips So you have to buy ticket books to utilize the service outside the ADA service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Did you just say that a book of tickets will have 11

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The annual fare for the pass is 41850 And thats only for ADA trips

Okay ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So in other words youre saying part of the area that you used to cover is not officially ADA

gtgt MICHAEL Correct METRO operates 29 percent outside of the ADA required service area Our service area is 751 square miles The ADA required is only 521

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will we be given a letter that describes which area is which

gtgt MICHAEL Well well have to start working through that Were going to be working with trapeze to identify the customers that are outside the service area And we should have some more information for you on that So were still stepping through that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Say for example are you talking like the area that I work like on Hollister would that qualify as outside the ADA We dont have any buses that go from Tidwell Hollister ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You would have to take a look at it I dont know right off the top of my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Do you know which ones are ADA and which ones are not -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right So well be able to take a look at it All right lets talk about ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will the new METROLift ticket in February have 250 on it

gtgt MICHAEL No It will have 125 and you use two tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know about that area Sometime Ill take METROLift to go to Stanford and I guess the -- Im still new three years Im still learning Houston

Okay would that be considered outside because I dont see a fixed bus route three blocks from where Im going

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gtgt MICHAEL I dont have the map with me So well have to look at it individually Again when you call in well have stuff set up to say whether its inside or outside And that will be the within the next month

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So with my monthly pass Ill have two tickets ndash

gtgt MICHAEL With your monthly pass it wont work So you have to buy tickets So if you buy a pass the monthly pass thats only good for ADA trips Okay

If you decide to go outside the service area the normal service area you would have to buy a book of tickets to actually utilize that service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And give it to the driver and they pick me up within the zone but Im going outside ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Its going to be marked in their box whether its a 250 fare or 125 So theyll know

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question Im wondering -- because it seems to me for some people it might be confusing you know to pay one or two tickets When you guys were making this decision was there any consideration given to just having one rate -- one cost per the tickets like just make the an even 250

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gtgt MICHAEL There was thought to doing that but what we found is only 11 percent of our trips actually fall outside the service area So we didnt want to put undue burden on the majority of the customers that utilize it just within the service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So the customers that do need to go outside the service area still have the option to do so

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So if the regular METRO bus runs in that area -- that is within

gtgt MICHAEL Yes Lets talk about this I think I may be able to answer a lot of your questions Lets hold the questions until I get through all the different scenarios here

Now we talked about fixed route fare With this new change the board has also said that any METROLift customer that utilizes the fixed route and rail Park amp Ride can utilize the service for free now Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER All right [APPLAUSE]

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats good

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gtgt MICHAEL So again the fare is going up but now everybody has the opportunity to use the fixed route and rail when they can Okay Its an option

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill talk about that in a second

Feeder service -- okay feeder service let me explain what that is Feeder service is -- lets say we pick you up from your home and take you to the -- lets say -- the VA hospital Thats a normal METROLift trip

A feeder service trip would be picking you up from your home lets say on the north side of town and taking you to the bus -- or to the rail service the rail pick up spot at Northline and having you run the rail all the way in and utilize the fixed route service

Then when you come back we pick you up from the Northline Transit Center at the rail platform and take you the rest of the way home Thats what we call feeder service So were looking at providing or offering that as an option for you

So what well do is pick you up from home take you to a METRO facility which is a transit center a bus platform a rail platform and then having you connect with the service there for a discounted rate

So the discounted rate has not been established yet So if the normal fare is 125 maybe its a dollar Okay Or maybe its 60 cents I dont know what that fare is

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going to be but thats something that were looking at So again its another option

The other change that were looking at is an annual increase thats tied to the Social Security And it will be rounded to the nearest five cent mark So if there is an increase in Social Security for that year then METRO -- METRO staff will look at that and adjust the rate accordingly Okay

Now I know over the last couple of years there hasnt been any increase in the Social Security wages Okay So then there would be no change

So thats kind of where we are with the fare implementation And remember this begins February 1st 2016 So up until then were going to be going out to the community talking about it here Making sure that everyone understands whats about to happen and all their different options that they have

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I know [INAUDIBLE] On your website is that correct

gtgt MICHAEL Yes you can schedule ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] buy tickets online

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct Good question His question was he understands now that you can buy METRO fare online We do have an online store through METRO where you can buy tickets and you can buy a monthly pass Not a yearly pass but a monthly pass

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So again thats going to be more options And basically the way it works is you go in create an account Choose how many tickets you want or how many books of tickets you want You can buy singles or books

You use your account Visa MasterCard bank account and theyll mail it to you within three days Okay So you dont have to go to the grocery store and buy tickets You dont have to go and buy passes It saves you time and money

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Some [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check and see

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there a discount for using it online

gtgt MICHAEL No

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Next question will METROLift service ever go to Galveston Texas

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gtgt MICHAEL I doubt it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its something to think about

gtgt MICHAEL Its something to think about but its Harris County

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ladies and gentlemen can we kind of hold on the questions Well never get to the end if you guys keep interrupting

gtgt MICHAEL So we talked about the Freedom cards Now remember with this new change with the fares every METROLift customer will have free rides on regular fixed route rail and Park amp Ride

Freedom Pass

Now if you do want a Freedom Pass and youre not already grandfathered please call our customer service office and well be able to -- Jackie was it that they --where is Jackie Do they come in or do we mail it to them or how does that work -- the Freedom Pass If you already have a Freedom Pass just give us a call well talk to you on how you get them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is the Freedom Pass

gtgt MICHAEL If youre a METROLift customer then youre able to ride the fixed route and rail for free

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its not the same as a Q Card right The Q Card is different

gtgt MICHAEL Its going to be similar

Okay the next thing well talk about is our no show policy update and sunshine is here to discuss that Thank you

gtgt SUNSHINE Thank you guys for coming out The news is still good Were steadily improving on reducing our [INAUDIBLE] That our clients continue to stay in contact with dispatch about any service concerns Please consider how youre booking your rides planning them and also make sure you check on your status If you have any questions about where your no shows and late cancels are you are always welcome to call the policy administration office

This month has been our lowest month as far as client violations Were down to 19 percent of our total riders for the month of November When the policy began June 2014 I believe we were right around 3 percent Those numbers count Our on-time performance reflects that You guys have noticed the drivers being on time That is because we are working together

We will ask our clients again to please consider how you plan your trip Please make sure you verify details of your trip Please stay in contact with dispatch If you have any questions youre welcome to ask them but again our goal should be to reduce no shows and cancellations

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

Page 24

things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

Page 25

As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

Page 26

The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

Page 27

Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

Page 30

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

Page 34

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

Page 35

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

Page 37

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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So the first thing is our base fare is going to go from 115 to 125 And thats for the service within the ADA service area Thats a three-quarter mile buffer around our fixed route and rail

Also our ten ticket book is not going to be discounted in the same way it was before So with the raise of the fare a new ticket book is going to cost 1250 instead of 975 But were going to give you an extra ticket for free So its basically 10 percent discount So youll get a book of -- youll pay for a book of ten but youll get 11 tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes now when that change starts if you have tickets from the old p rice how long w ill we still be able to u se those tickets

gtgt MICHAEL Until you run out

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Got you

gtgt MICHAEL Now on monthly passes the monthly pass is going to go up to 4725 But the pass is only eligible for ADA service trips So if youre in a three-quarter mile buffer within a fixed route or rail thats when you can utilize your monthly pass

4725 Our annual pass is going to go up to 41850 and thats again for ADA only trips

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How do we know -- [INAUDIBLE]

Page 13

gtgt MICHAEL When you call to schedule a ride theyll be able to take a look at it or customer service office can take a look at it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is an ADA

gtgt MICHAEL An ADA trip is a trip that originates and ends within the ADA service area of a three-quarter mile buffer around a fixed route and rail

The next change ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER If you go out of the ADA you have to pay more money or something

gtgt MICHAEL Thats the next thing So the next thing on the list is premium fairs So if you do go outside into our 29 percent of the service area thats outside that fare goes up to 250 So its basically two tickets Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL You wouldnt No the pass will not cover it Thats what I said before The monthly pass only is eligible for ADA trips So you have to buy ticket books to utilize the service outside the ADA service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Did you just say that a book of tickets will have 11

Page 14

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The annual fare for the pass is 41850 And thats only for ADA trips

Okay ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So in other words youre saying part of the area that you used to cover is not officially ADA

gtgt MICHAEL Correct METRO operates 29 percent outside of the ADA required service area Our service area is 751 square miles The ADA required is only 521

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will we be given a letter that describes which area is which

gtgt MICHAEL Well well have to start working through that Were going to be working with trapeze to identify the customers that are outside the service area And we should have some more information for you on that So were still stepping through that

Page 15

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Say for example are you talking like the area that I work like on Hollister would that qualify as outside the ADA We dont have any buses that go from Tidwell Hollister ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You would have to take a look at it I dont know right off the top of my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Do you know which ones are ADA and which ones are not -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right So well be able to take a look at it All right lets talk about ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will the new METROLift ticket in February have 250 on it

gtgt MICHAEL No It will have 125 and you use two tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know about that area Sometime Ill take METROLift to go to Stanford and I guess the -- Im still new three years Im still learning Houston

Okay would that be considered outside because I dont see a fixed bus route three blocks from where Im going

Page 16

gtgt MICHAEL I dont have the map with me So well have to look at it individually Again when you call in well have stuff set up to say whether its inside or outside And that will be the within the next month

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So with my monthly pass Ill have two tickets ndash

gtgt MICHAEL With your monthly pass it wont work So you have to buy tickets So if you buy a pass the monthly pass thats only good for ADA trips Okay

If you decide to go outside the service area the normal service area you would have to buy a book of tickets to actually utilize that service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And give it to the driver and they pick me up within the zone but Im going outside ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Its going to be marked in their box whether its a 250 fare or 125 So theyll know

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question Im wondering -- because it seems to me for some people it might be confusing you know to pay one or two tickets When you guys were making this decision was there any consideration given to just having one rate -- one cost per the tickets like just make the an even 250

Page 17

gtgt MICHAEL There was thought to doing that but what we found is only 11 percent of our trips actually fall outside the service area So we didnt want to put undue burden on the majority of the customers that utilize it just within the service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So the customers that do need to go outside the service area still have the option to do so

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So if the regular METRO bus runs in that area -- that is within

gtgt MICHAEL Yes Lets talk about this I think I may be able to answer a lot of your questions Lets hold the questions until I get through all the different scenarios here

Now we talked about fixed route fare With this new change the board has also said that any METROLift customer that utilizes the fixed route and rail Park amp Ride can utilize the service for free now Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER All right [APPLAUSE]

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats good

Page 18

gtgt MICHAEL So again the fare is going up but now everybody has the opportunity to use the fixed route and rail when they can Okay Its an option

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill talk about that in a second

Feeder service -- okay feeder service let me explain what that is Feeder service is -- lets say we pick you up from your home and take you to the -- lets say -- the VA hospital Thats a normal METROLift trip

A feeder service trip would be picking you up from your home lets say on the north side of town and taking you to the bus -- or to the rail service the rail pick up spot at Northline and having you run the rail all the way in and utilize the fixed route service

Then when you come back we pick you up from the Northline Transit Center at the rail platform and take you the rest of the way home Thats what we call feeder service So were looking at providing or offering that as an option for you

So what well do is pick you up from home take you to a METRO facility which is a transit center a bus platform a rail platform and then having you connect with the service there for a discounted rate

So the discounted rate has not been established yet So if the normal fare is 125 maybe its a dollar Okay Or maybe its 60 cents I dont know what that fare is

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going to be but thats something that were looking at So again its another option

The other change that were looking at is an annual increase thats tied to the Social Security And it will be rounded to the nearest five cent mark So if there is an increase in Social Security for that year then METRO -- METRO staff will look at that and adjust the rate accordingly Okay

Now I know over the last couple of years there hasnt been any increase in the Social Security wages Okay So then there would be no change

So thats kind of where we are with the fare implementation And remember this begins February 1st 2016 So up until then were going to be going out to the community talking about it here Making sure that everyone understands whats about to happen and all their different options that they have

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I know [INAUDIBLE] On your website is that correct

gtgt MICHAEL Yes you can schedule ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] buy tickets online

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct Good question His question was he understands now that you can buy METRO fare online We do have an online store through METRO where you can buy tickets and you can buy a monthly pass Not a yearly pass but a monthly pass

Page 20

So again thats going to be more options And basically the way it works is you go in create an account Choose how many tickets you want or how many books of tickets you want You can buy singles or books

You use your account Visa MasterCard bank account and theyll mail it to you within three days Okay So you dont have to go to the grocery store and buy tickets You dont have to go and buy passes It saves you time and money

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Some [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check and see

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there a discount for using it online

gtgt MICHAEL No

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Next question will METROLift service ever go to Galveston Texas

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gtgt MICHAEL I doubt it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its something to think about

gtgt MICHAEL Its something to think about but its Harris County

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ladies and gentlemen can we kind of hold on the questions Well never get to the end if you guys keep interrupting

gtgt MICHAEL So we talked about the Freedom cards Now remember with this new change with the fares every METROLift customer will have free rides on regular fixed route rail and Park amp Ride

Freedom Pass

Now if you do want a Freedom Pass and youre not already grandfathered please call our customer service office and well be able to -- Jackie was it that they --where is Jackie Do they come in or do we mail it to them or how does that work -- the Freedom Pass If you already have a Freedom Pass just give us a call well talk to you on how you get them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is the Freedom Pass

gtgt MICHAEL If youre a METROLift customer then youre able to ride the fixed route and rail for free

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its not the same as a Q Card right The Q Card is different

gtgt MICHAEL Its going to be similar

Okay the next thing well talk about is our no show policy update and sunshine is here to discuss that Thank you

gtgt SUNSHINE Thank you guys for coming out The news is still good Were steadily improving on reducing our [INAUDIBLE] That our clients continue to stay in contact with dispatch about any service concerns Please consider how youre booking your rides planning them and also make sure you check on your status If you have any questions about where your no shows and late cancels are you are always welcome to call the policy administration office

This month has been our lowest month as far as client violations Were down to 19 percent of our total riders for the month of November When the policy began June 2014 I believe we were right around 3 percent Those numbers count Our on-time performance reflects that You guys have noticed the drivers being on time That is because we are working together

We will ask our clients again to please consider how you plan your trip Please make sure you verify details of your trip Please stay in contact with dispatch If you have any questions youre welcome to ask them but again our goal should be to reduce no shows and cancellations

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

Page 24

things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

Page 25

As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

Page 26

The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

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Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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gtgt MICHAEL When you call to schedule a ride theyll be able to take a look at it or customer service office can take a look at it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is an ADA

gtgt MICHAEL An ADA trip is a trip that originates and ends within the ADA service area of a three-quarter mile buffer around a fixed route and rail

The next change ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER If you go out of the ADA you have to pay more money or something

gtgt MICHAEL Thats the next thing So the next thing on the list is premium fairs So if you do go outside into our 29 percent of the service area thats outside that fare goes up to 250 So its basically two tickets Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER How [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL You wouldnt No the pass will not cover it Thats what I said before The monthly pass only is eligible for ADA trips So you have to buy ticket books to utilize the service outside the ADA service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Did you just say that a book of tickets will have 11

Page 14

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The annual fare for the pass is 41850 And thats only for ADA trips

Okay ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So in other words youre saying part of the area that you used to cover is not officially ADA

gtgt MICHAEL Correct METRO operates 29 percent outside of the ADA required service area Our service area is 751 square miles The ADA required is only 521

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will we be given a letter that describes which area is which

gtgt MICHAEL Well well have to start working through that Were going to be working with trapeze to identify the customers that are outside the service area And we should have some more information for you on that So were still stepping through that

Page 15

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Say for example are you talking like the area that I work like on Hollister would that qualify as outside the ADA We dont have any buses that go from Tidwell Hollister ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You would have to take a look at it I dont know right off the top of my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Do you know which ones are ADA and which ones are not -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right So well be able to take a look at it All right lets talk about ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will the new METROLift ticket in February have 250 on it

gtgt MICHAEL No It will have 125 and you use two tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know about that area Sometime Ill take METROLift to go to Stanford and I guess the -- Im still new three years Im still learning Houston

Okay would that be considered outside because I dont see a fixed bus route three blocks from where Im going

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gtgt MICHAEL I dont have the map with me So well have to look at it individually Again when you call in well have stuff set up to say whether its inside or outside And that will be the within the next month

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So with my monthly pass Ill have two tickets ndash

gtgt MICHAEL With your monthly pass it wont work So you have to buy tickets So if you buy a pass the monthly pass thats only good for ADA trips Okay

If you decide to go outside the service area the normal service area you would have to buy a book of tickets to actually utilize that service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And give it to the driver and they pick me up within the zone but Im going outside ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Its going to be marked in their box whether its a 250 fare or 125 So theyll know

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question Im wondering -- because it seems to me for some people it might be confusing you know to pay one or two tickets When you guys were making this decision was there any consideration given to just having one rate -- one cost per the tickets like just make the an even 250

Page 17

gtgt MICHAEL There was thought to doing that but what we found is only 11 percent of our trips actually fall outside the service area So we didnt want to put undue burden on the majority of the customers that utilize it just within the service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So the customers that do need to go outside the service area still have the option to do so

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So if the regular METRO bus runs in that area -- that is within

gtgt MICHAEL Yes Lets talk about this I think I may be able to answer a lot of your questions Lets hold the questions until I get through all the different scenarios here

Now we talked about fixed route fare With this new change the board has also said that any METROLift customer that utilizes the fixed route and rail Park amp Ride can utilize the service for free now Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER All right [APPLAUSE]

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats good

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gtgt MICHAEL So again the fare is going up but now everybody has the opportunity to use the fixed route and rail when they can Okay Its an option

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill talk about that in a second

Feeder service -- okay feeder service let me explain what that is Feeder service is -- lets say we pick you up from your home and take you to the -- lets say -- the VA hospital Thats a normal METROLift trip

A feeder service trip would be picking you up from your home lets say on the north side of town and taking you to the bus -- or to the rail service the rail pick up spot at Northline and having you run the rail all the way in and utilize the fixed route service

Then when you come back we pick you up from the Northline Transit Center at the rail platform and take you the rest of the way home Thats what we call feeder service So were looking at providing or offering that as an option for you

So what well do is pick you up from home take you to a METRO facility which is a transit center a bus platform a rail platform and then having you connect with the service there for a discounted rate

So the discounted rate has not been established yet So if the normal fare is 125 maybe its a dollar Okay Or maybe its 60 cents I dont know what that fare is

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going to be but thats something that were looking at So again its another option

The other change that were looking at is an annual increase thats tied to the Social Security And it will be rounded to the nearest five cent mark So if there is an increase in Social Security for that year then METRO -- METRO staff will look at that and adjust the rate accordingly Okay

Now I know over the last couple of years there hasnt been any increase in the Social Security wages Okay So then there would be no change

So thats kind of where we are with the fare implementation And remember this begins February 1st 2016 So up until then were going to be going out to the community talking about it here Making sure that everyone understands whats about to happen and all their different options that they have

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I know [INAUDIBLE] On your website is that correct

gtgt MICHAEL Yes you can schedule ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] buy tickets online

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct Good question His question was he understands now that you can buy METRO fare online We do have an online store through METRO where you can buy tickets and you can buy a monthly pass Not a yearly pass but a monthly pass

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So again thats going to be more options And basically the way it works is you go in create an account Choose how many tickets you want or how many books of tickets you want You can buy singles or books

You use your account Visa MasterCard bank account and theyll mail it to you within three days Okay So you dont have to go to the grocery store and buy tickets You dont have to go and buy passes It saves you time and money

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Some [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check and see

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there a discount for using it online

gtgt MICHAEL No

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Next question will METROLift service ever go to Galveston Texas

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gtgt MICHAEL I doubt it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its something to think about

gtgt MICHAEL Its something to think about but its Harris County

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ladies and gentlemen can we kind of hold on the questions Well never get to the end if you guys keep interrupting

gtgt MICHAEL So we talked about the Freedom cards Now remember with this new change with the fares every METROLift customer will have free rides on regular fixed route rail and Park amp Ride

Freedom Pass

Now if you do want a Freedom Pass and youre not already grandfathered please call our customer service office and well be able to -- Jackie was it that they --where is Jackie Do they come in or do we mail it to them or how does that work -- the Freedom Pass If you already have a Freedom Pass just give us a call well talk to you on how you get them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is the Freedom Pass

gtgt MICHAEL If youre a METROLift customer then youre able to ride the fixed route and rail for free

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its not the same as a Q Card right The Q Card is different

gtgt MICHAEL Its going to be similar

Okay the next thing well talk about is our no show policy update and sunshine is here to discuss that Thank you

gtgt SUNSHINE Thank you guys for coming out The news is still good Were steadily improving on reducing our [INAUDIBLE] That our clients continue to stay in contact with dispatch about any service concerns Please consider how youre booking your rides planning them and also make sure you check on your status If you have any questions about where your no shows and late cancels are you are always welcome to call the policy administration office

This month has been our lowest month as far as client violations Were down to 19 percent of our total riders for the month of November When the policy began June 2014 I believe we were right around 3 percent Those numbers count Our on-time performance reflects that You guys have noticed the drivers being on time That is because we are working together

We will ask our clients again to please consider how you plan your trip Please make sure you verify details of your trip Please stay in contact with dispatch If you have any questions youre welcome to ask them but again our goal should be to reduce no shows and cancellations

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

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things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

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As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

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The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

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Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The annual fare for the pass is 41850 And thats only for ADA trips

Okay ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So in other words youre saying part of the area that you used to cover is not officially ADA

gtgt MICHAEL Correct METRO operates 29 percent outside of the ADA required service area Our service area is 751 square miles The ADA required is only 521

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will we be given a letter that describes which area is which

gtgt MICHAEL Well well have to start working through that Were going to be working with trapeze to identify the customers that are outside the service area And we should have some more information for you on that So were still stepping through that

Page 15

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Say for example are you talking like the area that I work like on Hollister would that qualify as outside the ADA We dont have any buses that go from Tidwell Hollister ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You would have to take a look at it I dont know right off the top of my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Do you know which ones are ADA and which ones are not -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right So well be able to take a look at it All right lets talk about ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will the new METROLift ticket in February have 250 on it

gtgt MICHAEL No It will have 125 and you use two tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know about that area Sometime Ill take METROLift to go to Stanford and I guess the -- Im still new three years Im still learning Houston

Okay would that be considered outside because I dont see a fixed bus route three blocks from where Im going

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gtgt MICHAEL I dont have the map with me So well have to look at it individually Again when you call in well have stuff set up to say whether its inside or outside And that will be the within the next month

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So with my monthly pass Ill have two tickets ndash

gtgt MICHAEL With your monthly pass it wont work So you have to buy tickets So if you buy a pass the monthly pass thats only good for ADA trips Okay

If you decide to go outside the service area the normal service area you would have to buy a book of tickets to actually utilize that service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And give it to the driver and they pick me up within the zone but Im going outside ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Its going to be marked in their box whether its a 250 fare or 125 So theyll know

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question Im wondering -- because it seems to me for some people it might be confusing you know to pay one or two tickets When you guys were making this decision was there any consideration given to just having one rate -- one cost per the tickets like just make the an even 250

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gtgt MICHAEL There was thought to doing that but what we found is only 11 percent of our trips actually fall outside the service area So we didnt want to put undue burden on the majority of the customers that utilize it just within the service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So the customers that do need to go outside the service area still have the option to do so

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So if the regular METRO bus runs in that area -- that is within

gtgt MICHAEL Yes Lets talk about this I think I may be able to answer a lot of your questions Lets hold the questions until I get through all the different scenarios here

Now we talked about fixed route fare With this new change the board has also said that any METROLift customer that utilizes the fixed route and rail Park amp Ride can utilize the service for free now Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER All right [APPLAUSE]

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats good

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gtgt MICHAEL So again the fare is going up but now everybody has the opportunity to use the fixed route and rail when they can Okay Its an option

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill talk about that in a second

Feeder service -- okay feeder service let me explain what that is Feeder service is -- lets say we pick you up from your home and take you to the -- lets say -- the VA hospital Thats a normal METROLift trip

A feeder service trip would be picking you up from your home lets say on the north side of town and taking you to the bus -- or to the rail service the rail pick up spot at Northline and having you run the rail all the way in and utilize the fixed route service

Then when you come back we pick you up from the Northline Transit Center at the rail platform and take you the rest of the way home Thats what we call feeder service So were looking at providing or offering that as an option for you

So what well do is pick you up from home take you to a METRO facility which is a transit center a bus platform a rail platform and then having you connect with the service there for a discounted rate

So the discounted rate has not been established yet So if the normal fare is 125 maybe its a dollar Okay Or maybe its 60 cents I dont know what that fare is

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going to be but thats something that were looking at So again its another option

The other change that were looking at is an annual increase thats tied to the Social Security And it will be rounded to the nearest five cent mark So if there is an increase in Social Security for that year then METRO -- METRO staff will look at that and adjust the rate accordingly Okay

Now I know over the last couple of years there hasnt been any increase in the Social Security wages Okay So then there would be no change

So thats kind of where we are with the fare implementation And remember this begins February 1st 2016 So up until then were going to be going out to the community talking about it here Making sure that everyone understands whats about to happen and all their different options that they have

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I know [INAUDIBLE] On your website is that correct

gtgt MICHAEL Yes you can schedule ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] buy tickets online

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct Good question His question was he understands now that you can buy METRO fare online We do have an online store through METRO where you can buy tickets and you can buy a monthly pass Not a yearly pass but a monthly pass

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So again thats going to be more options And basically the way it works is you go in create an account Choose how many tickets you want or how many books of tickets you want You can buy singles or books

You use your account Visa MasterCard bank account and theyll mail it to you within three days Okay So you dont have to go to the grocery store and buy tickets You dont have to go and buy passes It saves you time and money

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Some [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check and see

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there a discount for using it online

gtgt MICHAEL No

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Next question will METROLift service ever go to Galveston Texas

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gtgt MICHAEL I doubt it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its something to think about

gtgt MICHAEL Its something to think about but its Harris County

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ladies and gentlemen can we kind of hold on the questions Well never get to the end if you guys keep interrupting

gtgt MICHAEL So we talked about the Freedom cards Now remember with this new change with the fares every METROLift customer will have free rides on regular fixed route rail and Park amp Ride

Freedom Pass

Now if you do want a Freedom Pass and youre not already grandfathered please call our customer service office and well be able to -- Jackie was it that they --where is Jackie Do they come in or do we mail it to them or how does that work -- the Freedom Pass If you already have a Freedom Pass just give us a call well talk to you on how you get them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is the Freedom Pass

gtgt MICHAEL If youre a METROLift customer then youre able to ride the fixed route and rail for free

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its not the same as a Q Card right The Q Card is different

gtgt MICHAEL Its going to be similar

Okay the next thing well talk about is our no show policy update and sunshine is here to discuss that Thank you

gtgt SUNSHINE Thank you guys for coming out The news is still good Were steadily improving on reducing our [INAUDIBLE] That our clients continue to stay in contact with dispatch about any service concerns Please consider how youre booking your rides planning them and also make sure you check on your status If you have any questions about where your no shows and late cancels are you are always welcome to call the policy administration office

This month has been our lowest month as far as client violations Were down to 19 percent of our total riders for the month of November When the policy began June 2014 I believe we were right around 3 percent Those numbers count Our on-time performance reflects that You guys have noticed the drivers being on time That is because we are working together

We will ask our clients again to please consider how you plan your trip Please make sure you verify details of your trip Please stay in contact with dispatch If you have any questions youre welcome to ask them but again our goal should be to reduce no shows and cancellations

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

Page 24

things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

Page 25

As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

Page 26

The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

Page 27

Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

Page 28

categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

Page 29

gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

Page 30

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

Page 31

The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

Page 34

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

Page 35

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

Page 37

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

Page 38

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Say for example are you talking like the area that I work like on Hollister would that qualify as outside the ADA We dont have any buses that go from Tidwell Hollister ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You would have to take a look at it I dont know right off the top of my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Do you know which ones are ADA and which ones are not -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right So well be able to take a look at it All right lets talk about ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will the new METROLift ticket in February have 250 on it

gtgt MICHAEL No It will have 125 and you use two tickets

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I dont know about that area Sometime Ill take METROLift to go to Stanford and I guess the -- Im still new three years Im still learning Houston

Okay would that be considered outside because I dont see a fixed bus route three blocks from where Im going

Page 16

gtgt MICHAEL I dont have the map with me So well have to look at it individually Again when you call in well have stuff set up to say whether its inside or outside And that will be the within the next month

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So with my monthly pass Ill have two tickets ndash

gtgt MICHAEL With your monthly pass it wont work So you have to buy tickets So if you buy a pass the monthly pass thats only good for ADA trips Okay

If you decide to go outside the service area the normal service area you would have to buy a book of tickets to actually utilize that service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And give it to the driver and they pick me up within the zone but Im going outside ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Its going to be marked in their box whether its a 250 fare or 125 So theyll know

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question Im wondering -- because it seems to me for some people it might be confusing you know to pay one or two tickets When you guys were making this decision was there any consideration given to just having one rate -- one cost per the tickets like just make the an even 250

Page 17

gtgt MICHAEL There was thought to doing that but what we found is only 11 percent of our trips actually fall outside the service area So we didnt want to put undue burden on the majority of the customers that utilize it just within the service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So the customers that do need to go outside the service area still have the option to do so

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So if the regular METRO bus runs in that area -- that is within

gtgt MICHAEL Yes Lets talk about this I think I may be able to answer a lot of your questions Lets hold the questions until I get through all the different scenarios here

Now we talked about fixed route fare With this new change the board has also said that any METROLift customer that utilizes the fixed route and rail Park amp Ride can utilize the service for free now Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER All right [APPLAUSE]

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats good

Page 18

gtgt MICHAEL So again the fare is going up but now everybody has the opportunity to use the fixed route and rail when they can Okay Its an option

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill talk about that in a second

Feeder service -- okay feeder service let me explain what that is Feeder service is -- lets say we pick you up from your home and take you to the -- lets say -- the VA hospital Thats a normal METROLift trip

A feeder service trip would be picking you up from your home lets say on the north side of town and taking you to the bus -- or to the rail service the rail pick up spot at Northline and having you run the rail all the way in and utilize the fixed route service

Then when you come back we pick you up from the Northline Transit Center at the rail platform and take you the rest of the way home Thats what we call feeder service So were looking at providing or offering that as an option for you

So what well do is pick you up from home take you to a METRO facility which is a transit center a bus platform a rail platform and then having you connect with the service there for a discounted rate

So the discounted rate has not been established yet So if the normal fare is 125 maybe its a dollar Okay Or maybe its 60 cents I dont know what that fare is

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going to be but thats something that were looking at So again its another option

The other change that were looking at is an annual increase thats tied to the Social Security And it will be rounded to the nearest five cent mark So if there is an increase in Social Security for that year then METRO -- METRO staff will look at that and adjust the rate accordingly Okay

Now I know over the last couple of years there hasnt been any increase in the Social Security wages Okay So then there would be no change

So thats kind of where we are with the fare implementation And remember this begins February 1st 2016 So up until then were going to be going out to the community talking about it here Making sure that everyone understands whats about to happen and all their different options that they have

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I know [INAUDIBLE] On your website is that correct

gtgt MICHAEL Yes you can schedule ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] buy tickets online

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct Good question His question was he understands now that you can buy METRO fare online We do have an online store through METRO where you can buy tickets and you can buy a monthly pass Not a yearly pass but a monthly pass

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So again thats going to be more options And basically the way it works is you go in create an account Choose how many tickets you want or how many books of tickets you want You can buy singles or books

You use your account Visa MasterCard bank account and theyll mail it to you within three days Okay So you dont have to go to the grocery store and buy tickets You dont have to go and buy passes It saves you time and money

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Some [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check and see

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there a discount for using it online

gtgt MICHAEL No

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Next question will METROLift service ever go to Galveston Texas

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gtgt MICHAEL I doubt it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its something to think about

gtgt MICHAEL Its something to think about but its Harris County

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ladies and gentlemen can we kind of hold on the questions Well never get to the end if you guys keep interrupting

gtgt MICHAEL So we talked about the Freedom cards Now remember with this new change with the fares every METROLift customer will have free rides on regular fixed route rail and Park amp Ride

Freedom Pass

Now if you do want a Freedom Pass and youre not already grandfathered please call our customer service office and well be able to -- Jackie was it that they --where is Jackie Do they come in or do we mail it to them or how does that work -- the Freedom Pass If you already have a Freedom Pass just give us a call well talk to you on how you get them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is the Freedom Pass

gtgt MICHAEL If youre a METROLift customer then youre able to ride the fixed route and rail for free

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its not the same as a Q Card right The Q Card is different

gtgt MICHAEL Its going to be similar

Okay the next thing well talk about is our no show policy update and sunshine is here to discuss that Thank you

gtgt SUNSHINE Thank you guys for coming out The news is still good Were steadily improving on reducing our [INAUDIBLE] That our clients continue to stay in contact with dispatch about any service concerns Please consider how youre booking your rides planning them and also make sure you check on your status If you have any questions about where your no shows and late cancels are you are always welcome to call the policy administration office

This month has been our lowest month as far as client violations Were down to 19 percent of our total riders for the month of November When the policy began June 2014 I believe we were right around 3 percent Those numbers count Our on-time performance reflects that You guys have noticed the drivers being on time That is because we are working together

We will ask our clients again to please consider how you plan your trip Please make sure you verify details of your trip Please stay in contact with dispatch If you have any questions youre welcome to ask them but again our goal should be to reduce no shows and cancellations

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

Page 24

things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

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As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

Page 26

The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

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Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

Page 44

And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

Page 46

sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

Page 48

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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gtgt MICHAEL I dont have the map with me So well have to look at it individually Again when you call in well have stuff set up to say whether its inside or outside And that will be the within the next month

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So with my monthly pass Ill have two tickets ndash

gtgt MICHAEL With your monthly pass it wont work So you have to buy tickets So if you buy a pass the monthly pass thats only good for ADA trips Okay

If you decide to go outside the service area the normal service area you would have to buy a book of tickets to actually utilize that service

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And give it to the driver and they pick me up within the zone but Im going outside ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Correct Its going to be marked in their box whether its a 250 fare or 125 So theyll know

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question Im wondering -- because it seems to me for some people it might be confusing you know to pay one or two tickets When you guys were making this decision was there any consideration given to just having one rate -- one cost per the tickets like just make the an even 250

Page 17

gtgt MICHAEL There was thought to doing that but what we found is only 11 percent of our trips actually fall outside the service area So we didnt want to put undue burden on the majority of the customers that utilize it just within the service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So the customers that do need to go outside the service area still have the option to do so

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So if the regular METRO bus runs in that area -- that is within

gtgt MICHAEL Yes Lets talk about this I think I may be able to answer a lot of your questions Lets hold the questions until I get through all the different scenarios here

Now we talked about fixed route fare With this new change the board has also said that any METROLift customer that utilizes the fixed route and rail Park amp Ride can utilize the service for free now Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER All right [APPLAUSE]

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats good

Page 18

gtgt MICHAEL So again the fare is going up but now everybody has the opportunity to use the fixed route and rail when they can Okay Its an option

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill talk about that in a second

Feeder service -- okay feeder service let me explain what that is Feeder service is -- lets say we pick you up from your home and take you to the -- lets say -- the VA hospital Thats a normal METROLift trip

A feeder service trip would be picking you up from your home lets say on the north side of town and taking you to the bus -- or to the rail service the rail pick up spot at Northline and having you run the rail all the way in and utilize the fixed route service

Then when you come back we pick you up from the Northline Transit Center at the rail platform and take you the rest of the way home Thats what we call feeder service So were looking at providing or offering that as an option for you

So what well do is pick you up from home take you to a METRO facility which is a transit center a bus platform a rail platform and then having you connect with the service there for a discounted rate

So the discounted rate has not been established yet So if the normal fare is 125 maybe its a dollar Okay Or maybe its 60 cents I dont know what that fare is

Page 19

going to be but thats something that were looking at So again its another option

The other change that were looking at is an annual increase thats tied to the Social Security And it will be rounded to the nearest five cent mark So if there is an increase in Social Security for that year then METRO -- METRO staff will look at that and adjust the rate accordingly Okay

Now I know over the last couple of years there hasnt been any increase in the Social Security wages Okay So then there would be no change

So thats kind of where we are with the fare implementation And remember this begins February 1st 2016 So up until then were going to be going out to the community talking about it here Making sure that everyone understands whats about to happen and all their different options that they have

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I know [INAUDIBLE] On your website is that correct

gtgt MICHAEL Yes you can schedule ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] buy tickets online

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct Good question His question was he understands now that you can buy METRO fare online We do have an online store through METRO where you can buy tickets and you can buy a monthly pass Not a yearly pass but a monthly pass

Page 20

So again thats going to be more options And basically the way it works is you go in create an account Choose how many tickets you want or how many books of tickets you want You can buy singles or books

You use your account Visa MasterCard bank account and theyll mail it to you within three days Okay So you dont have to go to the grocery store and buy tickets You dont have to go and buy passes It saves you time and money

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Some [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check and see

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there a discount for using it online

gtgt MICHAEL No

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Next question will METROLift service ever go to Galveston Texas

Page 21

gtgt MICHAEL I doubt it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its something to think about

gtgt MICHAEL Its something to think about but its Harris County

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ladies and gentlemen can we kind of hold on the questions Well never get to the end if you guys keep interrupting

gtgt MICHAEL So we talked about the Freedom cards Now remember with this new change with the fares every METROLift customer will have free rides on regular fixed route rail and Park amp Ride

Freedom Pass

Now if you do want a Freedom Pass and youre not already grandfathered please call our customer service office and well be able to -- Jackie was it that they --where is Jackie Do they come in or do we mail it to them or how does that work -- the Freedom Pass If you already have a Freedom Pass just give us a call well talk to you on how you get them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is the Freedom Pass

gtgt MICHAEL If youre a METROLift customer then youre able to ride the fixed route and rail for free

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its not the same as a Q Card right The Q Card is different

gtgt MICHAEL Its going to be similar

Okay the next thing well talk about is our no show policy update and sunshine is here to discuss that Thank you

gtgt SUNSHINE Thank you guys for coming out The news is still good Were steadily improving on reducing our [INAUDIBLE] That our clients continue to stay in contact with dispatch about any service concerns Please consider how youre booking your rides planning them and also make sure you check on your status If you have any questions about where your no shows and late cancels are you are always welcome to call the policy administration office

This month has been our lowest month as far as client violations Were down to 19 percent of our total riders for the month of November When the policy began June 2014 I believe we were right around 3 percent Those numbers count Our on-time performance reflects that You guys have noticed the drivers being on time That is because we are working together

We will ask our clients again to please consider how you plan your trip Please make sure you verify details of your trip Please stay in contact with dispatch If you have any questions youre welcome to ask them but again our goal should be to reduce no shows and cancellations

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

Page 24

things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

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As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

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The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

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Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

Page 35

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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gtgt MICHAEL There was thought to doing that but what we found is only 11 percent of our trips actually fall outside the service area So we didnt want to put undue burden on the majority of the customers that utilize it just within the service area

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay

gtgt MICHAEL So the customers that do need to go outside the service area still have the option to do so

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So if the regular METRO bus runs in that area -- that is within

gtgt MICHAEL Yes Lets talk about this I think I may be able to answer a lot of your questions Lets hold the questions until I get through all the different scenarios here

Now we talked about fixed route fare With this new change the board has also said that any METROLift customer that utilizes the fixed route and rail Park amp Ride can utilize the service for free now Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER All right [APPLAUSE]

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats good

Page 18

gtgt MICHAEL So again the fare is going up but now everybody has the opportunity to use the fixed route and rail when they can Okay Its an option

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill talk about that in a second

Feeder service -- okay feeder service let me explain what that is Feeder service is -- lets say we pick you up from your home and take you to the -- lets say -- the VA hospital Thats a normal METROLift trip

A feeder service trip would be picking you up from your home lets say on the north side of town and taking you to the bus -- or to the rail service the rail pick up spot at Northline and having you run the rail all the way in and utilize the fixed route service

Then when you come back we pick you up from the Northline Transit Center at the rail platform and take you the rest of the way home Thats what we call feeder service So were looking at providing or offering that as an option for you

So what well do is pick you up from home take you to a METRO facility which is a transit center a bus platform a rail platform and then having you connect with the service there for a discounted rate

So the discounted rate has not been established yet So if the normal fare is 125 maybe its a dollar Okay Or maybe its 60 cents I dont know what that fare is

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going to be but thats something that were looking at So again its another option

The other change that were looking at is an annual increase thats tied to the Social Security And it will be rounded to the nearest five cent mark So if there is an increase in Social Security for that year then METRO -- METRO staff will look at that and adjust the rate accordingly Okay

Now I know over the last couple of years there hasnt been any increase in the Social Security wages Okay So then there would be no change

So thats kind of where we are with the fare implementation And remember this begins February 1st 2016 So up until then were going to be going out to the community talking about it here Making sure that everyone understands whats about to happen and all their different options that they have

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I know [INAUDIBLE] On your website is that correct

gtgt MICHAEL Yes you can schedule ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] buy tickets online

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct Good question His question was he understands now that you can buy METRO fare online We do have an online store through METRO where you can buy tickets and you can buy a monthly pass Not a yearly pass but a monthly pass

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So again thats going to be more options And basically the way it works is you go in create an account Choose how many tickets you want or how many books of tickets you want You can buy singles or books

You use your account Visa MasterCard bank account and theyll mail it to you within three days Okay So you dont have to go to the grocery store and buy tickets You dont have to go and buy passes It saves you time and money

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Some [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check and see

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there a discount for using it online

gtgt MICHAEL No

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Next question will METROLift service ever go to Galveston Texas

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gtgt MICHAEL I doubt it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its something to think about

gtgt MICHAEL Its something to think about but its Harris County

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ladies and gentlemen can we kind of hold on the questions Well never get to the end if you guys keep interrupting

gtgt MICHAEL So we talked about the Freedom cards Now remember with this new change with the fares every METROLift customer will have free rides on regular fixed route rail and Park amp Ride

Freedom Pass

Now if you do want a Freedom Pass and youre not already grandfathered please call our customer service office and well be able to -- Jackie was it that they --where is Jackie Do they come in or do we mail it to them or how does that work -- the Freedom Pass If you already have a Freedom Pass just give us a call well talk to you on how you get them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is the Freedom Pass

gtgt MICHAEL If youre a METROLift customer then youre able to ride the fixed route and rail for free

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its not the same as a Q Card right The Q Card is different

gtgt MICHAEL Its going to be similar

Okay the next thing well talk about is our no show policy update and sunshine is here to discuss that Thank you

gtgt SUNSHINE Thank you guys for coming out The news is still good Were steadily improving on reducing our [INAUDIBLE] That our clients continue to stay in contact with dispatch about any service concerns Please consider how youre booking your rides planning them and also make sure you check on your status If you have any questions about where your no shows and late cancels are you are always welcome to call the policy administration office

This month has been our lowest month as far as client violations Were down to 19 percent of our total riders for the month of November When the policy began June 2014 I believe we were right around 3 percent Those numbers count Our on-time performance reflects that You guys have noticed the drivers being on time That is because we are working together

We will ask our clients again to please consider how you plan your trip Please make sure you verify details of your trip Please stay in contact with dispatch If you have any questions youre welcome to ask them but again our goal should be to reduce no shows and cancellations

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

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things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

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As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

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The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

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Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

Page 35

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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gtgt MICHAEL So again the fare is going up but now everybody has the opportunity to use the fixed route and rail when they can Okay Its an option

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill talk about that in a second

Feeder service -- okay feeder service let me explain what that is Feeder service is -- lets say we pick you up from your home and take you to the -- lets say -- the VA hospital Thats a normal METROLift trip

A feeder service trip would be picking you up from your home lets say on the north side of town and taking you to the bus -- or to the rail service the rail pick up spot at Northline and having you run the rail all the way in and utilize the fixed route service

Then when you come back we pick you up from the Northline Transit Center at the rail platform and take you the rest of the way home Thats what we call feeder service So were looking at providing or offering that as an option for you

So what well do is pick you up from home take you to a METRO facility which is a transit center a bus platform a rail platform and then having you connect with the service there for a discounted rate

So the discounted rate has not been established yet So if the normal fare is 125 maybe its a dollar Okay Or maybe its 60 cents I dont know what that fare is

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going to be but thats something that were looking at So again its another option

The other change that were looking at is an annual increase thats tied to the Social Security And it will be rounded to the nearest five cent mark So if there is an increase in Social Security for that year then METRO -- METRO staff will look at that and adjust the rate accordingly Okay

Now I know over the last couple of years there hasnt been any increase in the Social Security wages Okay So then there would be no change

So thats kind of where we are with the fare implementation And remember this begins February 1st 2016 So up until then were going to be going out to the community talking about it here Making sure that everyone understands whats about to happen and all their different options that they have

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I know [INAUDIBLE] On your website is that correct

gtgt MICHAEL Yes you can schedule ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] buy tickets online

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct Good question His question was he understands now that you can buy METRO fare online We do have an online store through METRO where you can buy tickets and you can buy a monthly pass Not a yearly pass but a monthly pass

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So again thats going to be more options And basically the way it works is you go in create an account Choose how many tickets you want or how many books of tickets you want You can buy singles or books

You use your account Visa MasterCard bank account and theyll mail it to you within three days Okay So you dont have to go to the grocery store and buy tickets You dont have to go and buy passes It saves you time and money

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Some [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check and see

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there a discount for using it online

gtgt MICHAEL No

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Next question will METROLift service ever go to Galveston Texas

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gtgt MICHAEL I doubt it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its something to think about

gtgt MICHAEL Its something to think about but its Harris County

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ladies and gentlemen can we kind of hold on the questions Well never get to the end if you guys keep interrupting

gtgt MICHAEL So we talked about the Freedom cards Now remember with this new change with the fares every METROLift customer will have free rides on regular fixed route rail and Park amp Ride

Freedom Pass

Now if you do want a Freedom Pass and youre not already grandfathered please call our customer service office and well be able to -- Jackie was it that they --where is Jackie Do they come in or do we mail it to them or how does that work -- the Freedom Pass If you already have a Freedom Pass just give us a call well talk to you on how you get them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is the Freedom Pass

gtgt MICHAEL If youre a METROLift customer then youre able to ride the fixed route and rail for free

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its not the same as a Q Card right The Q Card is different

gtgt MICHAEL Its going to be similar

Okay the next thing well talk about is our no show policy update and sunshine is here to discuss that Thank you

gtgt SUNSHINE Thank you guys for coming out The news is still good Were steadily improving on reducing our [INAUDIBLE] That our clients continue to stay in contact with dispatch about any service concerns Please consider how youre booking your rides planning them and also make sure you check on your status If you have any questions about where your no shows and late cancels are you are always welcome to call the policy administration office

This month has been our lowest month as far as client violations Were down to 19 percent of our total riders for the month of November When the policy began June 2014 I believe we were right around 3 percent Those numbers count Our on-time performance reflects that You guys have noticed the drivers being on time That is because we are working together

We will ask our clients again to please consider how you plan your trip Please make sure you verify details of your trip Please stay in contact with dispatch If you have any questions youre welcome to ask them but again our goal should be to reduce no shows and cancellations

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

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things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

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As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

Page 26

The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

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Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

Page 30

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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going to be but thats something that were looking at So again its another option

The other change that were looking at is an annual increase thats tied to the Social Security And it will be rounded to the nearest five cent mark So if there is an increase in Social Security for that year then METRO -- METRO staff will look at that and adjust the rate accordingly Okay

Now I know over the last couple of years there hasnt been any increase in the Social Security wages Okay So then there would be no change

So thats kind of where we are with the fare implementation And remember this begins February 1st 2016 So up until then were going to be going out to the community talking about it here Making sure that everyone understands whats about to happen and all their different options that they have

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I know [INAUDIBLE] On your website is that correct

gtgt MICHAEL Yes you can schedule ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] buy tickets online

gtgt MICHAEL Thats correct Good question His question was he understands now that you can buy METRO fare online We do have an online store through METRO where you can buy tickets and you can buy a monthly pass Not a yearly pass but a monthly pass

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So again thats going to be more options And basically the way it works is you go in create an account Choose how many tickets you want or how many books of tickets you want You can buy singles or books

You use your account Visa MasterCard bank account and theyll mail it to you within three days Okay So you dont have to go to the grocery store and buy tickets You dont have to go and buy passes It saves you time and money

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Some [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check and see

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there a discount for using it online

gtgt MICHAEL No

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Next question will METROLift service ever go to Galveston Texas

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gtgt MICHAEL I doubt it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its something to think about

gtgt MICHAEL Its something to think about but its Harris County

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ladies and gentlemen can we kind of hold on the questions Well never get to the end if you guys keep interrupting

gtgt MICHAEL So we talked about the Freedom cards Now remember with this new change with the fares every METROLift customer will have free rides on regular fixed route rail and Park amp Ride

Freedom Pass

Now if you do want a Freedom Pass and youre not already grandfathered please call our customer service office and well be able to -- Jackie was it that they --where is Jackie Do they come in or do we mail it to them or how does that work -- the Freedom Pass If you already have a Freedom Pass just give us a call well talk to you on how you get them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is the Freedom Pass

gtgt MICHAEL If youre a METROLift customer then youre able to ride the fixed route and rail for free

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its not the same as a Q Card right The Q Card is different

gtgt MICHAEL Its going to be similar

Okay the next thing well talk about is our no show policy update and sunshine is here to discuss that Thank you

gtgt SUNSHINE Thank you guys for coming out The news is still good Were steadily improving on reducing our [INAUDIBLE] That our clients continue to stay in contact with dispatch about any service concerns Please consider how youre booking your rides planning them and also make sure you check on your status If you have any questions about where your no shows and late cancels are you are always welcome to call the policy administration office

This month has been our lowest month as far as client violations Were down to 19 percent of our total riders for the month of November When the policy began June 2014 I believe we were right around 3 percent Those numbers count Our on-time performance reflects that You guys have noticed the drivers being on time That is because we are working together

We will ask our clients again to please consider how you plan your trip Please make sure you verify details of your trip Please stay in contact with dispatch If you have any questions youre welcome to ask them but again our goal should be to reduce no shows and cancellations

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

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things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

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As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

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The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

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Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

Page 35

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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So again thats going to be more options And basically the way it works is you go in create an account Choose how many tickets you want or how many books of tickets you want You can buy singles or books

You use your account Visa MasterCard bank account and theyll mail it to you within three days Okay So you dont have to go to the grocery store and buy tickets You dont have to go and buy passes It saves you time and money

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Some [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to check and see

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there a discount for using it online

gtgt MICHAEL No

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Next question will METROLift service ever go to Galveston Texas

Page 21

gtgt MICHAEL I doubt it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its something to think about

gtgt MICHAEL Its something to think about but its Harris County

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ladies and gentlemen can we kind of hold on the questions Well never get to the end if you guys keep interrupting

gtgt MICHAEL So we talked about the Freedom cards Now remember with this new change with the fares every METROLift customer will have free rides on regular fixed route rail and Park amp Ride

Freedom Pass

Now if you do want a Freedom Pass and youre not already grandfathered please call our customer service office and well be able to -- Jackie was it that they --where is Jackie Do they come in or do we mail it to them or how does that work -- the Freedom Pass If you already have a Freedom Pass just give us a call well talk to you on how you get them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is the Freedom Pass

gtgt MICHAEL If youre a METROLift customer then youre able to ride the fixed route and rail for free

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its not the same as a Q Card right The Q Card is different

gtgt MICHAEL Its going to be similar

Okay the next thing well talk about is our no show policy update and sunshine is here to discuss that Thank you

gtgt SUNSHINE Thank you guys for coming out The news is still good Were steadily improving on reducing our [INAUDIBLE] That our clients continue to stay in contact with dispatch about any service concerns Please consider how youre booking your rides planning them and also make sure you check on your status If you have any questions about where your no shows and late cancels are you are always welcome to call the policy administration office

This month has been our lowest month as far as client violations Were down to 19 percent of our total riders for the month of November When the policy began June 2014 I believe we were right around 3 percent Those numbers count Our on-time performance reflects that You guys have noticed the drivers being on time That is because we are working together

We will ask our clients again to please consider how you plan your trip Please make sure you verify details of your trip Please stay in contact with dispatch If you have any questions youre welcome to ask them but again our goal should be to reduce no shows and cancellations

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

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things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

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As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

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The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

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Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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gtgt MICHAEL I doubt it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its something to think about

gtgt MICHAEL Its something to think about but its Harris County

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ladies and gentlemen can we kind of hold on the questions Well never get to the end if you guys keep interrupting

gtgt MICHAEL So we talked about the Freedom cards Now remember with this new change with the fares every METROLift customer will have free rides on regular fixed route rail and Park amp Ride

Freedom Pass

Now if you do want a Freedom Pass and youre not already grandfathered please call our customer service office and well be able to -- Jackie was it that they --where is Jackie Do they come in or do we mail it to them or how does that work -- the Freedom Pass If you already have a Freedom Pass just give us a call well talk to you on how you get them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER What is the Freedom Pass

gtgt MICHAEL If youre a METROLift customer then youre able to ride the fixed route and rail for free

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its not the same as a Q Card right The Q Card is different

gtgt MICHAEL Its going to be similar

Okay the next thing well talk about is our no show policy update and sunshine is here to discuss that Thank you

gtgt SUNSHINE Thank you guys for coming out The news is still good Were steadily improving on reducing our [INAUDIBLE] That our clients continue to stay in contact with dispatch about any service concerns Please consider how youre booking your rides planning them and also make sure you check on your status If you have any questions about where your no shows and late cancels are you are always welcome to call the policy administration office

This month has been our lowest month as far as client violations Were down to 19 percent of our total riders for the month of November When the policy began June 2014 I believe we were right around 3 percent Those numbers count Our on-time performance reflects that You guys have noticed the drivers being on time That is because we are working together

We will ask our clients again to please consider how you plan your trip Please make sure you verify details of your trip Please stay in contact with dispatch If you have any questions youre welcome to ask them but again our goal should be to reduce no shows and cancellations

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

Page 24

things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

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As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

Page 26

The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

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Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its not the same as a Q Card right The Q Card is different

gtgt MICHAEL Its going to be similar

Okay the next thing well talk about is our no show policy update and sunshine is here to discuss that Thank you

gtgt SUNSHINE Thank you guys for coming out The news is still good Were steadily improving on reducing our [INAUDIBLE] That our clients continue to stay in contact with dispatch about any service concerns Please consider how youre booking your rides planning them and also make sure you check on your status If you have any questions about where your no shows and late cancels are you are always welcome to call the policy administration office

This month has been our lowest month as far as client violations Were down to 19 percent of our total riders for the month of November When the policy began June 2014 I believe we were right around 3 percent Those numbers count Our on-time performance reflects that You guys have noticed the drivers being on time That is because we are working together

We will ask our clients again to please consider how you plan your trip Please make sure you verify details of your trip Please stay in contact with dispatch If you have any questions youre welcome to ask them but again our goal should be to reduce no shows and cancellations

[APPLAUSE]

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gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

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things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

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As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

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The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

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Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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gtgt MICHAEL I want to introduce somebody to you Remember we talked about in the past Sunshine was our policy administrator What we did was we saw a need to actually add to the staff So Marian can you introduce yourself

gtgt MARIAN Good afternoon everybody My name is Marian I was working at the customer service department and right now Im helping with the policy administration office

gtgt MICHAEL So we have two people now actually helping customers keep their no shows down So thats really important We have two resources now Thank you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a question Michael do you think that METRO will ever consider -- I know its five minutes but do you think theyll ever consider the people that are legally blind in wheelchairs it takes longer for them to meet that five minutes sometimes Its really really hard when you are trying to get into a wheelchair and they are on their way and I know you are supposed to be ready but to get their five minutes and they are gone

Okay give me one more minute and they say no Were on our way

gtgt MICHAEL So one of the things that were doing with our new contractor First Transit is they are proposing a lot of great technology and one of them is a call out feature Okay So I know weve been talking about it for a long time So were going to be able to set that up not too long in the distance -- hopefully in the next 90 days And youll be getting a robo call that will call your cell phone call your home and let you know the bus is five or ten minutes away please get your

Page 24

things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

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As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

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The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

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Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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things together I think this will help cut down on the confusion and give you a lead time as to when the driver is going to arrive

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Right Can we hold the questions until the end I apologize Lets hold the questions to the end and we can get through the agenda

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eric hasnt had a chance to ask a question

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats fine Why is it that I will -- it doesnt reflect on anybody or anything it still takes a long time to get a supervisor when we call It will say two minutes -- it will say one minute but when you time it on the phone or whatever it takes longer

gtgt MICHAEL Supervisor calls as you know are elevated calls They are not calls that take one or two minutes Those are not just verifying so what the system is doing is estimating how long the call may be When a supervisor gets a call he may need to stay with a customer through the duration So we may have four or five supervisors in the dispatch office but again they are doing other things We may have two or three people taking calls but if everybody has a situation theyre dealing with it has to go by whats in the queue So sometimes you know it spikes a little higher Sometimes you can get right through and speak with someone but chances are when youre going to wait a long time is during rush hour when we have the most problems In the morning between 8 and 1030 and in the afternoon again from 3 to 6 So those are our peak periods

Page 25

As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

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The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

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Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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As you know youre on vehicles and out on the road thats when the heavy traffic happens and thats when the driver are trying to maneuver around the traffic So thats kind of where we are with that

All right now were going to go for on-time performance update Leola Jordan

gtgt LEOLA Good afternoon everyone Again I would like to piggy back off of Mr Andrade Earlier he made reference to the on-time performance Last year our on-time performance goal was to meet 89 percent which we did meet And this year our fiscal year 2015 our on-time performance goal was to meet 90 percent and above Our METROLift dispatch department have been working and training diligently to help meet that Were still continuously training the dispatchers to make sure they are looking out for certain things that causes a route to run late We are taking measures in which the dispatcher is sending out traffic updates to keep the drivers -- help them avoid going into certain areas where there is a lot of traffic as well as they are constantly in contact over the radio air talking to the drivers making sure they are being updated and I can probably say our fiscal year 2015 we have met our on-time performance at 90 percent or above Thank you

[APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Good job Leola The next thing I want to do is we talked about the van contractors I want to bring Mike Spears up Bring Mike Spears up to talk about Yellow Cab a little bit

gtgt MIKE So much like the van service is transitioning were also transitioning to our new contract So youll see some changes in the vehicles We ordered 96 new vehicles They have -- I think I mentioned this the last meeting -- the second row is a little wider so it has more space in the back of the vehicle

Page 26

The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

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Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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The backup cameras in the rear view mirror because we back up into fixed objects thats a safety feature we added We have new security cameras in the vehicles We have new radios We have new [INAUDIBLE] that has mapping and navigation That will help our on-time performance Weve been operating on some older MVCs that dont have the advanced mapping features With the new equipment its really top of the line and its -- the drivers are really looking forward to utilizing it So they wont get lost as much

Were doing transition too Weve added -- the last couple of months weve added about 20 new drivers to our program So were going to be adding service here pretty soon to relieve some of the bottlenecks in the scheduling So were looking forward to another great year of working with the METROLift clients and improving the on-time performance

gtgt MICHAEL Thank you Mike Any questions for Mike

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You go first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are like the red white and blue

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have some issues with METROLift and this no show issue has to do with 100 percent with Yellow Cab drivers not with the METROLift vehicles

Again so what Ive noticed is METROLift drivers have -- in most cases -- very patient Sometimes they will come out [INDISCERNIBLE]

Page 27

Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

Page 35

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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Yellow Cab drivers are less patient Yellow Cab drivers in some instances --[INDISCERNIBLE]

[INAUDIBLE]

Before you call for no show or whatever -- Code 5 or whatever So if we [INDISCERNIBLE] I saw the Yellow Cab driver on the other end of the parking lot He was -- and [INDISCERNIBLE] I was certain this vehicle was coming to pick me up The next thing I knew as I went in there on the other end of the parking lot he took off I said -- and he passed me And I called 15 minutes later they said you got a no show I got a no show I said why They said a Yellow Cab driver couldnt pick you up

Thank God I took the number of the vehicle and everything and I told the dispatcher I got the number of the vehicle This guy never [INDISCERNIBLE] Never stopped You talk about technology you talk about new contractors --yellow cab METROLift -- yellow cab has [INDISCERNIBLE]

And it seems that they are not taking advantage of the monopoly in relationship to METROLift So Houston is a major city that serves the disabled that contracts --that uses one contractor that has no compassion So somehow there doesnt seem to be -- its like -- [INDISCERNIBLE] The monopoly is [INDISCERNIBLE]

gtgt MIKE I hate to interrupt you because our backup service we have a higher percentage of pickups than the regular METROLift service So the backup service we pick up more frequently -- we have a higher on-time performance in the METROLift service I think that you had a bad experience I think its unfair to

Page 28

categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

Page 35

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

Page 41

working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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categorize Yellow Cab as being the backup service is not good because we are performing very well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not only that Mike if I might suggest in the interest of time that if people have things specific to talk with you about that they probably do that aside That way were not having to listen to a 15 minute story I mean Im not discounting the gentlemans complaint I just dont think we need to hear all of that

gtgt MIKE Its unfortunate you had that experience Were transportation -- were going to make mistakes but to categorize and generalize us as not providing good service I think thats unfair

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You say are you getting new vehicles -- what brand

gtgt MIKE Dodge caravans

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Sometimes the Dodge vans are -- wheelchairs cant hardly get in them

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are all ADA compliant They are 33-inch wide ramp

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay thank you

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

Page 46

sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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gtgt MICHAEL So again let me get through the end of this Thank you Mike Again there is going to be times when we dont make connections with drivers whether it be Yellow Cab First Transit MV or something that dispatch did but I think the overwhelming majority of the service goes well Were up above 90 percent now but we need to know when those instances happen so that we can investigate them

And the proper way to do that is to call the customer service line or the complaint line and actually put in a formal complaint because what that does is puts a whole lot of things into motion

The contractor gets that complaint or comment METRO gets it And we actually are calling every customer now that has a comment or a complaint Okay

We try to make that connection with everybody And when we get that document we can address it Again in any transportation service across the country youre going to have some late instances and some things that dont go right You have to remember this service runs 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year So again I think for the most part were making good progress and we will continue to do so

The last thing I want to talk about really really important Is that we need your feedback going back to what this gentleman said We need to know how were doing That just doesnt mean bad things That means good things as well If a driver does something great or goes above and beyond or a dispatcher does we need to know about that as well But if things dont go as planned we also need to know about that There is nothing wrong with feedback Yes

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Just a quick question I mean as you can probably deduct Im a pretty vocal person Im just wondering when we do give feedback we give both positive and some might construe negative feedback Whats done with the feedback How are changes implemented And let me give you a quick example

A couple of meetings ago I brought up a concern and suggestion about trying to reduce the amount of -- when drivers show up they just honk the horn They dont get out of the car a lot of times we dont get a call back a call out or whatever For me thats a safety issue I dont want to go out and be waiting for the driver not to mention if they drive up and they are honking the horn Im not going to get into a car with somebody that doesnt identify themselves to me So my question is whats done with the feedback that we provide How are changes implemented

gtgt MICHAEL Right Good question So the feedback that comes in again is documented It goes to the proper person whether it be the contractor or METRO staff Again we heard you on the call out feature

One of the things weve been working hard with is trying to get this up and running And like I said before with First Transit coming on board they have technology to actually put this in place So Im hoping within the next 90 days we have this up and running That will take out some of the frustration you have with where is my ride

The other thing is drivers and dispatchers are human okay We can put a policy in place and talk about not honking your horn but if a driver goes out and does this on his own we just need to know about it so we can take necessary steps If a driver continues to do things that are not within our program or detrimental to a customers concern then that driver doesnt work for us anymore

Page 31

The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

Page 33

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

Page 34

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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The same thing for anybody in dispatch I mean there is accountability that has to be there with the service And I think over the past three years weve shown that holding people accountable holding our contractors accountable Holding ourselves accountable for improving the service weve gone up over 5 percent on time performance in less than three years which is pretty huge

So again were holding ourselves accountable It doesnt mean that things dont happen but keep reporting those things and we have to look at it on an individual basis

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER May I say something about Yellow Cab I can say that some of them are very nice but some of the vehicles are deplorable inside The cigarettes the mess ndash

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I sit in front because of my legs Now you have to go to the back There are many times you are forced to go to the back Its deplorable in a lot of them Like [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL So again this kind of goes back to if you see something please let us know And you let us know that same day so we can do something about it

What Id like to do now is introduce our Memorial Hermann contractor that actually does interviews and I want to give him an opportunity to say a few words and introduce himself

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

Page 34

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

Page 35

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

Page 39

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

Page 40

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

Page 41

working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez I am one of the contractors ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER A little louder

gtgt DANIEL My name is Daniel Rodriguez from Memorial Hermann Hospital Im one of the three contractors that we have -- or four I guess -- one of them alternates that work there We are in charge of doing the in-person interviews

Before I believe it used to be METRO employees that used to do the in-person interviews and now its contracted to Memorial Hermann medical professionals

With those interviews some people ask why the change We are at least medical professionals some of the medical symptoms and injury were at least familiar with A lot of times youll go in there and maybe you wont know what it is I dont know how to describe it Were able to help you with that

With the in-person interviews a lot of times they are necessary because the medical information isnt filled out accurately or correctly You might have multiple doctors Maybe you got to fill it out with only your heart doctor but you also have a vision problem and this other problem and this other problem

Well during the in-person interview thats where we can address all the symptoms you might have that might be overlooked otherwise

Do you have any other questions Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

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working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

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pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

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gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL No maam with your application you fill out the physician -- the physician already filled out his portion Now if you wanted to you could but its not necessary that you have to During the interview we can ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have multiple doctors

gtgt DANIEL You dont have to necessarily bring any of the information just you verbally addressing that information with me we can document it at that time That eliminates you having to bring out a 15 page list of medications We can discuss that A lot of times you dont know the medical name I take it for blood pressure I take it for diabetes Whatever So we can address it at that point

gtgt MICHAEL One thing I wanted to bring to light and I know many of you and your friends have been talking about this for a long time And I dont know if weve made it clear Moving Forward weve already started granting customers permanent eligibility

Okay what does that mean That means that customers that are deemed that their condition is not going to change these guys at Memorial Hermann are actually noting that into the system

So that means a couple of things -- you still have to give us information when you have the updates but what our thought is that as long as the card doesnt run out right that you dont have to keep coming in to the office So thats a big change that we see coming now

Page 34

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

Page 35

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

Page 36

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

Page 37

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

Page 38

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

Page 39

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

Page 40

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

Page 41

working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

Page 42

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

Page 43

pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

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And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

Page 45

gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

Page 46

sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

Page 47

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

Page 48

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Well everyone has to go through the process at least once So if you havent seen this guy right here youre going to see him Okay So everyone needs to go through the process at least once

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I remember you

gtgt MICHAEL Its a two-year to three year process depending on how long your eligibility is right now

If you just got certified lets say in May and you received three years so you wont see him for another three years and then well look at permanent eligibility Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You had a question You said you didnt understand

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No because I was examined by Memorial Hermann last year but I still got another letter to go through it again

gtgt DANIEL That was before -- if it was before last year that was before we were actually a contractor with them Before that was kind of like a little aspect if there were questions they would outsource it out You would have to go to the hospital Now that we are in-house as of July this year thats whats changed So now that were in-house at the METRO building were doing all the assessments personally Before it was a METRO employee that did your assessments

Page 35

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

Page 36

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

Page 37

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

Page 38

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

Page 39

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

Page 40

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

Page 41

working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

Page 42

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

Page 43

pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

Page 44

And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

Page 45

gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

Page 46

sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

Page 47

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

Page 48

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

Page 49

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER No we had to go to the hospital

gtgt DANIEL After the METRO one -- you had an initial one with METRO first

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER This will be my third one

gtgt JACKIE Whenever your eligibility expires you have to come back in and go through him This is a different process You were referred to Memorial Hermann for that evaluation Now that we have them as staff you wont to have do that

gtgt DANIEL Were kind of cutting out the middle man Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE] Each time they tell you your paperwork -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt JACKIE Ill answer Up until just a few weeks ago we didnt have -- METRO did not have permanent eligibility So your condition might have been permanent but we did not have permanent eligibility So recently our board decided that yes we can grant permanent eligibility and thats what hes talking about So once you see him and your condition says permanent and everything is good then youll be given permanent eligibility for your permanent condition

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Yes sir

Page 36

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

Page 37

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

Page 38

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

Page 39

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

Page 40

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

Page 41

working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

Page 42

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

Page 43

pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

Page 44

And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

Page 45

gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

Page 46

sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

Page 47

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

Page 48

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

Page 49

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Is there like -- if youre sick -- you get a sickness that says youre not allowed to ride METRO no more

gtgt DANIEL Is there a sickness saying youre not allowed ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Not allowed to anymore

gtgt DANIEL There could be There may be an illness that you have that you cant ride a public bus because you could be at risk to infecting other people on that bus

Now there could be the CDC or someone -- depending on the particular illness that you have they might not allow you to ride You might have to go with the health system to clear you in order to ride public transportation But yes you could have a potentially infectious disease where you would not be allowed to ride the normal because because you could possibly infect others

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I would like to see oxygen put on buses if possible [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt DANIEL I dont know how feasible that would be But your comment is noted

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I was wondering -- because Ive been interviewed twice Ive been riding since 1996 and I have been riding so long do I get grandfathered

gtgt DANIEL Im sorry I couldnt hear you

Page 37

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

Page 38

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

Page 39

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

Page 40

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

Page 41

working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

Page 42

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

Page 43

pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

Page 44

And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

Page 45

gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

Page 46

sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

Page 47

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

Page 48

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

Page 49

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ive been riding since 96 and for almost 20 years and I was wondering because of my longevity do I get permanent

gtgt DANIEL I dont know It would have to be on a case-by-case basis Once you bring your application in and we see what your medical is then yes quite possibly Im not going to give you a blanket statement saying yes of course because youve been on it for 20 years without seeing the actual documentation without seeing what the disability is Im not saying yes today

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ill be like this the rest of my life

gtgt DANIEL It could very well possibly be yes but without medical documentation and your application I couldnt give you a blanket statement

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My question is not to you but its for the cameras being put in the cab or both the cabs and the van

gtgt MICHAEL We have them in the vans I think Mike and his group with Yellow Cab is looking at a camera system So the new vehicles will have camera systems

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER And the second question is -- or comment I heard that when they do the new cameras there is also going to be a voice recording that you all can click at any time and hear the driver or us the client and see what were doing or saying

Page 38

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

Page 39

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

Page 40

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

Page 41

working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

Page 42

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

Page 43

pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

Page 44

And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

Page 45

gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

Page 46

sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

Page 47

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

Page 48

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

Page 49

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER There is audio recording

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Will that be turned on unknown to the driver

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Once the vehicle is on its recording continuously --the camera and the audio Its locked in a box The driver cant access it If there is a complaint well go pull the card and pull the video for that time and see what happened

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So I have [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL The same thing in the METROLift vehicles we have three cameras One in the front one in the back facing forward and one facing outside So well again be able to access that as long as the vehicle is on its recording So it continually records It does voice and video

And actually we just received a new batch of 40 vehicles so you should see new vehicles out on the road Well be retiring some of the older Chevy vehicles And well have them out there in service Eventually the Chevies will go away and it will be strictly Fords

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can I ask you a question about the new vehicles that are coming Could they please be up and down steps as opposed to slanted Because people with mobility issues its easier to pull yourself up a straight step than to have to deal with a slant thats on those new vehicles

gtgt MICHAEL Ill have to take a look at that

Page 39

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

Page 40

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

Page 41

working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

Page 42

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

Page 43

pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

Page 44

And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

Page 45

gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

Page 46

sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

Page 47

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

Page 48

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

Page 49

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER They are a real hazard for possibly tripping and falling and break another leg

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I wonder why the drivers are not familiar with the passengers and their health issues How [INAUDIBLE] I have a speech problem So the driver was insisting I make -- [INDISCERNIBLE] I was having issues -- I was having issues -- I was having issues with my vocal cords So I couldnt say anything And I couldnt talk So again what Im saying is -- why dont you inform the drivers is it possible about any particular issues

gtgt MICHAEL The problem with that is why cant METRO divulge what type of issue -- medical issues customers have There is something called HIPAA laws Were not allowed to divulge anyones disability or concerns that they might have about the way they travel

Now the only thing that we put in the system is if a person has a visual impairment we make the drivers aware of that so that they know to announce themselves and to step out of the vehicle and actually look for customers that have visual impairments

The other thing we do -- and again this is a safety thing we inform the drivers when our customers have cognitive disabilities because we want to make sure they hand them off to a responsible person We just dont want them to open up the door and let them out and let them go wherever they want to go So those are the only two things that we kind of look at making sure the drivers are aware

Yes maam

Page 40

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

Page 41

working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

Page 42

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

Page 43

pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

Page 44

And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

Page 45

gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

Page 46

sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

Page 47

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

Page 48

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

Page 49

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Michael can you tell me at this point if the Northwest Freeway 290 and 14000 block of [INAUDIBLE] ndash

gtgt MICHAEL of 290 -- I would have to say no But I will check to make sure but I would have to say no

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I didnt see your map so I wasnt sure

gtgt MICHAEL Im trying to have a map in my head

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I think its Fairbanks

gtgt MICHAEL We have to look at it Yes maam

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mike just a quick question because Im totally blind and so I dont -- Im not disputing that drivers get the information or whatever but I also dont want to be in a situation where every single solitary time calling in minor things because I mean that -- that can kind of carry a negative vibe you know Im wondering if it might benefit those of us that are blind to check with eligibility or whatever and make sure that the file clearly states that because more times than not drivers are not identifying themselves with me personally And still facing the whole honking issue So Im wondering rather than just calling in every single time Id much rather be calling to make commendations than complaints

gtgt MICHAEL I agree So one of the things were going to be starting to do in January is start -- weve done this in the past Its called service improvement

Page 41

working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

Page 42

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

Page 43

pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

Page 44

And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

Page 45

gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

Page 46

sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

Page 47

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

Page 48

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

Page 49

working group And what we do is we look at a different topics every other month to concentrate on with our contractors drivers dispatch staff And one of the things that we have to look at is how can we improve

And some of the things we can do is making sure that the drivers are doing the basic things -- stepping out of the vehicle announcing themselves not honking customer service type things safety things

So those are some of the things we can put at the top of the list So thank you for bringing that up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Id like to be involved when you do that and I can talk with you separately but I definitely want to help with that

gtgt MICHAEL Sounds good I appreciate that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER My comment real quick I know the drivers are not --the cab drivers are not allowed to pull up in some peoples driveways because they get angry Can you put it you can pull in my driveway because I want you to get as close to my front door as you possibly can

gtgt MICHAEL Mike do you want to speak to that

gtgt MIKE I know there has been a few clients that ndash

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you separate those of us that want to

Page 42

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

Page 43

pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

Page 44

And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

Page 45

gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

Page 46

sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

Page 47

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

Page 48

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

Page 49

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Can you put it in the notes

gtgt MICHAEL We can try to do that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Ms Jackie put it on mine to pull up in my driveway

gtgt MICHAEL The other thing though you remember you have a lot of history in there and if youre using the history it may not show up It depends on how you schedule the ride If you do it with a live agent we can probably do it but if there is something already tagged from your box it may not show up

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Its all right

gtgt MICHAEL Got you

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Two requests that I would like to make to you guys to take into consideration One is of course we all watch the news every day and realize were unfortunately living in dark times and things happen unexpectedly And Ill preface my statement to say that a lot of times when we call in or if we dont receive calls alerting us that our ride has shown up and we make the call in to dispatch some of the dispatchers or call talkers or even supervisors will make a comment that I would think insensitive to say When we do a call out its a courtesy Now I understand we do realize it is a courtesy but I would like to make a request that since we are thinking about -- not we Im not a part of METRO staff but since you guys are considering implementing a system that will possibly give call outs to your ride that instead of really making a statement we make a call as a courtesy just say that its something we do and if time permits

Page 43

pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

Page 44

And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

Page 45

gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

Page 46

sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

Page 47

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

Page 48

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

Page 49

pretty much all the time I dont know if I want to use the strong word of mandatory but just that when they say the statement we make a call out to you as a courtesy it just sounds a bit insensitive and it could be just me as an individual thinking that way It just feels that way

My second request the information that is revealed to us at these meetings if its things we can request or things that you have updated to make the service more smoothly some of the information for some reason is not reaching those at 1900 Main from the calltakers Once in awhile there is a debate that goes on when we make a call that was announced at these monthly meetings and they dont have any idea and they become combative in specific situations So I dont know what procedures you have in place to ensure that once you reveal it to us whatever the information is there is an up date for improving the communication that it also to be -- whether a memo sent out or E-mail sent out to them updating them what was discussed here That would eliminate some of that confusion

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thats one of the reasons I came to this meeting Having to do with communication issues that are easily fixable if they listen to us about this For example call outs are always given when the driver is about to leave not when hes about to arrive

I would appreciate it -- because Im often waiting inside because of inclement weather I would appreciate it if they call me out when they arrive so I can make my trip from my house to the curb stone to the driver within the five-minute window that we have been allowed I dont know where that five minutes came from probably some machine made that determination Im not sure but it sounds like to me thats what happened and sometimes Im there waiting and when I finally realize they are out there I cant make it to them before they drive off I see them driving off as Im coming out the door and Im raving and yelling and screaming and nothing Nobody looks back nobody looks from right to left They just dont see me

Page 44

And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

Page 45

gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

Page 46

sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

Page 47

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

Page 48

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

Page 49

And so I get code 5 all the time for stuff like that And its getting to me to the point where I get so upset I cry sometimes when that happens I dont want to start my day crying

gtgt MICHAEL Its a problem And again we understand that and thats why again were hoping within the next 90 days well have this call out feature in place so the system automatically calls you when the driver is ten minutes away five minutes away so it kind of gives you a heads up as to where the driver is

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Also sir unfortunately thats fine for the vans but when you put a contractor into the mix MACS doesnt tell us where they are MACS often will tell us five minutes 15 minutes what have you and its not really the case Its misleading

This morning for example I was given an 830 pickup to get here Okay When I was listening to see if there were any changes as there often are I was told first 830 Then 844 Then 856 Guess when the driver showed up

gtgt MICHAEL What time

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER 823 And of course I wasnt ready because I thought I had time based on what MACS was telling me They werent dealing with a contractor they were dealing with a van and for some reason got taken off the route and a contractor was placed in its place MACS doesnt know that because MACS isnt connected with the contractors

Page 45

gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

Page 46

sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

Page 47

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

Page 48

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

Page 49

gtgt MICHAEL Thats whats great about this whole partnership that we have Part of that is feeding in the backup taxicab service into our system our trapeze system So Im hoping that well have that connectivity between the two so youll have that information as well on the backup side

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Im always calling MACS to check Once Im ready Im calling MACS to check because its always starting to change once you get close to your actual pick up time

gtgt MICHAEL So just to let everybody know right now we have the mobi app where you can look on your phone to find out where your rides are how far away the vehicle is First Transit also has this app Its called -- part of info suites I cant remember exactly what it is called Info client Info client and basically its another app that basically shows the same thing It shows your trips and how far away the vehicle is

There is also something else that is pretty cool too Lets say youre getting picked up at a building a square block is pretty big right So you can actually hit something on your phone that says where am I And that information is transmitted back to dispatch So well see what side of the building youre waiting on So we can make that connection with the driver and transmit that information and let the driver know no hes not at entrance 1 where are you hes at entrance 5 So thats why youre not making that connection That app will be available probably in the next 60 days Its not available yet Were working all that through So again these are some of the extra things that were going to have working Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Like the last time I got suspended from the service the problem was with dispatch I called dispatch and he was running late They

Page 46

sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

Page 47

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

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sent another vehicle to come pick me up And in any case my regular pick up came and put me I was a no show

gtgt MICHAEL Okay

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It doesnt make no sense [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Got you Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Talking about the app You mentioned the mobi thats actually a website There is no actually app for the bus stop mobi

gtgt MICHAEL Its something that you can put on your phone and it is a website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER So its a website I go to the bus stop ndash

gtgt MICHAEL You can download it on your phone as an app if you like There is a way to do it

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Okay So then the other one youre talking about is that one can be an app or another website shortcut You know the one for the ndash

gtgt MICHAEL I believe that one is an actual app I dont have a lot more information other than that Weve been going through a lot of information ndash

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gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

Page 48

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

Page 49

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER It is web-based You can get information from the website

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Where Im approaching with that is we want to make sure its going to be accessible for people who are using zoom or voice over from the iphone

gtgt MICHAEL Actually Mike and I had an opportunity to go to see it actually work with First Transit at King County METRO And we went through all these different scenarios and one of the things we brought up is that the app is successful for persons with visual disabilities So that is something that they are working on

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Hold on one second

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER I have a problem sometimes -- I tell people 1450 West Gray right across the street Sitting right in front And then I get a call back to see what happened -- do you have a cell phone I dont have a cell phone but Im sitting right out here then I get home and I see they done called my house but if Im at 1450 West Gray a big old sign -- [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Its tough if we dont have another form of communication with you If a driver is in a parking lot or an area not able to find you the normal thing to do is give you a call out But if there is no way to call you its kind of hard to make that connection So basically what I would do if I didnt have a cell phone is if I have an 830 pick up and they are not there at 830 Im calling and giving them information and call in the next two minutes if they havent showed up So unfortunately thats kind of the way you have to do it

Page 48

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

Page 49

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Are you sitting right there in the door Glass all the way across -- they dont even come there One time I was -- I had a pick up over there I was across the street and they were over here at 1475 Thats two different entrances

gtgt MICHAEL Exactly

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Mine was an accommodation for the riders and dispatchers [INAUDIBLE] When I was asking about those of us at Lakewood that are going to northwest Houston Monday and Wednesday night we were all headed in the same direction -- amen [APPLAUSE]

gtgt MICHAEL Ms Gilkerson in the back

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You talked earlier about being able to [INAUDIBLE] Once you get -- ridemetroorg where do you find this

gtgt MICHAEL Its called METROs online store Its on the left side Its a tab We can probably get someone to help you but it is there on the left-hand side And it has all of METROs fare and down at the bottom it has METROLift fare as well

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER One more question [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Im not sure I can check with them Were going to be able to use that app up until the time we move to the new one

Page 49

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]

gtgt MICHAEL Yes So well have to take a look at that

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Question One reason I have come to the meeting is because I notice often when they call you out they call you out on a number you cannot call back And if for some reason when you answer your phone which I have a flip phone one of those old ones sometimes the signal drops And even though you answered the call they dont hear you because the signal has dropped but you cant call the number back because its either reservations which is closed or its a four digit number which a cricket phone cannot access

gtgt MICHAEL We call them side lines We dont have -- each operator in the dispatch center has to use an outside line So if you see someone calling from dispatch on an outside line call our normal number if you miss their call or 0410 number which is dispatch and well answer that line

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Eventually Sometimes its busy Sometimes you get on hold for four minutes and by the time you finally connect with a human being not a machine -- they are gone and youve been code 5 And it happens often Ive been suspended five times now behind stuff like that

gtgt MICHAEL Yes sir

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER You have really a lot of -- we can dispatch It used to be you scheduled less experienced dispatchers on Saturday and Sundays now I

Page 50

noticed that you have experienced dispatchers on Saturdays and Sundays so Im thankful for that

I also want to appreciate Yellow Cab for their improvement in [INAUDIBLE] It used to be you spoke with Yellow Cab or METROLift [INAUDIBLE] they will send an independent driver he doesnt have a METROLift sticker So yes for the past 11 months a Yellow Cab always picks me up and if it means sending somebody [INAUDIBLE] they will send a person and I appreciate that improvement [INAUDIBLE] The only issue is under the no shows where a driver [INAUDIBLE] I say who I was here standing here I didnt see you

gtgt MICHAEL Okay everyone Again I want to thank everyone thank the contractors our staff thats here today Thank you our customers We had a great year and we gave you a little token of our appreciation one of these bags that has goodies in it and we had a great lunch Thank you Hilda and putting this together

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thank you for providing the meal

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noticed that you have experienced dispatchers on Saturdays and Sundays so Im thankful for that

I also want to appreciate Yellow Cab for their improvement in [INAUDIBLE] It used to be you spoke with Yellow Cab or METROLift [INAUDIBLE] they will send an independent driver he doesnt have a METROLift sticker So yes for the past 11 months a Yellow Cab always picks me up and if it means sending somebody [INAUDIBLE] they will send a person and I appreciate that improvement [INAUDIBLE] The only issue is under the no shows where a driver [INAUDIBLE] I say who I was here standing here I didnt see you

gtgt MICHAEL Okay everyone Again I want to thank everyone thank the contractors our staff thats here today Thank you our customers We had a great year and we gave you a little token of our appreciation one of these bags that has goodies in it and we had a great lunch Thank you Hilda and putting this together

gtgt AUDIENCE MEMBER Thank you for providing the meal

Page 51