Comments on: The troubles with Access-A-Ride

By: Driver

Driver — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:58:08 +0000

The hard part for a driver is when you have a drop off in co op city at 4:45pm and your dispatcher gives you an add on for 5:10pm at 2 broadway. The driver is still on route to co op city in heavy traffic and is only 4:30pm. Now depending on the dispatcher he will remove that call or say to you “What’s taking you so long to drop off?,Come on you can do it, Mta added that call so I can’t cover it” So now the driver is stressed out know that he going to run late for all of his calls. A DRIVER IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE DISPATCHER WHO HELPS THE DRIVER. Some things that drivers hate one is a late customer or a customer who don’t show up at all.

By: Driver

Driver — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:43:40 +0000

I drive for an access-a-ride company in the Bronx. Many of the late pick up for customers are due to dispatchers, traffic and the customers them self. If you know your pick up time is 8am why wait till 8am to try to come down if you live a building that takes you 10 min. or more to come out of. Many customers know when the driver arrives at the pick address they can only stay there for 6 min. from the pick time. Then the driver must leave and the customer will get a “customer no show” But also the driver has a 30 min. window to arrive to pick up the customer. The scheduling is a nightmare in it’s self some time a driver will have 5 pick ups in 5 different locations at the same time or 6 min. apart. Than to drop them off is just as bad…the driver will drop off 2 and pick up 1 or 2 more customers.

By: Barbara Lande

Barbara Lande — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:50:43 +0000

If the subways and buses become accessable I still would have a problem. I can’t wait in the cold or strong a/c Due to severe Raynaud. I could loose me fingers toes and hand.

By: crist cannon

crist cannon — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:28:56 +0000

As of 01-01-2009 i resigned my position as the Project Manager of one of Access A Ride Paratransit companies for shady practices such as, shootings, beatings, tampering with unions, illegal wage practices, tampering with safty equiptment, just to name a few. i have been approached by a book writers to tell the story which im still considering. but their is alot going on within the Access A Ride system. please note i have proof of all claims, and also have the contracts between the access a ride and the carriers. if anyone is interested in hearing the story feel free to contact me 718-916-6190

By: Aaron

Aaron — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:17:14 +0000

Oh.

Well, that’s good to hear. I actually didn’t know that since, not being accessible, I’ve never been in it before ;p.

Thank you .

By: Benjamin Kabak

Benjamin Kabak — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:38:33 +0000

Not quite sure what you mean about the Columbus Circle station. It’s undergoing some very extensive renovations right now, and I think the work is progressing as quickly as any MTA project.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:07:24 +0000

I lived in NYC in 2002 and have been back regularly since then, and each time I’m back they’re closer to having done that. Some important new stations include the re-built(ish) Atlantic-Pacific, W 4th St, etc. Times Square accessibility coming online was basically the best thing ever – all transfers are possible there, Grand Central or Herald Square, except for the L and the J,M,Z and of course the G. Bryant Park would make it even better.

When I was back in the city a couple weeks ago I gushed to my best friend how excited I was for the re-built Fulton St stations to come online – that will also help significantly.

What baffles me is why the Columbus Circle station isn’t slated for quicker renovation. That would seem to fill a need for more transfers available to 6 Av IND riders in particular.

By: Nathanael Nerode

Nathanael Nerode — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:47:20 +0000

cheaper to provide $60/ride services rather than to accelerate the process of rendering the majority of MTA subway stations accessible.

Emphasis mine.

I think this is clearly true. While in the long run it’s going to be cheaper to make the majority of subway service accessible, it would be absolutely prohibitive to accelerate the project. Much more efficient to do it as the stations need to be rebuilt (due to decay, deferred maintenance, etc.) anyway.

However, since a *huge* portion of the NYC subway system *already* needs to be rebuilt, often long ago, any additional funding to do so would be really helpful, at least until every construction firm in the area is fully employed (at which point you will have reached a limiting speed of work).

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:03:45 +0000

Presumably, the MTA could mitigate the problem by trying to create a usable accessible transit system. This means it should spend money to install elevators not at every station, or even at the busiest stations, but at the stations that connect to the local bus system best. For example, two of the 125th Street stations are accessible; the MTA could make the other two accessible as well, and route one of the buses crosstown on 125th, creating an accessible bus-to-subway transfer for residents of Upper Manhattan.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:05:12 +0000

Nathan: I cannot imagine a single person who uses Access-a-Ride wants to. The service in all cities is extremely slow, and you usually have to give wide windows for pick-ups. It is a service of last resort. Some examples of paratransit internationally include: London - Dial-a-Ride Berlin - Telebus Hong Kong: Rehabus So, yeah, this is pretty much the international norm these days.