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St. Louis’ Call-A-Ride Woes Leave Disabled Riders in the Lurch | St. Louis Metro News | St. Louis

Published

2 years ago

October 23, 2023

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click to enlarge KATHLEEN LEES Seyoon Choi is blind, and finds himself juggling bus and MetroLink trips due to shortcomings with St. Louis’ paratransit service.

This story was commissioned by the River City Journalism Fund

Seyoon Choi walks down South Grand Boulevard — a dog harness in one hand, a cell phone in the other. His shift at West County Mall begins at 4 p.m. and he needs to get to the MetroLink.

A black labrador guides Choi through crosswalks and down steps until he reaches the Grand Station platform. He takes the 2:40 p.m. Blue Line west before transferring to a bus at the Maplewood-Manchester MetroLink station. Then he’s on the road for another 25 minutes to the mall.

“I’m lucky that I can use a hybrid of transportation options, because a lot of people can’t,” says Choi.

Choi, 23, has been blind since birth due to a retinal disease. But he has not been able to use St. Louis’ paratransit service, Call-A-Ride, to get to his job. No vans are available, or the pickup windows being offered are hours before his shift starts. What would be a 20-minute drive on Call-A-Ride is 75 minutes via MetroLink plus bus, not counting the time he must spendwalking to and from stops.

“Call-A-Ride would be a lot more ideal for me because the bus runs so infrequently,” said Choi. “If you miss it, you’re out of luck.”

Choi is one of many peopleaffected by problems with St. Louis’ Call-A-Ride.Service area cuts that began in April are just one of the issues encountered by users, who are people with disabilities for whom fixed-route transit isn’t always an option.

Under federal law, these people are supposed to be able to get rides that take them from home to work or to run errands. Instead, theyoften find themselves struggling with an outdated, unreliable system that leaves them stranded.

‘We Keep Losing More and More Service’

When area advocates first learned of potential cuts to Call-A-Ride serviceareas in March, they asked Metro Transit to postpone them and consider alternative solutions.

They didn’t.

Metro Transit cited labor shortagesas the reason for the cuts. More than a third of 47,000 Call-A-Ride trips requested in January 2023 had to be canceled, they said. Less than half of the open positions for van operators were filled.

“What we’re trying to do, especially with the service change, is match up our resources with our ability to provide service to our region,”says Charles Stewart, executive director of St. Louis Metro Transit, the regional system operated by Bi-State Development.

Metro Transit hadcut bus service over the years but not adjusted Call-A-Ride service since 2016.

Adjusting the service area affected about 250 regular customers, according to Metro. However, advocates saythecuts impacted Call-A-Ride customers traveling into and out of those areas on top of the people living there.

According to federal law, Metro must provide Call-A-Ride service within three-fourths of a mile around existing MetroBus and MetroLink routes. That means some customers living in areas where bus service has been reducedfaced a double blow of no longer being able to use Call-A-Ride, either.

“It’s really frustrating because we keep losing more and more service, and this is at the expense of people who need transportation the most,” says Robyn Wallen, the Transportation Committee chair of Missouri Council of the Blind.

Wallen, who is blind, is one of many advocates who filed a complaint in April with theU.S. Department of Justice and sent a letter to the Federal Transit Administration, citing numerous issues with local paratransit service.

These issues included pickup and drop-off windows that can vary by several hours,a requirement that riders pay for trips with cash and the requirement that users call to schedule rides between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., a time when many people are working. Most Call-A-Ride trips must also be scheduled three days in advance, Wallen says,when only one day in advance is required according to the federal Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. Lastly, riders are expected to be ready 15 minutes before their pickup time, which falls outside FTA guidelines.

In June, advocates met with Metro Transit representatives to discuss potential solutions, like bringing in consultantsand allowingmembers of the public in-person attendance at Bi-State commissioners’meetings so that commissioners can better understand the challenges that people with disabilities face. They also discussed the possibility of better wages and benefits for drivers.

Call-A-Ride van operators make less than bus and MetroLink drivers, with a starting payof $17.85 an hour and $19.32 for more experienced employees. However, bus driversmake $28.49 an hour, and MetroLink operators make $29.23 an hour.

A $5,000 hiring bonus offered in July for essential transit positions has helped increase the number of Call-A-Ridedriver trainees. Since then,Stewart says trip denials have decreased 50 percent and more than half of the budgeted positions have been filled.

“Things are coming along,” Stewart says.

But many riders say they’re still experiencing problems or have given up using the paratransit service. click to enlarge KATHLEEN LEES Seyoon Choi rides the bus to work with his trusty service dog resting under his seat.

‘Transportation That’s Not Reliable’

With seasons changing, some customers are nervous about slick sidewalks and extreme cold, as well as new cuts to existing bus routes.

Choi experienced this problem last winter.

He missed the 57 Manchester bus, an hourly bus that he takes as part of his commute to and from work. Choi then waited more than an hour outside after the mall had closed for the next bus to arrive. Unfortunately, the scheduled last bus never came that night.

“I felt kind of trapped,” says Choi, who eventually took Uber home at more than $20 for a single one-way trip. “My fear for this coming winter is that more routes will be canceled and having transportation that’s not reliable really adds to that barrier.”

While some Call-A-Ride customers splurge on Uber and Lyft to get around, formost it’s not affordable. Americans with disabilities tend to earn lessthan those without a disability, according to 2021 statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau. People with a disability earned a median of $28,438 compared to those without a disability at $40,948.

As an alternative option to Call-A-Ride, Metro offers Via, a ride-share service that charges a flat fee of $2 for a one-way trip, the same as Call-A-Ride. However, it is only available in three parts of St. Louis County, the service will not cross into other Via areas, and for some, it may not provide accessible pickups or drop offs.

For Barbara Fletcher of Florissant, Via does not provide an accessible drop-off to visit her grandchildren.

“Call-A-Ride used to take me right to the steps of my grandkids’ apartment, but now Via drops me off on the opposite side of North Hanley,” says Fletcher, who uses a wheelchair after a stroke. “I can’t get across there.”

Keasha Orban of Hazelwood has also struggled to get around following service area cuts to Call-A-Ride. Orban is blind and currently recovering from knee surgery.

Parts of Orban’s neighborhood still fall within the Call-A-Ride service area. However, her house was taken off the map. Orban must now walk one-third of a mile down the street and wait in front of a neighbor’s house to be picked up by Call-A-Ride.

“Walking down there was extremely painful,”says Orban, adding that there are no sidewalks in her neighborhood.

Running a ‘Modern, Efficient Transit System’

Staff from Paraquad, a disability services and support organization in St. Louis, and STLMetropolitan Alliance for Reliable Transit (SMART) were interviewed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Regan Hildebrand in September.

Hildebrand,who is part of the staff of federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of Missouri, is investigating complaints made by Call-A-Ride users who feel Metro has failed to comply with transit requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. That includes such issues as having to call service lines hundreds of times before getting a ride or having to book a ride several days in advance.

Since then,the two advocacy organizations have compiled surveys that focus on Call-A-Ride users’experiences as well as those navigating public transit.

Paraquad staff planned to start giving out surveys at FestAbility, an event held at theMissouri History Museum on October 7 that celebrated the disability communitythrough education, empowerment and unity. However, two recent cyberattacks targeting Metro Transitbroughtdown phone lines for booking Call-A-Ride trips; this prevented many people fromattending the event, as well as other activities and errands.

Some are concerned that Metro may be more vulnerable to cyberattacks and otherissues because of outdated software. They note that the paratransit service plan has also not been updated since 1992.(Metro Transit wouldn’t discuss the specifics of its software; however, Stewart says, “We arecontinuing to seek opportunities to enhance our operating procedures.”)

Jeanette Mott Oxford,Paraquad’s public policy and advocacy manager, says she wonders why consultants have not been brought in to alleviate issues, citing places where paratransit passengers havebetterexperiences such as UZURVin Richmond, Virginia, and IRISin Kansas City, Missouri.

“If you don’t have the capacity to build a system that works, why not bring in aconsultant?” asks Oxford, a former state representative known for her feisty advocacy work. “Why not run a modern, efficient transit system?”

Metro leaderssay they are not considering consultants at this time. Bi-State President and Chief Operating Officer Taulby Roachdefended that decision in an email to Paraquad in June.

“Outside consultants can be valuable, but in this case, we believe they would simplyvalidate what we already know: the workforce shortage is negatively impacting ourability to recruit enough drivers to deliver the level of service our community needs anddeserves,” Roach wrote. “We are in contact with other paratransit operations

across the country to learn best practices, ideas and new trends in mobility solutionsthat improve the services provided to our paratransit customers.”

Down the Road

Choi, who is working on a Master’sdegree in social work at St. Louis University,alsostarted an internship with Paraquad in August.

“What I’m doing right now is collecting data involving trip denials, and I’m flagging those in a document,” he says.

On a good day, Choi says he can use Call-A-Ride to get to Paraquad’s office— a 30-minute ridefor what would be about an 8-minute drive from his apartment. But oftentimes, he saysthere are no vans going to or from Paraquad and his request is denied.

In an effort to dismantle barriers, Metro Transit plans to expand a smartphone pilotprogram that would allow passengers to pay without cash. In addition, Via service areasmay also be expanded.

Some of these adjustments depend on staffing, though, and for those who depend onparatransit, they’re not enough.

“I think the biggest problem is that you have to plan your life around it [paratransit],” says Choi. “And it really shows how neglectful Metro is with Call-A-Ride.”

For more on the River City Journalism Fund, which provided funding for this project and seeks to support local journalism in St. Louis, please see rcjf.org.

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Fenton Man Charged in Sword Attack on Roommate

Published

1 year ago

May 22, 2024

Natural Bridge

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A warrant is out for a Fenton man’s arrest after he allegedly attacked his roommate with a sword.

Police say that on Sunday, Angelus Scott spoke openly about “slicing his roommate’s head” before he grabbed a sword, raised it up and then swung it down at the roommate.

The roommate grabbed Scott’s hand in time to prevent injury. When police arrived at the scene, they found the weapon used in the assault.

The sword in question was a katana, which is a Japanese sword recognizable for its curved blade.

This isn’t the first time a samurai-style sword has been used to violent effect in St. Louis. In 2018, a man hearing voices slaughtered his ex-boyfriend with a samurai sword. His mother said he suffered from schizoaffective disorder.

As for Scott, 35, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office was charged yesterday with two felonies, assault first degree and armed criminal action. The warrant for his arrest says he is to be held on $200,000 bond.

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Caught on Video, Sheriff Says He’s Ready to ‘Turn It All Over’ to Deputy

Published

1 year ago

May 22, 2024

Natural Bridge

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Video of St. Louis Sheriff Vernon Betts taken by a former deputy suggests that the sheriff has a successor in mind to hand the reins of the department over to, even as Betts is in an increasingly heated campaign for reelection.

“I ain’t here for all this rigmarole,” Betts says in the video while seated behind his desk at the Carnahan Courthouse. “The Lord sent me here to turn this department around and I’m doing the best I can and I think I’ve done a good job. I’ve got about eight months and I’m going to qualify for my fourth pension.”

He goes on, “Right now I can walk up out of here and live happily ever after and forget about all this…and live like a king.”

The sheriff then says his wife has been in Atlanta looking at houses and that the other deputy in the room, Donald Hawkins, is someone Betts has been training “to turn it all over to him.”

Asked about the video, Betts tells the RFT, “My future plans are to win reelection on August 6th by a wide margin and to continue my mission as the top elected law enforcement official to make St. Louis safer and stronger. Serving the people of St. Louis with integrity, honor and professional law enforcement qualifications is a sacred responsibility, and I intend to complete that mission.”

The video of Betts was taken by Barbara Chavers, who retired from the sheriff’s office in 2016 after 24 years of service. Chavers now works security at Schnucks at Grand and Gravois. Betts’ brother Howard works security there, too.

Chavers tells the RFT that she was summoned to Betts’ office last week after Betts’ brother made the sheriff aware that she was supporting Montgomery. It was no secret: Chavers had filmed a Facebook live video in which she said she was supporting Betts’ opponent Alfred Montgomery in the election this fall. “Make the judges safe,” she says in the video, standing in front of a large Montgomery sign on Gravois Avenue. “They need a sheriff who is going to make their courtrooms safe.”

In his office, even as Chavers made clear she was filming him, Betts told Chavers he was “flabbergasted” and “stunned” she was supporting Montgomery.

“I don’t know what I did that would make you go against the preacher man,” he says, referring to himself. He then refers to Montgomery as “ungodly.”

Betts goes on to say that not long ago, he was walking in his neighborhood on St. Louis Avenue near 20th Street when suddenly Montgomery pulled up in his car and, according to Betts, shouted, “You motherfucker, you this, you that. You’re taking my signs down.”

Montgomery tells the RFT that he’s never interacted with Betts outside of candidate forums and neighborhood meetings.

“I don’t think anyone with good sense would do something like that to a sitting sheriff,” Montgomery says.

Montgomery has had campaign signs missing and on at least two occasions has obtained video of people tearing them down. (Chavers notes that the sign that she filmed her original Facebook video in front of is itself now missing.)

One man who lives near Columbus Square says that he recently put out two Montgomery signs, which later went missing. “If they keep taking them, I’ll keep putting them up,” he said.

Betts says he has nothing to do with the missing signs. In the video Chavers filmed in Betts’ office, Betts says that his campaign isn’t in a spot where it needs to resort to tearing down opponents’ signs.

“If you sit here long enough, a man is getting ready to come across the street from City Hall bringing me $500, today,” Betts says. “I’m getting that kind of support. I don’t need to tear down signs.”

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St. Louis to Develop First Citywide Transportation Plan in Decades

Published

1 year ago

May 21, 2024

Natural Bridge

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The City of St. Louis is working to develop its first citywide mobility plan in decades, Mayor Tishaura Jones’ office announced Tuesday. This plan seeks to make it easier for everyone — drivers, pedestrians, bikers and public transit users — to safely commute within the city.

The plan will bring together other city projects like the Brickline Greenway, Future64, the MetroLink Green Line, and more, “while establishing new priorities for a safer, more efficient and better-maintained transportation network across the City,” according to the release.

The key elements in the plan will be public engagement, the development of a safety action plan, future infrastructure priorities and transportation network mapping, according to Jones’ office.

The overarching goals are to create a vision for citywide mobility, plan a mixture of short and long-term mobility projects and to develop improved communication tools with the public to receive transportation updates. In recent years, both people who use public transit and cyclists have been outspoken about the difficulties — and dangers — of navigating St. Louis streets, citing both cuts to public transit and traffic violence.

To garner public input and participation for the plan, Jones’ office said there will be community meetings, focus groups and a survey for residents to share their concerns. The city will also be establishing a Community Advisory Committee. Those interested in learning more should check out at tmp-stl.com/

“Everyone deserves to feel safe when getting around St. Louis, whether they’re driving, biking, walking or taking public transit,” Jones said in a news release. “Creating a comprehensive transportation and mobility plan allows us to make intentional and strategic investments so that moving around St. Louis for jobs, education, and entertainment becomes easier, safer and more enjoyable.”

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