Metropolitan Council Approves Measures to Improve Metro Mobility Service
Assured Ride Home Program guarantees a ride in emergencies

Contact: Bonnie Kollodge (651) 602-1357

ST. PAUL-April 7, 2000--The Metropolitan Council has approved a two-part
strategy to continue
to reduce trip denials during peak travel times on Metro Mobility, a
transportation service for
people with disabilities. The plan includes a new program that assures
customers of a ride home in case of emergency, and a service change that
will free up more rides during peak travel times.
Assured Ride Home Program

On July 1, the Council will launch a six-month demonstration of the Assured
Ride Home Program
for Metro Mobility customers, which is modeled after a similar program for
regular route bus
riders. Metro Mobility customers who use the service at least three days a
week, about 850 riders, will be eligible to participate in the program.
Eligible participants will receive two coupons, free of charge, worth up to
$25 each. The coupons can be used for regular route bus, taxi, or other
licensed private transportation providers in emergencies, when customers
are unable to schedule a Metro Mobility ride.

Customers will pay the cost of their alternative transportation up front,
then submit a signed and
dated receipt for the fare, along with an Assured Ride Home Program coupon,
to the Metro Mobility Service Center (MMSC). MMSC can then issue a
reimbursement check for up to $25.00.
Customers may use two coupons together for fare reimbursement up to $50.00.
Service change

The Metropolitan Council also gave the go ahead for Metro Mobility to
provide regularly scheduled
"agency service" to an adult day care program in Minneapolis, in an effort
to relieve pressure on the system. "Agency service" is provided to
designated facilities with services for seniors and
developmentally disabled people, for example, as opposed to "demand
service." Demand service
composes the largest part of the service. It is scheduled for individuals
on short notice and
designed for trips that do not occur regularly. The result is that more
trips will be freed up for
customers who use the demand service during peak travel times, when trip
denials are
traditionally highest.

"These new efforts will help more Metro Mobility customers get service when
and where they need it," said Dave Jacobson, Metro Mobility general
manager. "Currently, the service provides about 3,700 rides each weekday.
Because demand exceeds availability of service, however, we have been
forced to turn down about five percent of trip requests each
weekday--particularly during peak travel times. By reallocating resources
and offering the Assured Ride Home Program, we expect to provide more
rides, reduce trip denials and improve service to our customers."

Metro Mobility is a service of the Metropolitan Council. Along with three
county providers, Metro
Mobility serves nearly 23,000 certified riders. Funding comes from state
appropriations and
customer fares. A recent evaluation of the system by a peer review group
found the system to be
among the most efficient and productive in the country. Council officials
say they are committed to working with Metro Mobility and its customers in
an effort to further increase the system's
productivity.

The Metropolitan Council is the regional planning organization for the
seven-county Twin Cities
area. The Council advocates Smart Growth development for vital communities
and a competitive
region. It runs the regional bus system, collects and treats wastewater,
oversees surface and
groundwater management, plans regional parks and administers funds that
provide housing
opportunities for low- and moderate-income families.


-30-



===============

(c)1996-2000 All material on this site is copyright protected.
Revised by : Ray Manning 3rd of Paulsen & Company.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
This message posted by Paulsen and Co a non-profit disability awareness
organization.  For more information about us please check out our
website at:   http://www.winternet.com/~disabled/  [The Opinions And
Views Discussed Above Are Those Of The Writers, And Not Necessarily
Supported By The Groups Or Organizations Mention Above.]

Our postings are meant for informational purposes only. Individuals or
organizations wishing to be removed may request by submitting an EMail. We
honor all removal requests, due to a large list(s) and third party contacts
we ask for a ten business day policy. This allows for verification and the
removal from our multiple lists that  Paulsen and Company
and/or members of said lists manage, subscribe to, or otherwise maintain.
________________________________________________________________

     DISABLED & VOTES !!! DISABLED & VOTES !!! DISABLED & VOTES !!!
----------------------------------------------------------------------