In Detroit, people with disabilities say transit system unreliable, dangerous

From the Detroit Free Press:

A public hearing on the Detroit Department of Transportation's plans to offer new services to people with disabilities and seniors turned into a chance for riders of the city's paratransit system to complain about recent disruptions.

DDOT is working to get $8.2 million in federal grants to offer specialized transit to low-income people who need help getting to work, and to expand service options for seniors and people with disabilities.

The service, called Detroit Mobility 1st, would begin in April if the grants are approved.

But disabled transit riders still are stung by the city's ongoing dispute with a contractor that provided specialized MetroLift rides until recently. The city said it terminated its contract with Veolia Transportation Nov. 6, while the company said DDOT stopped making payments to the company in February.

Transit riders said service has been unreliable and insensitive to users' needs since the city began replacing rides by Veolia with new contractors.

Northwest Detroiter Tommy Meadows, 59, said rides are arriving too early without notification, wheelchair users are sometimes made to be picked up from streets rather than sidewalks or other safer locations, and DDOT's phone system fails at times.

"What we're finding now is dangerous," Meadows said.

DDOT officials declined to talk about the Veolia issue. The company filed a nearly $10-million federal lawsuit against the city for breach of contract.