FY2017 PROPOSED BUDGET

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Proposed FY2017 Budget
Chapter 3
FY2017 Business Plan
The ACCS Business Plan is centered on three strategic objectives: (1) all of Metro’s services are
continuously safe and accessible to our customers with disabilities; (2) MetroAccess paratransit
service is delivered efficiently and effectively; and (3) specialized transportation alternatives are
fully leveraged to ensure the ongoing sustainability of MetroAccess. The ADA Policy & Planning
office works closely with Metro’s engineers, planners, bus, rail and communications staffs to
ensure that our doors are opened to the greatest number of people with disabilities. Over 16 million
customers use our accessible bus and rail services every year. Our Eligibility Certification &
Outreach office operates a thorough and compliant paratransit eligibility determination process
that contributes to the sustainability of the service by ensuring that only those who need paratransit
are determined eligible. Effective marketing provides another choice for customers with
disabilities - using the accessible fixed-route system over the paratransit option. The fixed-route
option also provides greater travel independence and significantly reduced costs to the customer.
The MetroAccess office manages our paratransit service through a team of contractors. In
FY2014, ACCS successfully implemented a new multi-contractor, performance-based business
model (with a total value of $1.0 billion in contracts over a 10-year performance period) comprised
of five separate contracts: service delivery (three contractors); call center operations; and quality
assurance. Benefits from the new model have already materialized through innovative approaches
from our new contractors and improvements in efficiency, but a return of ridership growth requires
a regional strategy emphasizing demand management.
MetroAccess is tracked through five GM/CEO Business Plan performance measures, including
Customer Incident/Injury Rate, On-Time Performance, Customer Complaint Rate, Operating
Expense on Budget, and Capital Funds Invested.
New To FY2017
Acting on a study of MetroAccess long-term sustainability, which included a demand projection
through 2025, ACCS is developing and implementing long term policy and operational strategies
and systems that support decreased use of, and more efficient delivery of paratransit services; and
increased use of paratransit alternatives. As part of this effort, ACCS is advancing its development
of a region-wide system of coordinated paratransit alternatives via partnerships with other entities
that can perform specialized transportation service to substitute or supplement MetroAccess.
ACCS is planning technological advancements to include a smart phone application, real time
traffic map information and enhanced radio communications between the dispatchers and
operators.
We will also work to reduce ACCS operating expenses by identifying segments of MetroAccess
demand and utilize non-ADA service, either contracted or funded directly by Metro, to provide
the requested service.
ACCS is pursuing more non-ADA paratransit alternatives, such as vehicle transfers to human
service agencies that enable them to operate their own paratransit services, saving money for Metro
and jurisdictions and providing better service to customers.
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