Pace paratransit woes hit a turning point

I spent a fascinating few hours at the Pace Blue Ribbon Committee meeting on Friday.

No, I'm not kidding. And it's not just that my tolerance for boredom is frighteningly high after years of government reporting and Daily Herald staff meetings.

First a little background. Paratransit service for Chicagoans with disabilities was shifted to Pace starting in 2006 from the Chicago Transit Authority.

Pace took a while listening to customers and learning about problems with the system under the CTA, before instituting changes in March that included dividing the city into three zones.

The reforms went over like a lead balloon.

For starters, the computer system that schedules rides malfunctioned the first few days. Then, came a host of criticisms about the carriers Pace hired to transport disabled riders. People complained about drivers who weren't trained and didn't know the city, rides that were canceled and interminable trips.

What riled people most, however, was the zone system that riders described as burdensome and overly complicated to navigate.

After getting an earful from irate passengers, Pace Chairman Richard Kwasneski this summer formed a "Blue Ribbon" committee composed of paratransit riders, government experts and advocates for the disabled and asked them to review the situation.

Now the Blue Ribbon panel is expected to report back to Pace shortly and like a lot of committees, it's got a mind of its own.

In one significant decision, members unanimously agreed that the entire zoning system that Pace took months to implement needs to be re-evaluated.

Here are some other recommendations:

• Pace should check all the vehicles used for paratransit to ensure they're safe and comfortable.

• Pace needs to get independent reviewers to take paratransit trips and rate the service, similar to Secret Shopper programs.

• Pace should hire disability experts to train drivers, dispatchers and other staff in dealing with riders with special needs.

The recommendation that brought the most debate, and even some tears, was to create two separate advisory boards - one from Chicago and the other from the suburbs - to counsel the Pace board on disability matters. Pace currently has one ADA advisory committee.

Supporters of dual committees said the issues were too complex for one group to handle, while opponents argued splitting the baby in half undermines a regional approach to paratransit.

The next chapter comes when the BR panel delivers its report to Pace. It'll be interesting to see how it's received.

Flotsam and jetsam

• Wake up! That's the theme of the National Sleep Foundation's Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, which starts Monday. Nodding off at the wheel causes more than 100,000 crashes a year, the National Highway Traffic Administration reports. So how do you prevent yawning at the wheel? Not surprisingly, the first piece of advice is get enough sleep. Other suggestions are: exercise before long drives, make your passenger responsible for keeping you entertained and alert and, thirdly, play upbeat songs. I have a surefire way to stay awake on the road, but not everyone owns a large dog that barks hysterically at every passing car and pedestrian.

• Have you ever parked your car in Chicago and returned to find an expensive ticket on your window? Have you ever put off paying the fine because - well, you don't live in Chicago and you figure they can't track you down? Well, maybe it's elation over favorite son Barack Obama winning the presidency, but the city is unbending its rules and plans a parking and red-light ticket amnesty program from Dec. 1 to Feb. 14. Motorists will still need to pay the full ticket penalty but late fees will decrease by 50 percent.

• The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics just released its September figures and we're No. 3! Well, actually Midway is third in the nation for on-time arrivals with a 91 percent score. O'Hare gets a late slip, ranking 28th among major U.S. airports, with an on-time performance of 76 percent.

Incoming

• The Canadian National Railway's plan to buy the smaller EJ&E railroad and move freights onto its tracks will get some attention in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, Nov. 18. The Surface Transportation Board, which has authority over railroad transactions, will hold a meeting to discuss a pending environmental impact report on the proposed merger with agency staff. The meeting starts at 9 a.m. and a broadcast will be available on the Internet at stb.dot.gov by going to Information Center/Webcast/Live Video.

• The Illinois Tollway will hold hearings in various counties on its plans for carpool lanes and interchange improvements this week. These include: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Deerfield Council Chambers, 850 Waukegan Road; 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday at the Huntley Park District Rec Center, 12015 Mill St; 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at the Aurora Council Chambers, 44 E. Downer Place; and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday at the Naperville city hall, 400 S. Eagle St.