Report recommends Pace change the new status quo

Pace needs to reform its reforms of paratransit service, an advisory group told agency leaders Wednesday.

Pace has always operated paratransit, a ride service for individuals with disabilities, in the suburbs. In 2006, it took over providing paratransit service in the city from the Chicago Transit Authority. When Pace in March instituted a new system that divided Chicago into three zones, the move got instant criticism and as a result Chairman Richard Kwasneski formed a "Blue Ribbon Committee" to study problems with paratransit and how to fix them.

Chief among the panel's recommendations were to revisit the zoning system, but the committee also strongly urged Pace to educate staff about the needs of riders with disabilities, resolve complaints quickly, maintain and evaluate vehicles that pick people up, have a regionwide ride dispatching system and provide information in accessible formats such as Braille.

"You need to seriously consider these recommendations for action so this is not another report that goes up on the shelf," committee Chairman Tony Paulauski said.

"This is a really important start," said Karen Tamley, commissioner of the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities.

It could take weeks, however, before Pace leaders vote on some of the ideas and there was little comment on the report other than to commend committee volunteers who included paratransit users, government officials and representatives from advocacy groups.

"The report has only just come to us," Kwasneski said.

The report suggested Pace resolve the zoning question by March, but Kwasneski noted that the issue is complicated,

"My only concern is timing. We need to figure out the best avenue," he said.

"I don't want to do any reactionary changes to zoning without (getting) the best results. Is there a different way to do it? What does it cost?"

But some of the recommendations "could be very easily done," he said.

A few committee members, who ironically arrived late to the meeting because of paratransit delays, said they were disappointed with the process and felt left out.

"I feel there wasn't a lot of us heard," Alva Rodriguez said. "You don't see what it does to us to have paratransit you cannot rely on."

"I thought the report could have gone further," Sharon Lamp said. "I thought we would participate in a more in-depth process."

The dissenting members submitted a "minority report," that expanded on some of the recommendations and also differed from the Blue Ribbon Committee's suggestion to create two groups of paratransit riders to advise the Pace board - one from Chicago and the other from the suburbs.

Currently there's just one advisory panel, but tensions have arisen between its members and Pace staff.

Pace officials said they could not comment on the minority report since they were just receiving it.