Testimony on the ADA Other forms of training are needed to sensitize drivers to the needs of people with various disabilities. And, training programs are needed to encourage disabled individuals to use public transit. Project ACTION will be working cooperatively with the transit industry and the disability community to implement better training programs. 3. Weather conditions Weather conditions have been a concern for transit operators when they purchase wheelchair lifts for their buses. Accelerated. Lift Cycle Testing study conducted in Syracuse, New York by the Urban Mass Transit Administration simulated conditions a bus lift would be exposed to during a ten-year period, compressing the ten years into nine months by inducing stresses at higher levels than originally designed. Results from this test indicate that in cold weather, the sand and salt used to break up ice on the roads builds up on the wiring and other mechanisms of the lift, rendering them inoperable. Though salt is highly corrosive and causes an accelerated deterioration and the hydraulic oil used in the pumps that elevate the lift freeze in low temperatures, manufacturers are alleviating this problem in several ways. They are now using a lighter oil, plating ferrous surfaces with a protective coating (reducing corrosion), switching to stainless steel, lubricating and priming components more frequently, and adding shielding devices to prevent salt and sand build up. Those properties that purchased lifts only to meet state laws or federal requirement have not had a positive experience. This is well exemplified by cities such as Milwaukee that discontinued their lift operations because of lift failures. On the other hand, almost without exception, many transit systems report that daily cycling of the lifts is the best preventive maintenance. Denver's Regional Transportation District conducts preventive maintenance service on their lifts every 2,000 miles. This service includes lubrication, function tests, a weight test of 600 pounds, a complete cleaning, and adjustments to any of the leveling sensors and protection devices on the lift itself. These systems are only a sample of those that are accessible and successful in inclement weather conditions. They show that weather does not pose an insurmountable impediment to the success of an accessible transit system. In fact, Denver's Regional Transportation District boasted that in 1986 99% of their 608 wheelchair lifts were kept operable, during both good and bad weather. Project ACTION will assist 36-873 0-91-27 Testimony on the ADA Page 6 in improving the reliability of lift equipment through the development and demonstration of new programs. 4. Securement devices Tie down and securement difficulties, especially with three wheeled motorized wheelchairs, has been identified by our initial research as being an area of concern to several transit authorities. Current wheelchair securement devices do not seem to be adequate for the new model of wheelchairs being produced. Although securement devices such as the Q-Straint system do exist that work well with three wheeled motorized wheelchairs, this is an area that is high on the Project ACTION funding priority list so that we can improve and replicate better forms of technology. There are several other areas where Project ACTION can improve the accessibility of public transportation through a cooperative process. For example, many cities have bus routes that are hilly or have inaccessible bus stops. One innovative program that we have identified is the "red mitt" program instituted by the Southeastern Michigan Area Rapid Transit District (SMART). Persons with disabilities who can a bus route merely hold up their hand with a red mitt. on and they become a bus stop. It doesn't matter that the bus stop is ten blocks down the street and up a hill or that there are no curb cuts to get to the bus stop. If you can get to the bus route you can ride the bus. Now people can wait at the end of their driveway and be picked up by a SMART bus. This program has been targeted by Project ACTION to be refined and replicated throughout the country. Thank you for the opportunity to testify on this historic legislation and I will answer any questions that I can. STATEMENT OF DAN DIRKS COMMUNITY RELATIONS REPRESENTATIVE THE STATE OF MICHIGAN HAS MANDATED ACCESSIBLE SERVICE SINCE 1979. SINCE THAT TIME, SMART HAS THERE HAS BEEN MUCH CONCERN ABOUT TRANSPORTING WHEEL CHAIR USERS ON THE LARGE BUS REGULAR ROUTE SERVICE OFFERED BY LOCAL TRANSIT AUTHORITIES, I SUGGEST THAT IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE MADE IN THE SYSTEM TO MAKE THE BUS SYSTEM AVAILABLE FOR ALL THE DISABLED. APPROXIMATELY FIVE YEARS AGO. MICHAEL PATTEN, A STAFF MEMBER OF THE VISUAL HANDICAPPED SERVICES DEPARTMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY HEALTH CENTER AT WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY, WHO IS A MEMBER OF THE SMART ADVISORY GROUP, COMPLAINED ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY IN SIGNALING THE SMART BUS IN THE DOWNTOWN DETROIT AREA. THERE ARE TWO TRANSIT PROVIDERS IN DETROIT, THE DETROIT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (FOR DETROIT ONLY TRIPS), AND SMART |