FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Peri Jude Radecic, Director of Public Advocacy
July 8, 2005
(520) 327-9547, extension 24
Cell: (623) 308-5111
People with Disabilities to Receive Improved
Paratransit Service in
Settlement Agreement Reached in Preston v. City of
Tucson, July 8, 2005.....Today
in federal court, U.S. District Court Judge John Roll, in an order, approved a Settlement
Agreement between the
The Center brought the lawsuit after receiving numerous complaints about poor service including: numerous denials of requests for paratransit rides; denial of next-day paratransit service; too early or too late pick ups on a substantial number of occasions; excessive trip lengths; and refusal to schedule paratransit rides at the time of request.
“Since 2002, Van Tran and the City have significantly improved the paratransit service they provide for people with disabilities who qualify for paratransit service,” said Leslie Cohen, Executive Director and co-counsel on the case for the Center. “They have agreed to continue to meet the prescribed performance standards in the settlement agreement, thus ensuring comparability of public transportation service for and independence of people with disabilities.”
The Settlement Agreement provides for:
w Jurisdiction by the U.S. District Court to enforce the terms of the settlement agreement.
w Performance standards for trip denial rates, on-time pick ups, and trip lengths.
w
w Submission of monthly compliance reports to the Center to verify operating performance.
The 23-page Settlement Agreement also includes a denial of wrongdoing by the City as well as an acknowledgment that the City has made significant, good faith efforts to improve Van Tran before and after lawsuit was filed.
The terms of the Settlement Agreement are effective immediately. Individuals who experience problems with Van Tran should utilize current complaint procedures. Service complaints should be addressed to Van Tran administration by calling (520) 798-1000, Monday - Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
“The prescribed performance standards in the settlement agreement and the Center’s annual input in the City’s paratransit budget and planning process are intended to ensure that the City satisfies its obligations to plan and budget for 100% compliance with the paratransit requirements of the ADA,” said Andy Mudryk, Director of Litigation at the Center. “The agreement gives us the option of seeking court involvement if the City fails to meet the performance standards prescribed in the settlement agreement.”
Andy Mudryk and Leslie Cohen are the Center’s lead attorneys on this case.
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The
Arizona Center for Disability Law is a not for profit public interest law firm,
dedicated to protecting the rights of individuals with a wide range of
physical, mental, psychiatric, sensory and cognitive disabilities. The
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www.acdl.com P center@acdl.com