Ancil Torres
Silver Spring, MD
February 21, 2022
Attn: Mr. Paul C. Smedberg
Chairman
WMATA Board of Directors
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)
600 5th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Dear Mr. Chairman:
I write to you today to fervently appeal for your full support and endorsement of my detailed Vision Zero for MetroAccess free fare plan. My plan is located on the web at Vision Zero for MetroAccess.
I predict that the disabled community, WMATA’s Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) and WMATA’s tri-state and federal funders will support this plan as well. I can easily predict this because my MetroAccess Vision plan is compassionate, just, sustainable, saves money, paid for, and FTA compliant.
it lifts an extremely heavy financial burden off the necks of disabled customers while lowering costs for WMATA and its state and federal funders.
The Revenue from MetroAccess is 0.00% of the WMATA operating budget. It is an inconsequential rounding error for Metro. By comparison At $13.00 for one round trip on paratransit is a whopping 2% of a disabled persons SSI fixed income just for one trip. I guarantee you that is not inconsequential or sustainable for a disabled MetroAccess rider.
All MetroAccess riders deserve a bailout too. Disabled WMATA MetroAccess ADA safety net paratransit riders were not given a free fare holiday covid bailout, even though Metro received billion-dollar tranches in covid bailout funding from the federal government.
Alexandria Virginia (your home) and Olympia Washington, as well as the country of Luxembourg have all adopted free fares for public transportation in the past two years just to name a few.
The eyes of the disabled community are upon you and the decision makers at Metro. I urge you and the WMATA Board of Directors to do the right thing and adopt free fares for WMATA MetroAccess paratransit riders. The disabled community has financially suffered long enough.
Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration of my Vision Zero for MetroAccess free fare plan.
Sincerely,
Ancil Torres
Blind Metro Customer