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Muni apologizes for paratransit failures as van provider changes hands; short deadline set for fixes
Summary
Muni officials apologized for a year of poor ADA van service, outlined steps taken after Transmetro Express was acquired by TechTrans (rebranded Mobility Plus), and set 30‑day and 90‑day windows to reverse negative trends while asking riders to document complaints for monitoring.
Muni’s paratransit coordinator acknowledged a sustained decline in service quality and apologized to riders while describing a corrective plan now underway.
"This past year has been very difficult in the ADA van service and the service has not been of a quality that's been acceptable to the community, to Muni, or the paratransit broker," said Kate Toren, the paratransit coordinator, during the Mayor’s Disability Council meeting on March 16. She said Muni provided about 1,200,000 paratransit trips in the last fiscal year and described a series of operational breakdowns after contracts awarded in 2006.
Toren summarized the contracting history: after a July 2005 RFP to create competition in van service, two providers were selected and contracts began April 1, 2006. MedSam gave notice within 90 days and Transmetro Express took over most service, but the broker concluded last fall that management problems and undercapitalization left Transmetro unable to deliver reliably. Toren said Transmetro was acquired by an LA‑based firm, TechTrans, on March 1 and the provider will operate under a new name, Mobility Plus.
City and broker officials told the council they have set a short corrective timeline: they are seeking measurable improvements within 30 days and contract compliance within 90 days. Toren described concrete remedies already underway: added weekend supervision, retraining front‑line phone staff on etiquette, new dispatchers and lead dispatch roles, added field monitors and a window‑dispatch check that verifies drivers’ uniforms, communications gear and tie‑downs before they go on duty. Toren also said the provider is retraining staff and adding dispatch capacity and that Muni and the broker are tracking daily reports on complaints, late trips and on‑time performance.
On operational backups, Toren said the contract emphasizes that if a van is 45 minutes late, the company should dispatch a taxi as backup and that both the provider and the broker can authorize taxi backups for critical trips such as dialysis. She also described a plan to add AVL/GPS vehicle‑location technology to improve driver visibility for dispatch and riders.
Council members and riders pressed for ways to report and document problems. Toren urged riders to call the paratransit office and the broker: the paratransit complaint number is 351‑7052 and Toren provided a direct line (701‑4440) for follow‑up. She said community feedback is being used to monitor trends and that the broker is holding weekly meetings with the provider while Muni engages in daily calls.
The council heard firsthand examples from riders—long waits, missed appointments and communication breakdowns—and several members urged vigorous enforcement if the provider does not meet the 90‑day compliance goal. Toren told the group that if Mobility Plus does not show improvement the broker will initiate a replacement process and that other qualified van companies are available to bid.
The council invited additional community input as staff and the broker continue to track performance and report back.
