Know Your MARTA Rights
Your MARTA Rights
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires public transit agencies to reasonably accommodate their passengers with disabilities.
In November 2001, the Disability Law and Policy Center of Georgia brought a lawsuit (Martin v. MARTA) against MARTA for its failure to provide safe, accessible transportation for people with disabilities. A federal judge found a “system-wide pattern and practice of discrimination against people with disabilities” at MARTA and ordered wide-ranging reforms. Some of the reforms that the Court ordered are set out below.
You may obtain customer information and service from MARTA by phone or e-mail:Image of stick figures holding hands including a child in a wheelchair.
MARTA Customer Information 404-848-4711
MARTA Customer Service
404-848-4800
E-mail through the MARTA website:
www.itsmarta.com
Get a Tracking Number for Complaints:
When you make a complaint, request a tracking number. The tracking number is very important, so be sure they give you one! Complaints made through MARTA’s website are checked daily.
Follow-up and Resolution of Complaints:
If more information is needed, MARTA will give you three days to provide such information. You will receive a response or resolution within fifteen (15) days, with follow-up as necessary. The response will indicate the action(s) taken.
Problems with Customer Service:
We are monitoring compliance with the Court’s order. If MARTA fails to honor your ADA rights, LET THEM KNOW by reporting the problem to customer service. If you are unsatisfied with the response you receive from Customer Service, please note the tracking number and contact:
Debra Joyner, J.D.
Executive Director
Disability Law and Policy Center of Georgia, Inc.
755 Commerce Drive, Suite 415
Decatur, GA 30030
404-477-2481 (Voice)
770-270-5957 (Fax)
http://www.dlpcga.org
director@dlpcga.org
Paratransit scheduling:
MARTA must now answer all customer telephone calls within three minutes, and will not place you “on hold” unless necessary, and then only for five minutes. The employee must identify him- or herself, you will not be required to call back to confirm reservations, and you should be provided with a telephone number to call in case of difficulty on the day of the ride .
Pick Up Flags/Signs:
MARTA will now provide flags and/or signs that passengers with disabilities may use to signal a MARTA vehicle. You must still be at a designated pick-up spot or the nearest safe location.
Stop Announcements for Bus and Rail:
Bus and Rail Operators must announce all major transfer points, major intersections, destination points, major points of interest, and individual stops as requested by passengers.
Website:
MARTA now has software and hardware available to convert its website into synthesized speech or Braille. The website, www.itsmarta.com , will soon feature updated sections that address services for persons with disabilities.
Customer Information:
MARTA now is required to make available bus and rail schedules, system maps, brochures, customer guides, and public notices relating to MARTA services in accessible forms including Braille, large print, audio cassette and electronic data disks upon request to MARTA’s Customer Information Center or Office of Diversity and Opportunity.
Boarding Buses:
You have an absolute right to request a wheel chair lift or ramp, and Bus Operators are prohibited from questioning your need for a lift or ramp. If you are unable to board a bus at the designated stop, the Bus Operator must board you at the nearest safe point.
Lift/Ramp Malfunctions:
MARTA has increased their inspections of wheelchair lifts and ramps on fixed-route buses. If there is a malfunction, the Bus Operator must tell you the reason for the malfunction, if known, and in your presence notify MARTA by radio immediately of the malfunction and current bus location. MARTA must then notify the next bus approaching your location. You are guaranteed that a bus or alternative accessible vehicle will arrive within 30 minutes, or you will be given a free one-way voucher for your next trip. There will be a record kept for each malfunction, and the bus will be taken out of service until repaired.
Early Buses Must Wait:
If MARTA Paratransit arrives early, they must wait at least five minutes beyond the ready time. They cannot require you to board early.
Late Buses:
MARTA Paratransit has committed to on-time performance, but if a Paratransit vehicle is more than thirty (30) minutes late, you will not be charged with a “no show” if you decide not to wait beyond 30 minutes.
No Schedule Changes Without Your Agreement:
The pick-up time that you reserve cannot be changed unless you are notified and agree to the changed time.
Trip Delays Limited:
Your trip time should be comparable to that of other MARTA customers and cannot exceed the fixed-route time by more than thirty (30) minutes. MARTA is required to have enough Paratransit vehicles to serve the requests it receives.