Posts Tagged ‘Transportation and Travel’

Have you Had Problems Using Clipper Cards?

Disability Rights Advocates is investigating complaints regarding barriers that blind or visually impaired persons have experienced attempting to tag on or tag off at Caltrain stations using Clipper Cards.

If you have been unable to successfully tag on or tag off using a Clipper Card at a Caltrain station, have been unable to locate Clipper Card tagging machines due to the absence of tactile directional floor tiles, or have had to seek the assistance of a sighted person due to the inaccessibility of Clipper Card tagging machines, Disability Rights Advocates would like to talk to you. To share your stories, please contact Scott Murray by phone at 510-665-8644 or by e-mail at smurray@dralegal.org.

NFB Early Explorers Program

The National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute announces the NFB Early Explorers Program. This free program is designed to introduce young blind children (age birth to 7) and their families to the long white cane.

Through the program parents will receive the tools, support and confidence needed to become their child’s first cane travel teacher. Providing children with an early start to independent movement and travel ensures that children will be more confident and curious travelers throughout life.

Families participating in the program will receive a free child-sized white cane, “Travel Tales” (a quarterly e-newsletter), an informational DVD and more.

To learn about this program or to register, please visit www.nfb.org/earlyexplorers, email earlyexplorers@nfb.org or call 410-659-9314, ext. 2418.

Calling All Domestic Airline Travelers

Have you asked for assistance at an airport? What was your experience with the assistance you received? The LightHouse wants to know. Come discuss your domestic travel experiences.

When: Tuesday, January 24, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Where: LightHouse San Francisco Headquarters

The LightHouse advocacy team is examining the process in which travelers who are blind or visually impaired are assisted at various U.S. airports. The team is trying to determine if there are systematic failures with the current procedures. Have you been placed in holding areas for the disabled? Are you told to use wheelchairs even if you do not need one? Have you missed flights because of delays in “assistance”? Are you treated with respect?

Please join the discussion. Light refreshments will be served. To RSVP and for more information contact Beth Berenson at 415-694-7322 or bberenson@lighthouse-sf.org.

Elevator Out of Service at Civic Center Station December 14, 15 and 16

This morning, BART issued the following bulletin:

STREET-LEVEL ELEVATOR
OUT-OF-SERVICE
AT CIVIC CENTER STATION
December 14, 15 and 16

We apologize for the inconvenience that will be caused by the street-level elevator repair at Civic Center Station. The flooring needs to be replaced and the work should take no more than 3 days to complete.

While the repairs are going on, the elevator will not be available for use. Passengers who rely on the elevator should plan to use the elevator at a different station. We hope that once the work is complete, it will result in many more years of trouble-free operation.

Thank you for your patience.

To check the operational status of the elevators at nearby stations, please call 510-834-LIFT or 888-2-ELEVAT.

If you need language assistance services, please call BART’s Transit Information Center at (510) 465-2278.

Bus Rapid Transit on Van Ness Avenue – Public Comment on Environmental Impact Accepted through Dec. 19

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is intended as an affordable approach to creating rapid transit along Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco’s major north-south transit route, for two miles between Mission and Lombard streets.

The San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency is analyzing the environmental impact of three BRT build alternatives and one design variation. They include:

• Dedicated bus lanes, helping reduce transit travel time by 32%.
• Transit signal priority, giving buses more green lights and helping increase transit reliability by up to 50%.
• Faster, level boarding through all doors to reduce transit delays by more than 40%.
• These benefits are estimated to contribute to a 35% increase in transit ridership along the corridor.
• While undergoing planning and design, the project received the FTA’s highest rating for cost-effectiveness several years in a row, an indication of its high benefit-to-cost ratio.

A Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) is available for public review and comment for 45 days, with all comments due December 19 (see How to Read and Comment on the EIS/EIR). The document compares BRT alternatives to conditions without BRT and documents how the BRT alternatives would affect a range of issues.

A formal public hearing for the EIS/EIR will take place on November 30 and an online webinar will take place on December 5 (see details below).

• The public hearing will be held on November 30, 2011, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Golden Gateway, 1500 Van Ness Ave. The event will include an open house from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. with staff available to answer questions, followed by a short presentation. A court reporter will be available during the public hearing to take verbal comments on the EIS/EIR.
• A webinar will be held on December 5, 2011, at noon. Register here.
• The next meeting of the Van Ness Avenue BRT Citizens Advisory Committee, open to the public, will be held on Tuesday, November 15, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the SFCTA offices, 100 Van Ness Ave., 26th floor.

LightHouse Seeks Community Feedback for Transit-Mapping Project

Maps are an integral aspect of daily life in our society, conveying essential information about the world we live in. Having access to that information is necessary to participate in society and gives people the ability to do what they couldn’t do before.

If someone is newly blind or learning a neighborhood from scratch, having access to maps is a real asset. But for blind people, obtaining maps has been difficult and expensive.

The LightHouse is making significant change in this area by developing accessible transit maps to enhance the ability of blind and visually impaired individuals to effectively use public transit in the Bay Area.

We are developing, and will distribute, “strip maps,” which will present concise information about selected transit routes in Braille and large print. The strip maps will be developed for BART, Muni, SamTrans and Caltrain routes.

We need your help to select additional transit routes for which we may produce strip maps in the future. Currently, our highest priority will be to make strip maps for additional Muni and Samtrans routes, particularly routes serving the Market Street corridor or routes linking to BART or Caltrain, but your recommendations about routes throughout the Bay Area are welcome.

Click here to take the survey

For more information about this project please call Frank Welte at 415-694-7363 or send email to fwelte@lighthouse-sf.org.

Important Information for Red and Green BART Ticket Users

BART is moving away from paper tickets to Clipper. Here’s what you need to know if you are an RTC cardholder who uses red tickets or a senior who uses green tickets:

• Red tickets (for individuals with disabilities) and green tickets (for seniors) will continue to be sold but only at nine locations.
• BART faregates will always accept red and green tickets.
• Clipper is the most convenient way to pay discount fares.
• The RTC Discount Card is also a Clipper card so if you have one you’re ready to make the move now!

Once you get the hang of it, you’ll see that paying by RTC/Clipper or Senior Clipper card is easier than dealing with red or green tickets. And, of course, you’ll get the 62.5% discount each time you take a trip!

Here’s how to use the RTC/Clipper and Senior Clipper card:
First, you need to load money on your RTC Discount Card or Senior Clipper card. Use cash or credit or debit card.

• You can do this at ticket vending machines in all BART stations.
• Or, you can call or go online to Clipper Customer Service.

Now, you’re ready to use your RTC Discount or Senior Clipper card to pay your fare.

• As you enter and exit, touch your card to the Clipper disk on the faregate. It’s the raised round blue disk on top. If you’re using the accessible gate, you’ll find the disk to your right on the side of the faregate.
• As you exit, check the faregate display. You’ll see the discount fare paid and your card balance.

What you’ll love best about using your RTC or Senior Clipper Card:

• You can put money on your card in BART stations. No more searching for a vendor that sells red or green BART tickets before you make a trip.
• You can add whatever amount works best for you instead of being limited to a set denomination red or green BART ticket. And, you can use cash or credit or debit card and order by phone or online, too.
• You’ll never have to deal with leftover tickets again.
• You can check the card balance at any ticket vending machine before you start the trip and add money if you don’t have enough.
• You’ll know the true fare for each trip you take since your card will be charged the 62.5% discount fare as you exit.

You can get in-station help from a BART station agent or you can call the BART Transit Information Center (510-465-2278) or Clipper Customer Service (877-878-8883), or go online to http://bart.gov/ or https://clippercard.com.

RTC Discount Cards are issued to individuals with qualifying disabilities. Call your local transit agency for an application.

You can apply for a Senior Clipper card at one of BART’s outreach events, at the Lake Merritt BART station or at any other local transit agency.

Global Explorers Welcomes Blind Student Applicants

Global Explorers, a nonprofit providing educational travel experiences for students, is accepting applications for its 2012 “Leading the Way” program. Program expeditions in 2012 include the Peruvian Highlands and the Grand Canyon. Blind or visually impaired students age 15 to 21 can apply at  http://www.globalexplorers.org/programs/leading_the_way/.

Peruvian Highlands: Cusco, Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu, Peru, July 8 to 17, 2012

The Peruvian highlands are an ideal landscape to experience the power of a determined human spirit and to challenge yourself as a leader. Spend the first three days experiencing culture in the city of Cusco and the breathtaking Sacred Valley and the next five days hiking through spectacular mountain vistas and ancient Inca ruins.

Rim to River: Grand Canyon, Arizona, July 20 to 31, 2012

Spend the first three days engaging in service and experiencing the vast culture of the area on the South Rim of the Canyon and the next seven days on the upper half of the world-renowned Colorado River. The team will raft exhilarating whitewater, float through calm stretches and journey by foot through slot canyons.

Full scholarships are available, including special scholarships designated for participants from Massachusetts and the Pacific Northwest.

The deadline to apply is Friday, November 18, 2011.

If you have any questions or would like more information (braille and large print materials are available), please contact Laura Portalupi at laura@globalexplorers.org or 1-877-627-1425. Learn more about Global Explorers at their site.

Alameda Paratransit Shuttle

The City of Alameda Paratransit Shuttle service provides a free way for seniors (55 years and older) and individuals with disabilities to access major destinations around the city of Alameda. The shuttle operates from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Shuttle Routes:
Tuesdays – West Loop (between Alameda Point, Webster Street, Mastick Senior Center and downtown Alameda)

Wednesdays – East Loop (between Bay Farm Island, High Street, downtown Alameda, Alameda Hospital and Mastick Senior Center)

Thursdays – Central Loop (between South Shore Center, Shoreline Drive/Westline Drive, Mastick Senior Center, Alameda Hospital, Marketplace and Bridgeside Center)

For more information, contact Donatella Zepplin of the Mastick Senior Center at 510-747-7513 or dzepplin@ci.alameda.ca.us. Schedules are available at http://alamedaparatransit.com/.

City of Alameda Paratransit services are funded by Measure B.

Spots Still Open for November Reno Trip

Clients and other interested parties are welcome to join us for the LightHouse trip to Reno from Thursday, November 3 to Friday, November 4, 2011. Cost is $65 for room, bus ride and some match play.

We’ll depart from LightHouse headquarters in San Francisco at 9:00 a.m. on November 3 and spend the night at the Sands Regency Casino Hotel in Reno. Our group will return to the LightHouse at 6:30 p.m. on November 4.

For full details and to sign up, contact Molly Irish at 415-694-7320 or mpearson@lighthouse-sf.org.