Assessment Center Increases Daily Capacity for New Applicants and Recertifications
Access-A-Ride Had Over 800,000 Rides in September, Set Record with 40,000 Daily Trips
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York City Transit today announced the opening of a new Paratransit Assessment Center in Lower Manhattan at 3 Stone Street, which will be used as part of the eligibility determination process for new Access-A-Ride (AAR) customers and those looking to recertify their eligibility. The new center provides a more convenient assessment location for paratransit applicants who live or work in Manhattan and increases capacity across the system of AAR Assessment Centers that serve thousands of paratransit customers each month.
NYC Transit repurposed 1,600 square feet of the MTA’s bid suite, which has seen less use since the COVID-19 pandemic, to create a convenient assessment location with three interview rooms. This location is easily accessible by bus or subway, and paratransit provides free trips to and from assessment appointments to all applicants who request this service. So far in 2024, paratransit has processed 32,680 applications and 8,130 recertifications, making nearly an 11% increase from 2023.
“This new facility couldn’t be coming online at a better time with customer satisfaction soaring, on-time performance and ridership way up. Just yesterday we hit a new online milestone with 40,000 trips booked,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “No where else in the country is a mass transit service far exceeding its pre-COVID base. MTA Paratransit is unique, and this didn’t happen by accident.”
“Customers are voting with their trips and showing us that they have been seeing reliability improvements, and the data backs that up,” said NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. “Between a new assessment center, electric vehicles joining the fleet and a new wheelchair securement system, we have made real improvements to paratransit service, with more to come.”
“Creating a modern paratransit operation means giving our customers options, whether that be new assessment centers for the eligibility process or using an app to book and track trips,” said MTA Chief Accessibility Officer Quemuel Arroyo. “All of our customers deserve a world class transit service, and we are delivering that by improving on-time performance, reducing vendor no-shows and reducing phone wait times.”
“The MTA continues to invest in improving Access-A-Ride service and providing more options for our customers, including this new Assessment Center and a new digital inquiry form to start the application process without a phone call,” said New York City Transit Acting Vice President of Paratransit Rachel Cohen. “The team at Access-A-Ride has made monumental improvements, and we are up for the challenge of continuing to improve service for our record-high ridership.”
Through September 2024, Access-A-Ride has seen 6.8 million trips, with 800,000 trips for 79,000 customers in September alone. AAR is on pace to exceed pre-COVID service with more than nine million trips in 2024. On Wednesday, Oct. 30, Access-A-Ride set a daily record with 40,000 scheduled trips.
Customer satisfaction continues to increase year-to-year as customers respond to improvements to the service. For example, amid historic on-time performance, AAR adopted a more customer-friendly 20-minute standard to measure on-time pickups earlier this year. Even with the tighter performance metric, on-time performance continues to constantly exceed 90%.
Paratransit customers are also taking advantage of different tools and channels to book trips. Between the MY AAR app, webpage and recurring subscription trips, 30% of AAR trips are now booked without the customer needing to pick up the phone.
Learn more about Access-A-Ride Paratransit Service here.
“The Paratransit team at Access-a-Ride ensures that New Yorkers with disabilities and mobility issues can receive necessary transportation services wherever they are in our city,” said Representative Dan Goldman. “The opening of Access-a-Ride's new Paratransit Assessment Center is a major victory for paratransit customers, who can now access an evaluation center in all five boroughs. I want to thank MTA’s paratransit team for their work delivering equitable and accessible transportation to all New Yorkers.”
“I applaud the MTA for their expanded investment in the Access-A-Ride program,” said Assembly Member Alex Bores. “The MTA’s continued focus on accessibility is paramount for the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who use these kinds of services every year. As the son of a mother with multiple sclerosis, I have seen the difference that increased transit accessibility means to so many and look forward to partnering with the MTA on future improvements.”
“I am thrilled to hear that the MTA is opening a new Paratransit Assessment Center here in Manhattan, after several years of not having one located in the borough,” said State Senator Liz Kreuger. “This will make obtaining an eligibility assessment for essential services such as Access-A-Ride easier for my constituents and for all Manhattanites. I applaud the MTA for their commitment to ensuring such assessments are available for all New Yorkers.”
“I'm thrilled to see the MTA's new Paratransit Assessment Center open right here in Lower Manhattan,” said Council Member Christopher Marte. “This center represents a significant step forward in ensuring that all New Yorkers, regardless of mobility challenges, can access the services they need efficiently and effectively. With record-breaking ridership for Access-A-Ride, it’s clear how crucial reliable paratransit services are to our community. This new facility will play an important role in empowering thousands of residents in my district and across the city to access the opportunities and resources that make New York thrive.”
"Access-A-Ride is an invaluable pillar of New York City's transit system, and the new Assessment Center will help ensure that disabled New Yorkers face fewer obstacles getting where they need to go,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “While more needs to be done to continue to improve reliability, this is a milestone achievement.”
"The growing number of New Yorkers with disabilities deserve to enjoy a full life, just like their non-disabled peers, but often face barriers to access throughout our city,” said MTA Paratransit Advisory Committee Chair RueZalia Watkins. “That is why the MTA’s opening of a new assessment center for Access-A-Ride services is a welcome and needed addition. Now, disabled persons in Manhattan and across NYC will have another option to apply for paratransit services. This will help them more easily access the services they need to go to houses of worship, medical appointments, shopping, work, the movies and more, just like other New Yorkers."
“As an advocate, I think it is great that Paratransit applicants will have another Assessment Center option,” said ACTA Community Outreach Officer Chris Greif. “The Manhattan Assessment Center will make it easier for people with disabilities and seniors applying for Paratransit to get assessed at a safe and fully accessible location.”