IndyGo CEO to I-Team 8: ‘We go beyond what the ADA requires in many respects’
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — I-Team 8’s Richard Essex was given exclusive access to IndyGo CEO Inez Evans after an I-Team 8 investigation found failures with equipment required by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) on Red Line buses.
The interview aired as an “UnPHILtered” conversation on News at 11 with Phil Sanchez.
Essex offered Evans the opportunity to talk about the investigation.
“What the story highlights is the importance of ADA and our ability to meet the needs of our community. I think we both have that in common, that we have a desire to ensure that everyone is being treated equally and that everyone has an opportunity for accessibility within our community … My oldest son is a person with a disability, so fighting for the rights of the disabled is a personal passion of my own and I don’t take accessibility lightly. The rights of the disabled are very important to me. I cut my teeth in transit under the ADA, so it’s our bread and butter,” Evans said.
I-Team 8’s investigation introduced Kaine Walters, a WISH-TV employee who uses a wheelchair and depends on IndyGo to get to and from work. Colleagues have listened to his struggle with IndyGo for two years.
Essex told Evans that Walters says the Quantum system is fabulous when it works because mobility is freedom for Walters. It allows him to come in and not depend on anyone else.
“It has definitely been a higher failure rate than we would have liked to have seen, but we are not the only transit agency that is experiencing that with the Quantum,” Evans said. “But I will say the manufacturer of the Quantum system is the same manufacturer who does our four-point tie-down strap system, so they’re very dedicated to mobility and the securement and the safety of customers. With the supply chain issues that we have had in America across all spectrums, they were affected as well … I think we’ve also seen that maybe we need to change our process and check them a little bit more often with our maintenance team. Our drivers check them on a daily basis, but our maintenance team is being more vigilant. Instead of every 6,000 miles, they are now checking them weekly.”
She went on to say that two-thirds of the 31 Quantum devices owned by IndyGo are currently in good working order.
In January I-Team 8 demonstrated some of the problems IndyGo experienced with the wheelchair securement system. Veteran driver Martin Horst walked Essex through how the Quantum works.
The arm extends past the wheelchair and then slowly lowers toward the floor before inward pressure is applied to the wheels. The arm essentially hugs the wheels in place, preventing any forward or side-to-side movement. The driver then turns the power off the unit and the chair is secure until the unit is powered back up.
The Quantum is a unique piece of equipment. Evans says there are thousands of different mobility devices, and not all wheelchairs are the same. The Quantum, she says, is designed to secure just about any type of wheelchair that comes onto the bus. IndyGo paid around $10,000 per unit, according to Evans.
When asked if there were any alternatives, Evans said “there was no other system out there for Quantum at this time.”
“We just came from the APTA conference, which is American Public Transit Association, and that was their expo. It happens every two years. And we looked for a lot of the new technologies when it came to smaller buses being electric because, you know, we’re trying to go to be 100% green, and that includes our paratransit fleet. The range for those vehicles were not there, she said.”
Evans came to IndyGo in the summer of 2019, and said the transit referendum passed by Marion County voters was a big draw for her to take the job. When she arrived, IndyGo was struggling. Under her guidance, ridership is improving to 60% of pre-pandemic levels, which she says is ahead of most transit agencies. Internally, she instituted mentoring and apprentice programs.
IndyGo is working on its first high-voltage technician training program in addition to its professional coach operator program, which is a partnership with Ivy Tech Community College.
“The apprenticeship program is going to be vital,” Evans said. “Over 40% of professionals within transpiration today can retire today, so we need to begin as an industry to train that next generation.”
Since the initial investigation aired, Walters says he has seen a noticeable improvement in the number of Quantum devices that have been repaired. Evans says parts that had been ordered have arrived.
Essex asked Evans if she feels IndyGo serves the ADA community well.
“I think we serve it very well,” she replied. “At present, we go beyond what the ADA requires in many respects. I think that our tremendous investment in infrastructure for our city shows our strong commitment towards the ADA community … “We are putting in over 25 miles of sidewalks just with our bus rapid transit line, 1,450 curb ramps for ADA, audible signals going in for the ADA, and I don’t even remember how many miles of pavement are going in, but that’s all driven towards ADA.”