Metro Transit will soon implement a change to the Metro Call-A-Ride reservation period to help reduce reservation wait times, reduce the number of trip cancellations, and provide stronger service to users.
On Friday, July 5, Call-A-Ride trips will be able to be booked a maximum of three days in advance. Previously, customers could call on Fridays and schedule a trip up to five days in advance. That option is going away with the July 5 change.
Metro Transit believes this change will address previous issues, including:
- Reservations made farther out are more likely to be cancelled
- Callers making reservations on Friday experience two-times longer hold times waiting to get through
- Reservations made on Friday take two-times longer to complete
- There are more customer trip-cancellations each month than Metro Call-A-Ride trip denials
- Once a trip is cancelled, it is very difficult to schedule a new Metro Call-A-Ride trip into the open availability
Initially, Metro Transit looked to move the reservation window from five days to next-day reservations only. After engaging the disability community in April and receiving over 150 public comments, Metro used that feedback to shape the new reservation period which will allow booking a maximum of three days in advance.