Access Advisory Committee to the MBTA (AACT)


WHAT IS AACT?

The Access Advisory Committee to the MBTA (AACT) is an advocacy group that was created to provide advice about transit accessibility for persons with disabilities and seniors to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).

AACT’s predecessor was the Special Needs Advisory Committee (SNAC), which was formed in 1975 to ensure that people with disabilities would have the benefit of accessible public transportation. SNAC played a significant role in improving the limited paratransit services (door-to-door, demand-responsive services) that the MBTA provided at that time. In 1988, the committee was renamed AACT, which is governed by an all-volunteer board of directors whose members are elected every two years.

Now in its 27th year, AACT continues to advocate for the disability community before the MBTA.

AACT makes recommendations to the MBTA pertaining to both paratransit (THE RIDE) and fixed-route services. It is represented on a number of MBTA committees and is a voting member of the Regional Transportation Advisory Council.

 

HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE?

Most AACT members are people with disabilities and seniors, but participation is open to everyone. An AACT participant who attends at least two meetings per year is considered a member of AACT.

AACT holds monthly meetings to discuss issues related to accessible transportation (see the meeting schedule on the back of this brochure). Most of the attendees are transit and paratransit customers, MBTA senior staff, paratransit service providers, and representatives of human services agencies. MBTA staff and service providers present reports on issues of concern, and attendees are given the opportunity to ask question and make comments.

For more information about AACT, please visit the MBTA’s website at www.mbta.com/aact to access the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the MBTA and AACT, the AACT bylaws, and Americans with Disability Act (ADA) regulations.

 

UPCOMING SPECIAL EVENTS

AACT and the MBTA: Annual Summit on Transit Accessibility, November 18, 2015, at the State Transportation Building

 

Access Advisory Committee to the MBTA (AACT) Remaining 2015 Schedule (revised October 2015)

OCTOBER 28
NOVEMBER 18 (Third Wednesday)
DECEMBER 16 (Third Wednesday) Conference Room 1

The AACT board of directors meets from 10:00 AM to 12 noon and AACT members meet from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, on the fourth Wednesday of each month, unless otherwise noted.

AACT meetings are held in the State Transportation Building, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, second floor, in Conference Rooms 2 and 3, unless otherwise noted.

To obtain a copy of this calendar in an accessible format, request special accommodations for a meeting, check on the status of a meeting, or ask any questions about AACT, please contact Janie Guion, AACT Coordinator, at 857-702-3658 (voice), 617-570-9193 (TTY), or AACT@ctps.org (email).


THIS INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.