METROLift: How The Blind Get Around Houston

MetroLIFT busDeb C. recently friended me on Yelp and checked out this site upon seeing the link for it in my profile. She sent me a kind note telling me to keep it up but also had a very pertinent question: how do I get around?I was going to send her a link to a post I'd written on this blog about the MetroLIFT, but upon searching for the post, I realized I never wrote one. Egad! So here it is, the long awaited post of how the visually impaired get around Houston.I first heard about MetroLIFT from my orientation/mobility (OM) trainer who, through Lighthouse of Houston, helped me become more independent by use of a white cane. Those lessons were scary in themselves, and I should save them for a later post (or if it's meant to be, a future memoir). But my OM instructor was the one to introduce me to the shared ride service that is called MetroLIFT. If you ever see those short buses driving around town and wondered who was on it, it's those who can't drive themselves. And those yellow cabs? More often than not, they're also contracted by Metro to run MetroLIFT services. In a city like Houston where most everyone has cars, the need for taxi transportation is nearly nil, so many of the cab companies "loan" their cars to MetroLIFT.To qualify for MetroLIFT service, you will have to go for an interview. I had brought my Certificate of Blindness (which was issued by DARSafter an opthalmology exam) with me for proof of my disability. If you're approved for MetroLIFT service, you will receive a MetroLIFT ID in the mail which should be presented to the driver before every ride. (Apparently, there are people out there who abuse this transportation system.)The service isn't free but it's incredibly affordable. There are two payment options: the pass or the ticket. If you plan to use MetroLIFT frequently (e.g. going to and from a full-time job), the pass will be the more economical route. I, however, am a graduate student with classes maybe once or twice a week, so I opt to purchase MetroLIFT tickets. Whether you use the pass or the ticket, that and your MetroLIFT ID should be given to the driver at the start of each ride. A monthly pass which gives you unlimited rides for one month costs $38.60 while an annual pass is $347. A single ride ticket is $1.15. I buy my tickets in sheets of ten for $9.75, making each one-way trip less than $1--cheap if you consider the prices of gas, car maintenance, and auto insurance. You can purchase ticket sheets at almost any large grocery store's courtesy booth. As a disabled patron, you can also have one person accompany you free of charge.To schedule a ride, call the reservations line (see below for all phone numbers) and speak to an operator if it's your first time to or from a particular destination. Once the address has been recorded in your file, you can use MAX, the automated service, to schedule rides. Rides must be scheduled by 5 PM the day before.MetroLIFT is convenient for those of us who can't drive ourselves, but it's not without its downsides. My chief complaint is the time used up when riding MetroLIFT. For example, I live 20 minutes from campus without traffic, but when I ride the MetroLIFT to school, I am often on the bus for an hour or two. I know the LIFT is a shared ride service (meaning the bus picks up and drops off other patrons along the way), but seriously? Then there is the late factor. I always input my appointment time (time I want to reach my destination) as 30 to 45 minutes before the actual time I want to be there just to be on time. Sometimes I am 2 hours early for class, and other times I am 20 minutes late. It is so varied that it's not always dependable. They say to speak to a supervisor if your ride is late, and you've called twice without results, but most of the time, the dispatch operators don't seem to care. I don't even know which is worse--arriving way too early for class and knowing I could've been at home getting other things done, or running into class late and breathless and looking truant. I'm not the only one with this complaint; KHOU did a story on MetroLIFT client complaints last year.Of course, riding the LIFT has its share of stresses, but in the end, I am still grateful there is an inexpensive, relatively reliable transportation service for the disabled. For now, it seems to be our only option short of hiring a personal driver. And if you're not a millionaire, MetroLIFT will have to do for now.

MetroLIFT Phone Numbers

  • Reservations (to schedule rides): 713-225-6716
  • Dispatch (to check when your ride is scheduled to arrive or to work out scheduling issues): 713-225-0410
  • Main (customer service): 713-225-0119

To reach MAX the automated service, call either the reservations or dispatch line and press 1.

  • Read about MetroLIFT.
  • Find MetroLIFT eligibility information (including how to apply).
  • Learn more about MetroLIFT fare.

Use the MetroLIFT yourself or know somebody who does? What is your experience?

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