Snowy roads mean difficult or impossible transit for disabled Minnesotans

CATHY WURZER: And as you heard, of course, it's really tough to travel throughout much of the state right now. Many of you, I'm sure, had trouble just getting off your block to get to work this morning maybe you got stuck in the alley or maybe you just gave up altogether. For folks with urgent medical needs, major snowfall makes transportation to those lifesaving appointments very difficult. And many folks rely on Metro Mobility the public transit service that helps folks with disabilities or medical needs get around the Twin Cities metro area.

Today, we were wondering how they holding up. Are there buses getting folks to where they need to go? To answer those questions, Charles Carlson joins us right now. He's the executive director of Metropolitan Transportation Services, which includes Metro Mobility. Hey, Charles, how are you?

CHARLES CARLSON: I'm doing well Cathy. Thanks for having me.

CATHY WURZER: Good, thanks for being here. Well, what's it like for your folks out there today?

CHARLES CARLSON: Yeah, so our contractors and drivers are hard at work today like any other day. The snow makes it a little more challenging to get around, but so far, we're seeing no major accidents. Really, the main issues we're running into are customer mobility devices getting stuck, slow escorts due to driveways or sidewalks not being cleared. But slow and steady and we're connecting people with where they need to be.

CATHY WURZER: I bet a lot of folks who don't deal with either loved ones with a disability or have a disability themselves, it's hard to understand just how difficult it can be when you have weather like this. How do your folks help others get to and fro?

CHARLES CARLSON: Yes, it's really a big team effort. So beginning as soon as Monday, we notified customers and posted alerts on our website of the coming storm. Really, the message is being to help keep sidewalks and walkways clear of snow and ice. Across the board, that's one of the biggest issues.

Be ready for delays. We're really appreciative of patience as roadways, especially the smaller side streets, since this is a door-to-door service, can become difficult to travel through and can slow us down. And finally, and maybe most importantly, for folks to consider rescheduling their ride. When extreme weather comes, it's safest to stay put. And if somebody does not have a necessary trip and they cancel, it helps us preserve that service for folks who must get to somewhere as a critical trip.

CATHY WURZER: As you say, it's hard with folks with mobility devices in snow this thick and heavy. How do your drivers help?

CHARLES CARLSON: Yeah, so Metro Mobility is a door-to-door service, so our drivers escort customers as appropriate and needed, really, from the door of the bus or the door of the origin to the door of the destination, including getting on and off the bus. So the more that sidewalks and walkways are cleared out, really, the better and safer, and faster for, not just our drivers, but our customers as well.

CATHY WURZER: Are the folks out there that you've scheduled to serve, will they be getting to their appointments today or is it just not going to happen today?

CHARLES CARLSON: They will be getting there. I think we're very appreciative of customers who have considered and decided to reschedule. We've had, actually, thousands of folks call and say, you know what I can stay put. I don't need a ride today. That makes it possible to serve everybody who has that critical need to travel on a day like today.

CATHY WURZER: As Paul Huttner said, this is like storm number three. It's got to be pretty difficult.

CHARLES CARLSON: It is, and really, it's not just folks riding Metro Mobility. It's everybody having a clear sidewalk and being able to travel, especially if you have difficulty with moving around, it's really an essential way we keep things clear. And on my own bus ride in today, I saw squadrons of public and private snow removal workers, and their work makes for a safe ride for our drivers and customers. And we're so appreciative of their efforts if they're out there listening.

CATHY WURZER: Well, we appreciate your efforts as well. Thank you so much for joining us.

CHARLES CARLSON: My pleasure. Thank you.

CATHY WURZER: Charles Carlson is the executive director of Metropolitan Transportation Services, and that, of course, is a service that runs Metro Mobility in the Twin Cities metro area.