Detroit City Council has 1 week to vote on paratransit contract

Detroit City Council on Tuesday again postponed a nearly $50 million contract with French-based transportation company Transdev to provide services for riders with disabilities.

Council has one session left in the year to approve or deny the five-year contract, which was met with a great deal of backlash from the public. Several community members, who called Transdev unreliable, have advocated against it or sought a shorter contract period.

Council President Mary Sheffield floated the idea of a three-year contract but a shorter period would require an additional $311,000 to $330,000 from the budget, said Sandra Yu Stahl, deputy chief financial officer, at the meeting.

"I understand the thought to reduce to a three-year but what we have before us is a significant price increase that DDOT cannot absorb, and to negotiate would take time pushing us out of DDOT's window to launch on Jan. 1 when the current contract expires," Stahl said.

Sheffield said the amount "doesn't seem to be that much to be able to have that accountability" the council and community are seeking.

More:Detroit on time crunch to renew contract, or lose 70% paratransit services

Councilman Fred Durhal III sought successfully to postpone the vote to the council's last meeting next week for time to discuss the potential of a shorter timeline for the contract.

"Budget season is rolling back around," Durhal said. "It may be at the pleasure of this council to increase DDOT's budget to ensure that we are funding paratransit accurately."

Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero said she would oppose the contract as it stands, echoing the sentiments of Councilmember Latisha Johnson, who suggested that DDOT officials look back at reducing the length of the contract.

"It feels uneasy to not feel as if we have proper clawbacks or consequences if Transdev does not serve our residents," Santiago-Romero said.

Detroiter Marguerite Maddox urged council members during public comment to ensure the safety of paratransit users.

"I’m sick and tired of being left behind by DDOT drivers," Maddox said. "I am fighting for everyone’s safety."

Several others suggested a shorter contract period for greater accountability and a chance to field other potential companies.

"That would give an opportunity for complaints to be addressed," said Sharon Gooding, a member of Warrior on Wheels of Metropolitan Detroit, a disability rights advocacy group.

Robert Pawlowski with the Wayne County Youth Council said the five-year contract was "thrown in front of the public" and he supports a shorter deal.

"I think there's better agencies that could really provide us service," Pawlowski said.

Kaci Messeder, policy analyst with Detroit Disability Power, an advocacy group, said the city needs to ensure quality paratransit services are provided across Detroit.

“We also need to keep a close watch on how the new paratransit system unfolds so that we can make sure that we’re not only getting the quantity of service necessary, but the also the quality that we deserve," Messeder said.

Detroit Department of Transportation Director Mikel Oglesby did put out a request for proposal for a new contract but Transdev was deemed most qualified. Oglesby warned councilmembers that if they voted against the contract, paratransit users would lose 70% of their services starting in January. The new contract, if approved, would expire Dec. 31, 2027.

"This approval is not for Transdev to continue business as usual. We’re requiring a complete overhaul as a provider, which takes time," Oglesby said.

Transdev has been responsible for much of the oversight of the system, such as addressing complaints, scheduling and reserving rides, and operating a call center. Under the new contract, administrative responsibilities would be handled by city employees for People's Express and the three subcontractors within Transdev. Under Detroit's oversight, the city will measure several performance indicators, such as service reliability, accident and injury rate, customer service and costs.

Transdev spokesperson Mitun Seguin previously told the Free Press that the prior contract has been challenging because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the company aims to achieve a higher on-time performance target with a new contract.

Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@freepress.com or 313-635-3491. Follow her on Twitter: @DanaAfana

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit City Council pushes Transdev vote to final session of 2022