OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Loudoun County Transit Advisory Board Meeting - September 11, 2025

Commissions & Advisory Boards — Thursday, September 11, 2025
BodyLoudoun County, Virginia
SessionCommissions & Advisory Boards
DateThursday, September 11, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:09:35

Transcript — Verbatim
0:03

So we're good to go.

0:05

All right.

0:07

Well, good evening, everybody.

0:09

Well, I see we have some guests.

0:10

We don't have to do any member and member introduction.

0:15

We don't have any new members, so we're good there.

0:18

Oh, I would like to announce.

0:20

Please, right.

0:21

I would like to announce that uh Alan when he had to turn in his resignation today affected today.

0:28

So we have some personal things that have come up that um aren't enabling the can they continue on the board.

0:38

So we don't have to find your members even the courtroom.

0:43

Okay.

0:44

Um you have some guest introductions to know and guest comments.

0:51

Evelyn.

0:52

You want to introduce a guest.

0:54

Sure.

0:55

Um so we have Candace and Jen who are coming to make a public comment.

0:59

Uh they were invited last night at the disability services board.

1:03

Um I just informed them that there's this is uh an opportunity to discuss the transit issues that they'd like to let the transit office and the board know.

1:13

Um looking for some resolution and some help with certain things.

1:16

So Candice, you want to go?

1:18

Yeah, so first thanks for having me.

1:20

Um this has been really exciting.

1:22

I feel like uh I am the we've we've created a new chapter, a National Federation of the Blind Loudon chapter.

1:28

This chapter started in November, or sorry, in January, and the reason we started the chapter, one of the reasons is because we're like, we need some better transportation.

1:36

And so the good thing is I feel like as we're going, I'm finding out all these new things like so quick, and we can't keep up.

1:42

But so this is really great.

1:43

So having this new on let LC on demand has been really great.

1:47

Except there's a couple hiccups.

1:48

So today is the third time I did use the service.

1:52

I book it through the app.

1:53

The first time I used it, it was it it was kind of a mess, but we'll just start with the second time.

1:59

I know there's gonna be growing pains, and I'm totally patient.

2:02

So the first the second time I used it was yesterday, and um I get it booked, and it said that um the person when I go through the in the app, um the app's not great, it could use some improvements because so when I go to track it, it said your driver's arriving, your driver's arrived.

2:19

Both things.

2:20

I'm like, well, I'm not sure what that means, but I'm outside because I don't want anybody to wait and I don't want to lose it.

2:25

So when the driver, the main things is when the driver gets there, she gets out of the the and I'm not even sure if it was a bus or a van, but whatever it was, she grabs my cane and then kind of takes my arm and like moves me like I'm an object, which is so embarrassing.

2:41

And so I'm mortified, and she's not communicating really what she's doing or what I need to.

2:47

I don't know that there's steps, so that so that I find there's steps to get up in there, and so there definitely needs to be some little education on how to um you know communicate between two people, period.

2:59

Um and then today was uh kind of a mess this morning.

3:02

I Jen and I booked it together.

3:04

We were texting each other this morning, and um I booked it to be here by seven.

3:09

So so the ride I chose would have gotten me here by 6 45.

3:13

And then I um this afternoon I looked at my email and it said um your ride is being reviewed, is under review, and I think it's so weird, but it's that's all it said, it didn't say anything in the app, it didn't say anything else, and then I never got anything else except for I went into the app at like you know five something today, and it said, and it didn't have anything.

3:34

There was no ride in my journeys, and so I'm thinking, uh okay.

3:38

So I redid it and I re um now it said it was gonna pick me up between 515.

3:44

I live just off of uh my backyard basically backs up to Catocton between North and Mike Marshall, and um so I was ready at 515, and then I'm sitting on my stairs inside at 515, and it's and finally I got a text that says it's on its way, so I go outside, I wait, then it says your driver's.

4:04

I don't remember if it says it's arriving.

4:06

Then I got a text that said, um, your rides are canceled.

4:09

I'm like, I don't know why.

4:11

And so I call right away, and so I call out in transit.

4:14

They said, Well, we don't know why it was canceled, but we'll have someone there.

4:18

This is now six, I don't even know, six thirty something.

4:24

So the guy says, 'We'll have somebody there in 20 minutes.' It's like kind of meeting that seven, but okay, no problem.

4:30

So then, same thing.

4:31

Uh, he calls and says, So my cow, I'm blind.

4:35

How am I gonna know that they're here?

4:36

Because I can't, there's no more there's the app's not connected to this ride now.

4:41

And so he called me and he says your driver's there.

4:43

So I I'm sitting on the side on my stairs, I immediately go out, there's no one there, and so I call him and I said, 'There's nobody here,' and so he gets on the phone with them, and then they pull up about two minutes later, and then um we get here, and it was it well, I mean, I'm totally patient, and I'm just thankful that it's here, and I think there's some growing pains again, but uh I'm a little frustrated.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Transportation████████████████████████████████████████40%
Transportation██████████████████████████26%
Disability Rights███████████████████19%
Procedural███████7%
Public Safety███3%
Marketing██2%
Airport Access██2%
Public Engagement█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Loudoun County Transit Advisory Board Meeting - September 11, 2025

The Loudoun County Transit Advisory Board met on September 11, 2025, to receive public comments on microtransit and paratransit services, discuss transit connectivity issues at Dulles Airport, review proposed updates to board bylaws, and receive ridership and service updates from staff. The board approved minutes and voted on a work plan proposal.

Consent Calendar

  • July business meeting minutes were approved as submitted via email. A motion was made, seconded, and passed unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Candace (National Federation of the Blind Loudoun Chapter) reported multiple issues with the LC On Demand microtransit service: (1) a driver grabbed her cane and moved her arm without communication, (2) a ride was canceled without notice, (3) the app gave confusing status messages, and (4) she had to call dispatch to rebook after a cancellation. She expressed patience but frustration.
  • Jen (also from NFB Loudoun) noted confusion between microtransit and paratransit, and pointed out that the service area does not cover the large psychiatric facility and medical complex where she works (north of Morgan Park). She urged expansion to cover high-use medical destinations. She also noted that the paratransit service requires 48-hour advance booking, which is impractical for her schedule.
  • Steven Perrell (Transit Program Administrator) responded to Candace, promising to investigate the app issues, contact the driver trainer, and review the cancellation and review flag. He acknowledged the need for driver training on interacting with blind passengers.
  • Renee (public commenter) described a 30-minute failed attempt to find transit from Dulles Airport to Leesburg: airport volunteers, employees, and a police officer could not direct her; phone numbers went unanswered; she eventually gave up. She suggested better signage, airport staff training, and improved website information. She also mentioned the hidden disabilities sunflower program and asked that paratransit vehicles accommodate fully reclined wheelchairs for patients with ALS. She later rode the bus with a hidden disabilities sunflower lanyard to test awareness.
  • A public commenter noted that the Route 40 bus schedule (operated by Virginia Regional Transit) has an outdated English map compared to the Spanish version, and asked for consistency. The commuter pilot starting October 20 was confirmed.
  • Another commenter praised microtransit overall but reported a recent incident where a driver's app seemed to cause a missed pickup. They also noted drivers are often distracted by in-cab electronics and urged better training. They requested expanded hours and weekend service.
  • A final commenter (recently arrived on the community bus) simply expressed willingness to listen and learn.

Discussion Items

  • Bylaws Update: Staff informed the board that state legislation expanded remote participation allowances, and the Board of Supervisors adopted a new policy for advisory bodies. Revised bylaws (redline version) were distributed; the board will need to approve them by June 2026. Staff aims to bring the final version for approval at the November meeting.
  • Annual Report Draft: A draft annual report was circulated via email. One member had proposed adding a section to review and advise on development/re-zoning projects for transit impacts. After discussion, the board felt this was too ambitious for an advisory body meeting six times a year, and that staff already reviews projects. A motion not to include that proposal was made, seconded, and passed.
  • Ridership and Service Updates (Steven Perrell):
    • Local fixed-route ridership reached 2,800 riders per day (up from 2,000).
    • Microtransit (LC On Demand) met its success metric of 3 riders per revenue hour, averaging 108 boardings per day, and recently exceeding 150 per day. A dip last week was unexplained.
    • Commuter pilot (inbound service to Loudoun) will start October 20, 2025, from Dale City/Manassas to Dulles and Leesburg, and from Frederick, MD to Loudoun destinations.
  • Bus Stop Improvements: Staff noted two ongoing projects: (1) ADA-compliant bus stop upgrades (landing pads) and (2) a bus shelter prioritization project identifying 20 priority stops. Shelters may include solar lighting and trash cans, but no real-time information signs. The list is managed by DTCI; not yet available for distribution.
  • Request for Metro Reduced Fare Card Events: A board member relayed a request from the disability community to hold events near Silver Line stations so residents with disabilities can obtain reduced fare SmarTrip cards without traveling to Washington, D.C. Currently, only senior cards are available at the Reston Commuter Store. Staff will explore options through WMATA and DMV Moves.
  • Microtransit Expansion: Staff noted that a second microtransit pilot in Sterling is included in the FY27 budget request (starting July 2026).
  • Bus Stop Access Issues: A board member described a bus stop at Birchwood/Brambleton that is inaccessible due to a 10-foot mound and no pedestrian path. Another stop at Washington Street near Cavalier Arms was requested by residents. Staff noted that pedestrian access is often the responsibility of developers/HOAs, and that the fixed route alignment may be reconsidered once microtransit impacts are known.

Key Outcomes

  • Motion to approve July meeting minutes passed unanimously.
  • Motion to not include the development review proposal in the annual report passed (motion and second, no further discussion).
  • The annual report will be finalized for approval at the November 2025 meeting, then submitted to TLUC and the Board of Supervisors.
  • Bylaws revisions will be presented for approval at the November meeting.
  • Staff will follow up on microtransit app issues, driver training, and the canceled ride review; will investigate the "review" email flag and the driver location discrepancy.
  • Staff will work with Dulles Airport volunteers and travel training program to improve transit information at the airport.
  • Staff will explore feasibility of holding reduced fare card events in Loudoun County through WMATA and DMV Moves.
  • The board adjourned after no further business.

Meeting Transcript

So we're good to go. All right. Well, good evening, everybody. Well, I see we have some guests. We don't have to do any member and member introduction. We don't have any new members, so we're good there. Oh, I would like to announce. Please, right. I would like to announce that uh Alan when he had to turn in his resignation today affected today. So we have some personal things that have come up that um aren't enabling the can they continue on the board. So we don't have to find your members even the courtroom. Okay. Um you have some guest introductions to know and guest comments. Evelyn. You want to introduce a guest. Sure. Um so we have Candace and Jen who are coming to make a public comment. Uh they were invited last night at the disability services board. Um I just informed them that there's this is uh an opportunity to discuss the transit issues that they'd like to let the transit office and the board know. Um looking for some resolution and some help with certain things. So Candice, you want to go? Yeah, so first thanks for having me. Um this has been really exciting. I feel like uh I am the we've we've created a new chapter, a National Federation of the Blind Loudon chapter. This chapter started in November, or sorry, in January, and the reason we started the chapter, one of the reasons is because we're like, we need some better transportation. And so the good thing is I feel like as we're going, I'm finding out all these new things like so quick, and we can't keep up. But so this is really great. So having this new on let LC on demand has been really great. Except there's a couple hiccups. So today is the third time I did use the service. I book it through the app. The first time I used it, it was it it was kind of a mess, but we'll just start with the second time. I know there's gonna be growing pains, and I'm totally patient. So the first the second time I used it was yesterday, and um I get it booked, and it said that um the person when I go through the in the app, um the app's not great, it could use some improvements because so when I go to track it, it said your driver's arriving, your driver's arrived. Both things. I'm like, well, I'm not sure what that means, but I'm outside because I don't want anybody to wait and I don't want to lose it. So when the driver, the main things is when the driver gets there, she gets out of the the and I'm not even sure if it was a bus or a van, but whatever it was, she grabs my cane and then kind of takes my arm and like moves me like I'm an object, which is so embarrassing. And so I'm mortified, and she's not communicating really what she's doing or what I need to. I don't know that there's steps, so that so that I find there's steps to get up in there, and so there definitely needs to be some little education on how to um you know communicate between two people, period. Um and then today was uh kind of a mess this morning. I Jen and I booked it together. We were texting each other this morning, and um I booked it to be here by seven. So so the ride I chose would have gotten me here by 6 45. And then I um this afternoon I looked at my email and it said um your ride is being reviewed, is under review, and I think it's so weird, but it's that's all it said, it didn't say anything in the app, it didn't say anything else, and then I never got anything else except for I went into the app at like you know five something today, and it said, and it didn't have anything. There was no ride in my journeys, and so I'm thinking, uh okay. So I redid it and I re um now it said it was gonna pick me up between 515. I live just off of uh my backyard basically backs up to Catocton between North and Mike Marshall, and um so I was ready at 515, and then I'm sitting on my stairs inside at 515, and it's and finally I got a text that says it's on its way, so I go outside, I wait, then it says your driver's. I don't remember if it says it's arriving. Then I got a text that said, um, your rides are canceled. I'm like, I don't know why.

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