NOLA.com: Auditor warned New Orleans RTA that paratransit issues could lead to federal oversight
An estimated 1,200 residents in New Orleans rely on the RTA’s federally-mandated paratransit service to get to and from work, doctor’s appointments and recreational activities.
The RTA, however, “engaged in patterns and practices” in 2022 and 2023 that limited the availability of that service, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to the report from the RTA’s Office of Internal Audit and Compliance.
A “significant number” of trips from Jan. 2022 to June 2023 were excessively long or had “untimely pickups,” RTA Manager of Audit Compliance Malon Thompson wrote.
The RTA also used incomplete data to “inflate” the paratransit service's performance metrics during that time period, Thompson wrote.
Under a heading labeled "exposure," Malon wrote: "Failure to adhere to ADA regulations and [Federal Transit Administration] guidelines can cause the organization to be subject to lawsuits, consent decrees, fines, and/or increased federal oversight."
Joke's on the auditors, though. Pretty sure "federal oversight" isn't going to exist anymore by the time this would come across anyone's desk.
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