RE: Orange Public Transit (OPT)

[Travis Myren]

I am sorry that you had this experience with Orange County Public Transportation.  I will contact leadership in the department to answer your questions and improve customer service.

 

Thank you for your email.

 

Travis

 

Travis Myren

County Manager

O:  919-245-2308  M:  608-345-1526

tmy...@orangecountync.gov

 

 

 

 

From: Ye Qian <yqi...@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, October 6, 2025 9:42 PM
To: Jamezetta Bedford <jbed...@orangecountync.gov>; Tmy...@orangecounttnc.gov
Cc: ALL_BOCC_MANAGER_CLERK <OCB...@orangecountync.gov>; in...@triangledac.org; Ashley Thomas <ash...@bridge2sports.org>; Brandi Beeker <bbe...@orangecountync.gov>
Subject: Orange Public Transit (OPT)

 

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Dear Ms. Bradford and Mr. Myren,

I am writing to express concern about a recent experience with Orange Public Transit (OPT) regarding both the handling of my ride scheduling and the manner in which I was spoken to by a dispatcher.

On a recent trip to Bridge II Sports Health & Fitness Center, located at 3729 Murphy School Road, Hillsborough, NC, I called the dispatch to update my ride status (Sept 10 in the afternoon around 2:30 pm when I was told by a dispatcher that my ride would arrive in 15 min). When I called back around 3:00 pm for clarification, the dispatcher told me not to call again and hung up the phone abruptly. This response felt unnecessarily rude and unprofessional. As a passenger who depends on OPT for transportation to medical and wellness activities, I believe that I should be treated with respect and courtesy under ADA customer service standards. I made a complaint on Thursday, Sept 11 during a local government presentation about the programs and services at Seymour Center.

Thereafter, there has been confusion and inconsistency regarding my return pickup times since my complaint. I had regularly been picked up around 2:30 to 3:00 pm, but I was told that my return time could only be 1:30 pm at the latest this Wednesday, Oct 8. I scheduled my trip one or two weeks in advance, following OPT’s guidelines, but this time was given differing answers from staff on what time I would be returned home (I will explain in detail if needed). This inconsistent communication has caused frustration and uncertainty.

I am requesting clarification on the following:

    Why could I not reserve my return ride according to my appointment time as I usually did since my complaint?

    What procedures govern pickup and return time assignments for ADA-eligible riders.

    How Orange Public Transit ensures that dispatch communication complies with ADA and state transit service standards for accessibility, fairness, and customer courtesy.

I look forward to an effective resolution that improves the rider experience for all passengers with disabilities in Orange County.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your continued work in serving the public.

Respectfully,

Ye Qian
Orange County Resident
Cc: Orange County Disability Awareness Council

[Sarah Williamson-Baker]

Hello Mr. Qian.

 

I’m sorry we were not able to provide you with a ride at the exact time you requested last week.

 

We have a large volume of requests each day, and only a certain number of drivers available. We schedule clients as close to their requested ride times as possible, always with a pick-up window, not an exact time, and understand that waiting is not ideal.

 

ADA requires that we find a time within an hour of the window requested for ADA clients. We only guarantee pickup times for dialysis clients.

 

Jamael Wiley shared the emails you and he exchanged with me about your ride last week. It sounds like we were able to provide you with a ride close to the one-hour window.

 

As you think about and plan future rides, I wanted to share that afternoons are the busiest time for us, with the highest volume of requests being for rides between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. If you have flexibility in scheduling appointments and can set them up so rides are needed outside of this time, we are more likely to be able to meet your requested pickup window.

 

Our staff are trained in customer service and ADA compliance, and I am following up on your concerns about the dispatcher.

 

Please give me a call at 919-245-2102 if you would like to discuss this further.

 

Best regards,

Sarah

 

Sarah Williamson

Interim Director

Transportation Department | Orange County Government

[Ye Qian]

Dear Sarah,

Thank you for your kind response and for reviewing my recent Orange Public Transit (OPT) ride experience. I appreciate the effort your staff makes each day to meet the high demand for transportation services across Orange County.

That said, I am requesting that my future trips — specifically my return trip from Bridge II Sports (3729 Murphy School Road, Durham) — be scheduled as close as possible to 2:30 pm. This time is important because of health-related needs, which require consistent scheduling and safe, predictable travel. When pickups are set much earlier or later, it disrupts my access to medical and adaptive fitness activities that are part of my ongoing rehabilitation plan.

While I understand that OPT operates within a one-hour ADA scheduling window, I believe my situation warrants a reasonable effort to honor the requested 2:30 pm. pickup time as an accommodation under ADA service equivalency standards. I understand that if I reserve my ride sooner, there is a better chance I can get my scheduled trips. My fitness program next month (Nov) at Bridge II Sports are scheduled to be on Wednesday, Nov. 5 and 19 from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm. Could you please reserve my trips for next month accordingly? 

I deeply value the role Orange County Public Transit plays in maintaining independence and accessibility for riders with disabilities. I hope we can work together to ensure my upcoming rides align more closely with my requested time frame. Please let me know if we need to schedule a brief call to finalize this arrangement.

Thank you again for your understanding and your commitment to ADA compliance and quality customer service.

Warm regards,

Ye

Ye Qian

Cc: Orange County Disability Awareness Council

[Sarah Williamson-Baker]

One of our dispatchers will be in touch to get the rides entered, and to talk through the ADA process.

 

Sarah

 

Sarah Williamson

Interim Director

Transportation Department | Orange County Government

 

[Ye Qian]

Thank you very much, Sarah. - Ye

On Oct 9, 2025, at 2:53 PM, Sarah Williamson-Baker <swilliam...@orangecountync.gov> wrote:



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[Ashley Thomas]

Thank you, Sarah, and all for your kind responses.

 

I have spoken with Ye, I would like to be in the meeting discussing the ADA process.  I am happy to do this as a virtual meeting.  Tuesday and Wednesdays are best for me.

 

Thank you.

 

Ashley

 

Ashley Thomas | Founder & CEO
Bridge II Sports | www.bridge2sports.org
866-880-2742 | ash...@bridge2sports.org

 

Book time to meet with me

[Ye Qian]

Hi Sarah,

I called the reservation this morning to reserve my ride for my trips on Wed, Nov 5.  However, I was told it was too early to make a reservation and was also told that the earliest reservation time for my trips could only be one week before the trips.  I asked if this would be a new policy to reserve trips from orange county transit system, and I got a "yes" answer.  Could you please confirm this policy change at your earliest convenience?  Thank you very much.

Ye