Federal probe of Bridgeport bus service focused on accessibility, documents show

An ongoing federal investigation of bus service in Bridgeport is centered on problems experienced by riders with disabilities, according to documents the local transit agency was ordered to release this month.

Those records show officials from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Connecticut are assessing whether Greater Bridgeport Transit (GBT) provides adequate accommodations for passengers who are disabled.

Connecticut Public reported previously that federal agencies flagged subpar performance on GBT’s paratransit bus program as cause for concern.

The service, GBT Access, allows eligible riders to call and schedule a pickup. However, a review by federal transportation officials found GBT missed or denied more than 1,300 of those trips in a single year. Paratransit vehicles also showed up late more than half the time.

Meeting minutes from GBT’s governing board also describe a separate federal probe. An administrator at the bus agency declined last year to answer questions from Connecticut Public regarding the circumstances.

The agency later released records connected to the investigation, but heavily redacted its communications with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Haven. Its lawyer argued the messages were exempt under the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act because they constitute settlement talks.

A hearing officer for the state Freedom of Information Commission disagreed, finding that emails sent by GBT's lawyer don't touch on a proposed agreement, and instead show GBT's efforts to voluntarily comply with the investigation by answering questions and providing data.

The messages, sent between 2022 and 2023, show GBT’s paratransit program is at the center of the federal inquiry, which includes extensive requests for information, ranging from the number of bus drivers providing the service, to a breakdown of how each call was handled.

GBT operates fixed-route and paratransit bus services in Bridgeport, Fairfield, Stratford, Trumbull and half a dozen other communities in the region.

Federal officials notified GBT as early as 2021 that a complaint had been filed alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"Specifically, the complaint received by this Office alleges that Greater Bridgeport Transit has failed to provide reasonable accommodations for elderly and disabled individuals by denying accessibility to scheduled bus trips, canceling, and delaying trip times and not notifying passengers or providing other accommodations," reads a letter sent to GBT.

In a response sent the following month, the agency said it wasn't aware of any pattern of trip denials or canceling rides without letting riders know.

"There are, from time-to-time, delays in the service that can be caused by a variety of reasons including traffic impedances, delays while drivers wait for a rider who is late, and mechanical failures,” its former general manager wrote.

“There have also been delays during the pandemic related to driver shortages and the effort to schedule only one rider at a time onboard the bus to prevent crowding, help prevent the spread of the virus and protect GBT employees and other riders,” he wrote.

GBT contracts with private companies to operate its paratransit service. One of those firms, Transdev – a large transportation provider that operates nationwide – provided the service until January 2022. GBT then awarded a new contract to MV Transportation, which describes itself as the largest privately-owned passenger transportation contracting firm in the United States.

MV Transportation did not respond to requests for comment. Transdev did not provide a response before publication.

Emails released by GBT show performance by contractors was a focus of the probe. In one exchange, investigators asked the bus agency to explain why it didn't seek damages against its former contractor for missing performance goals, which was permissible under its contract.

In response, GBT's lawyer noted that previous driver shortages were a result of the pandemic, and not the fault of the contractor.

"The section of the prior [request for proposals] notes that GBT may elect not to impose penalties in recognition of the fact that circumstances beyond the control of the contractor may exist,” the lawyer wrote.

Transdev has since taken over operations once more, beginning in December 2024.

The status of the federal investigation is unclear. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Connecticut declined a request for comment.

GBT’s new chief executive officer, Steven DeMichele, declined to be interviewed. He wrote in an email that GBT is making changes to paratransit service to improve the experience for riders, including bringing in new management, hiring more drivers and rolling out more advanced software.

“We continue to work in good faith with the [Department of Justice], to ensure that we meet the needs of people who rely on public transit in our region,” he wrote.

Farrah Garland, a disability rights advocate in Connecticut, said transit agencies across the state have room to improve.

"The public transit system is not friendly to wheelchair users here in Connecticut," Garland said, "especially if you live outside of the big city."

Public transportation is a key service because many people with disabilities don't own a car or drive, Garland said. Research shows working-age adults with disabilities are almost twice as likely to have income below 200% of the federal poverty level compared with adults without disabilities, according to the health policy organization KFF.

"I hope that this is a wake up call for elsewhere, because we deserve to be able to get around too," Garland said.

Reporting by Bria Lloyd was used in this story.