New Device Offers Enhanced Wheelchair Accessibility for Green Bay Metro

Q'NEWSMay 17, 2016

Green Bay Metro wants is focused on making buses more accessible and easier to ride for wheelchair and scooter users.

“I take the bus wherever I gotta go. There’s always a city bus,” said Chad Sobieck.

Chad Sobieck is a mobility rider who uses Green Bay Metro daily, but boarding and exiting the bus isn’t always easy. Currently, Green Bay Metro utilizes a four-point securement system, which involves securing the rider with tie-down straps. This process can often be time-consuming, and result in frustrated commuters.

Fortunately, recent advancements in technology have allowed for the introduction of new products that help mobility riders overcome these challenges. QUANTUM, a fully automatic rear-facing system makes it easier for people using mobility devices to safely secure themselves without requiring driver assistance.

“With this system, the person can get on the bus independently, go to the designated area, and safely secure themselves with the touch of a button,” said Mike Laidlaw, Q’Straint sales manager. Q’Straint is the company that designed and develops QUANTUM. “They can secure themselves, somewhere between 13 and 25 seconds,” Laidlaw said.

“I feel very independent.”

– Chad Sobieck

Green Bay Transit Director, Patty Kiewiz saw QUANTUM at a conference and immediately thought the securement system could benefit riders.

“My job here for the city is to provide the best service that we can do and give people the means that they need to get to work, to school.”

-Patty Kiewiz

The goal is to have QUANTUM installed within the next couple of months. Green Bay Metro has plans to purchase four news buses by late summer and Kiewiz would like to have buses with the test devices rotated through all bus routes, allowing more commuters to see the potential benefits of the product.