Judge Allows Disabled Activists' Lawsuit For Taxi Access

[Roadcruiser1]

The truth is if you look it up prosthetic legs, and arms are expensive. They can reach prices from anywhere between $3,000-$40,000. That is beyond consumer prices. If the world was perfect every paralyzed person would have them, but that can't happen. There are also people that lost their use to both legs so you have to cut off both legs for prosthesis. That just isn't possible in today's economy. ADA is needed for these people or else they can't get anywhere. To deny them that right is like saying you are in wheelchair, and you can't do anything us people with two legs can. Which is just wrong.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I don't think any were made wider, they did remove "no clearence" areas that existed between the platfrom edge and some of the stair ways. Plus, if I lived near a station there, there is no way in hell I would give up some of my property so that the station could be made larger.

 

I actually lived not too far from the line myself both in Sheepshead Bay and Midwood and to be honest you really can't expand anywhere. Two of my friends (Pete & Dave) lived along East 16th st. Sometimes we'd hang out at Dave's house in his backyard and do some drinking and the train tracks were literally like right there slightly elevated of course, but very easy to reach. In fact once we hopped the fence and ran along the tracks to get to the Neck Road station (yeah, we were a bit wild and crazy during our teenage years lol) and passed Pete's house along the way. I can't imagine the chaos if a train every derailed on that line.

[Roadcruiser1]

Here's the promotional video for the Karsan V1. You can see that in the end it is better then the Nissan and Ford which is nothing more then painted minivans that aren't wheelchair accessible.

 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

He also fails to realize that a lot of people who are truly disabled are on fixed incomes who may not be able to afford full fare (Yes, 2.25 isn't a lot, but it is when you have to spend $90 a month on transport and your total cheque is $400 or $500 a month).

 

Very true. Then there's also potential costs associated with your disability that your insurance may not cover. A friend of mine has an illness that is very costly. He is not legally "disabled" and looks perfectly normal. However, while he is able to make ends meet his medical costs are very expensive. Now picture a person on a fixed income trying to pay for their medical costs, and the other basic necessities of life like food and so forth. Many seniors who can't get around well have to either go hungry or go without their medication because they can't afford both and many disabled folks are in that boat as well, so Access-A-Ride is very a vital necessity for many of the folks that lost it. Without it they are forced to sit at home or get around a lot slower.

[checkmatechamp13]

Doesn't make sense to me. They basically took down those stations entirely on that line like Ave J, Ave M and so forth and they can't find a way to make them ADA accessible? More like it's too costly, not that it isn't possible.

 

 

 

We are talking about two different things here and I don't see how one is related to the other. If Paratransit folks could afford taxis then they would take them. They rely on Paratransit because they can't afford taxis, so cutting Paratransit because disabled people have access to taxis makes no sense. Some folks who are disabled can ride taxis and can get in them and if they can afford them, then they take them. We're talking about accessibility here, not affordability. Access-A-Ride is a combination of the two, hence why as you said it is heavily subsidized.

 

I'm sure there are a small percentage of people who are in the situation where they use Access-A-Ride because the taxis aren't accessable. My neighbor across the street is one of those people.

 

You're right that it wouldn't make sense for the MTA to cut paratransit further because taxis are an alternative, since, as you said, a lot of seniors are on a fixed income. However, the slight decrease in trips from people who can afford taxis switching to them would result in savings for them, which would be good for everybody.

 

He also fails to realize that a lot of people who are truly disabled are on fixed incomes who may not be able to afford full fare (Yes, 2.25 isn't a lot, but it is when you have to spend $90 a month on transport and your total cheque is $400 or $500 a month).

 

Access-A-Ride users still have to pay the full $2.25. They only get reduced-fare benefits on the buses and subways (except for express buses during rush hour)

 

I actually lived not too far from the line myself both in Sheepshead Bay and Midwood and to be honest you really can't expand anywhere. Two of my friends (Pete & Dave) lived along East 16th st. Sometimes we'd hang out at Dave's house in his backyard and do some drinking and the train tracks were literally like right there slightly elevated of course, but very easy to reach. In fact once we hopped the fence and ran along the tracks to get to the Neck Road station (yeah, we were a bit wild and crazy during our teenage years lol) and passed Pete's house along the way. I can't imagine the chaos if a train every derailed on that line.

 

Out of curiosity, did any trains pass you while you were doing that? What did you do if/when they did pass (jump off to the side, run onto the nearest platform, etc)

[Grand Concourse]

Blame the . They're the ones who slashed Access-A-Ride services to the elderly and disabled drastically.

 

I believe there were reports about it being costly to send vans out for one person compared to sending out a 4-door sedan. That plus there were reports of elderly/disabled riders abusing the vans for shopping rather than for going to the hospital or something. The MTA was better off cutting it. Let the tlc deal with it. AAR wasn't all that great either, it can take forever for those vans to get to the pick up spot and sometimes they don't know how [taking the long way] to get to the drop off point.

 

It wasn't a matter of cost, the platforms could not be made wider since they have to be a certian distance away from the property line of the near by homes. Also, most of the stations can't have elevators since there is no room for them. If you can't have an elevator, why make them ADA accessible since they can't get in or out of the station there?

 

Exactly.

 

I don't think any were made wider, they did remove "no clearence" areas that existed between the platfrom edge and some of the stair ways. Plus, if I lived near a station there, there is no way in hell I would give up some of my property so that the station could be made larger.

 

Agreed. With the poor finances the MTA has, I don't think trying to double/triple the payment for the property would be a wise move either.

[rr4567]

"Advocates for the disabled won a decisive round on Tuesday in court against the city, when a federal judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit against the Taxi and Limousine Commission to make all city taxi cabs wheelchair accessible. NY1's Transit reporter Tina Redwine filed the following report.

 

Advocates for the disabled were rejoicing Tuesday after a federal judge refused to dismiss their lawsuit against the Taxi and Limousine Commission to make all taxi cabs wheelchair accessible."

 

Read more: http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/139708/judge-allows-disabled-activists--lawsuit-for-taxi-access

For all these years, cabs were not wheelchair accessible and now they want to sue over it?

[Via Garibaldi 8]

For all these years, cabs were not wheelchair accessible and now they want to sue over it?

 

Yeah, I can understand why because they realize that if they don't do it now, they may not be able to have access to cabs for another 10-20 years because of the new taxis being proposed.

[East New York]

then there are the stations that ADA acessabilty would require massive rebuilds, like Wall street on west side IRT

 

Money should not be spent on ADA work, or adding this or fixing that; it should be spent on fixing them, the disabled. better medical treatments. sythetic limbs for amputees that function just as well or even better than the orginals. that is true equallity, making them like the rest of us. fixing the problem. we won't need to worry about wheelchair acess if people never needed wheelchairs.

 

"Fixing" them? Come on now, this is the real world we are talking about, which is not all peaches and cream like a Hollywood movie. It would cost 10 times more just to accomplish half of what you are talking about. The government won't even help veterans find housing, and you really think someone is going to help out the disabled by the masses because they can't use the cabs?

 

And let's say someone is completely paralyzed......... How in the hell are they going to use anything other than a wheelchair controlled by their teeth?

 

It sounds good.......

[SoSpectacular]

Well, we can't bend over for everybody

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Well, we can't bend over for everybody

 

lol... And years ago that's what whites said about blacks in much harsher terms of course... You may not think it is that serious, but if you were restricted from being able to get around you'd feel much different and I don't mean just hanging out or whatever. These people have jobs to go to and families to feed and so forth and they need to get around just like everybody else. This is about granting folks basic human rights, not bending over backwards.

[lilbluefoxie]

So what are they gunna do with all the tons of Crown Vics and other various cab-like vehicles still on the road?

[Amtrak7]

So what are they gunna do with all the tons of Crown Vics and other various cab-like vehicles still on the road?

 

As they retire, the new cabs will come in their place. The Crown Vics are aging.

[Joe]

A lot of the taxi service Crown Vics are ex-NYPD. The NYPD beats the shit out of those cars by the time they're retired...the ex-taxi ones are really shot.

[MHV9218]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[Via Garibaldi 8]

As ENY said, this should have been factored into the Nissan design to start. But the real thing here is a question of whether you sacrifice the needs of some individuals for the general public. Here's my favorite illustration:

 

Why can't NYC have public bathrooms? Well, first they'd need to be clean. You can't have cleaners because then you'd be putting them out of service for the people needing them at night. So you need a chemical, a power chemical that activates right after you leave. Sounds good, no? But the bathroom needs to full size so the disabled can fit. Sure, right? Once the bathroom is full size, it becomes a potential home for the homeless. What does that mean? You can't have your chemical any more, because then you'll get a dead homeless guy on the bog in the morning, thanks to the seriousness of the chemicals. So where're we at? Big, disabled-accepting bathrooms that get dirty and get cleaned personally, so are out of service at night. Which, naturally, is not worth spending the money to build. And that's why we don't have public bathrooms, because you can never make everybody happy.

 

Actually we do have public bathrooms, albeit at a small price. There's the one there at 23rd and Madison which folks can use for a small price, and it cleans itself afterwards. It only gives you a few minutes though before opening the door, this way bums can congregate in there. There's plenty of places to use the bathroom at anyway (i.e. restaurants and so forth).

[Roadcruiser1]

The arguing about the Taxis haven't ended yet.

http://www.jdsupra.com/post/documentViewer.aspx?fid=69c29e32-9daa-4f37-8ac7-03fe8cbb59d0

http://gothamist.com/2011/05/24/are_nyc_taxis_discriminating_agains.php

[theaveragejoe]

Cheapest way should have been was for the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission to order about 900-1000 accessible vans for its 13,237 vehicle fleet. Either Sprinters, Transits , V-1 or Caravans. Make this a separate wheelchair accessible order from the Nissan NV2000 order.