New Yorkers who rely on wheelchairs to get around say they often steer clear of MTA express buses for fear of being unable to board or exit due to faulty hydraulic lifts or drivers unclear on how to operate them. Since March, 78-year-old Jean Ryan has twice needed firefighters to carry her 400-pound motorized wheelchair […]
Accessibility
Posted inMayor's Office
Tongue Twisted: Adams Taps AI to Make City Robocalls in Languages He Doesn’t Speak
Mayor Eric Adams is using artificial intelligence to turn himself into a polyglot: sending out robocalls with his voice to New Yorkers in a slew of languages he does not speak — and spooking out ethics and privacy advocates. The mayor mentioned his multilingual calls at a press conference Monday announcing the new “MyCity Chatbot,” […]
Posted inTransit
City Moving Slow on Requirement for Sidewalk Ramps at Every Corner
The city’s commitment to upgrading or installing pedestrian sidewalk ramps at every street corner in the five boroughs — as required by federal disability law — has run into some roadblocks, records show. The discovery of ramp-free locations that were not previously identified, along with pandemic-driven construction delays, officials say, have combined to push back […]
Posted inTransportation
TLC Misses Deadline to Make Half of All Taxis Wheelchair Accessible, Again
The Taxi and Limousine Commission has been struggling to meet a court-ordered quota of vehicles capable of carrying wheelchairs and motorized scooters for a decade — and coming up short.
Posted inAccessibility
Mobility-Impaired New Yorkers Blast MTA’s Proposed Changes to E-Hail Program
While increasing the number of participants, the agency plans to raise costs and cap subsidies: “It very much feels like I’m being punished for using paratransit,” one commuter testified.
Posted inAccessibility
MTA Expands Paratransit E-Hail Pilot, But Boosts Price and Caps Number of Rides
Access-A-Ride users enjoy the freedom that e-hailing an accessible vehicle brings, but the pilot program’s budget can accommodate only a fraction of those interested.
Posted inAccessibility
For Manhattanites with Disabilities, Trek to Prove Access-A-Ride Worthiness Gets Worse
Advocates say the trips are unnecessary in the first place, when other places require only a doctor’s note or at-home evaluation to qualify for the service.
Posted inAccessibility
Hochul Looking to Transfer MTA’s Paratransit Budget to City
The mayor, advocates for people with disabilities and even MTA board members have called the move unfair and questioned if the funding shift could worsen service reliability and accountability for Access-A-Ride.
Posted inAccessibility
TLC Supercharges Money Pot to Put More Accessible Cabs on Road
A surcharge added to every yellow or green cab ride could rise from 30 cents to $1 in a new effort to meet a long-blown accessibility deadline.
Posted inAccessibility
Paratransit Users Warn MTA Not to Leave Them Behind in Budget Revamp
The MTA is assessing new goals and financial needs in a post-pandemic world. Riders with mobility issues remind the agency that serving them humanely is not only the law but “the right thing to do.”