Emily Keller-O'Donnell, Journalist

Transit Advocates Announce Lawsuit Against MTA

    Transportation accessibility advocates have used public forums and rallies to protest the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) wide-ranging service cuts. Now they are taking legal action.

    Activists stood outside Brooklyn Borough Hall August 17 to announce that they are suing the MTA and its New York City Transit (NYCT) division for cutting and restructuring 33 Brooklyn bus routes, including the elimination of the B39 and B51 routes.

    The cuts took effect June 27 and include changes to subways and Access-A-Ride, which has implemented a reduced trip length for riders who are deemed able to walk from a subway or bus station to their destination.

    The plaintiffs in the case are RueZalia Watkins (pictured), Anthony Trocchia and Clara Reiss – who are unable to use subways due to mobility impairments – as well as Disabled in Action of Metropolitan New York (DIA) and the Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled.

    “Everyone in New York has to have access – not access by appointment,” Watkins said, referring to Access-A-Ride, which requires advance reservations to use. “As long as we sit and stay in our homes and we don’t stand up, they will continue to make cuts," she said about the protest.

    This article was published at Transportation Access and printed in Able News. Click here to read the story.

Harry Wieder Remembered for Humor, Activism and Diversity

By Emily F. Keller

    Harry Wieder fought for civil rights by teaching people about pride.

    Whether he was advocating for gay rights with the group ACT UP, writing lengthy and humorous emails about the city’s transportation policies, or instructing his friends to “get down on your knees and hug me,” Wieder was unapologetic in his demands.

    In his 57 years of life, Wieder fought many battles for equal rights and respect as a gay, disabled, Jewish dwarf. He was remembered as a four-foot giant with an edgy sense of humor and a persistent presence in society’s cultural, educational and political institutions. His work often focused on New York City’s transportation network, which enabled Wieder to access his activities.

    Wieder passed away in late April after being struck by a taxi as he left a meeting of Community Board 3 in his Lower East Side neighborhood. He was a longtime member of the board. Friends and politicians held a memorial for Wieder at The Cooper Union May 20.

    Click here to read the article published at Transportation Access.

Accessible Taxi Dispatch System Concludes Pilot Program

By Emily F. Keller

    A two-year pilot program to link people with disabilities with accessible New York City taxis has concluded with limited customer usage.

    The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) announced at a recent State Assembly hearing that the Accessible Dispatch System pilot project provided 5,828 dispatches in two years, for a cost of $177 per call.

    TLC Commissioner David Yassky said the pilot program did not indicate a large demand for unsubsidized accessible taxi trips. “What that says about the latent demand that may be out there and was not revealed by the pilot we’ll be opining on in our report,” he said.

    The TLC received about eight calls per day for the service – far below the 250 calls expected, and only 2,701 out of 60,000 wheelchair users in the city utilized the service. The program did not include taxi rides paid for with Access-A-Ride vouchers that reimburse some paratransit riders for taxi trips.

Suffolk County Proposes Sunday Transit Service and Fare Hike

    The Suffolk County legislature is proposing to upgrade the local transit system, but the improvements would start with a fare hike.

    The initial proposal would add Sunday service for the first time on buses and paratransit, or Suffolk County Accessible Transportation (SCAT), beginning in May 2011.

    To pay for the increased service, the Suffolk County Department of Public Works would increase the cost of SCAT from $3 to up to $3.75. The current bus fare of $1.50, with students paying $1 and seniors and people with disabilities paying 50 cents, could rise as high as $2.25, though more modest increases are possible.

    The Suffolk County legislature is proposing to upgrade the local transit system, but the improvements would start with a fare hike.

    The initial proposal would add Sunday service for the first time on buses and paratransit, or Suffolk County Accessible Transportation (SCAT), beginning in May 2011.

    To pay for the increased service, the Suffolk County Department of Public Works would increase the cost of SCAT from $3 to up to $3.75. The current bus fare of $1.50, with students paying $1 and seniors and people with disabilities paying 50 cents, could rise as high as $2.25, though more modest increases are possible.

Library Celebrates Anniversary of the ADA

    The New York Public Library celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) July 7 with panel discussions and art performances at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street.

    Sixty-five people attended the celebratory events that took place in the afternoon and evening, beginning with the topic “The ADA: On the Personal Level.” Matthew Sapolin, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, opened that panel with a talk about changes resulting from the ADA, as well as New York City laws that go beyond the federal accessibility requirements.

Court Says Move Disabled into Community

    Thousands of New York State residents with psychiatric disabilities must be moved out of institutions and into their own homes, a panel of federal judges has ruled.

     The June 23 decision by the Second Circuit Court upholds a lower court ruling that the state must begin moving residents into the community immediately. The announcement is a victory for proponents of home- and community based living over institutional living.

    The decision settles a lawsuit that was filed in 2003 against former Gov. George Pataki, charging that institutionalization violates Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). That section prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities, including those with mental illness.

New Jersey Budget Has Mixed Results for People with Disabilities

    On June 29, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and the state legislature finalized the state budget for fiscal year 2011. The budget contains a range of cuts to close an $11 billion deficit, including reduced funding for some services to people with disabilities, but offers some increases as well.

     Among the budget’s provisions is a reduction in the hourly wage for Medicaid personal care assistants from $16.15 to $15.50. This was a smaller drop than in the original proposed budget, which called for a $13.8 million cut to that program and a new wage of $14.05.

Suffolk County Proposes Sunday Transit Service and Fare Hike

    The Suffolk County legislature is proposing to upgrade the local transit system, but the improvements would start with a fare hike.

     The initial proposal would add Sunday service for the first time on buses and paratransit, or Suffolk County Accessible Transportation (SCAT), beginning in May 2011.

    To pay for the increased service, the Suffolk County Department of Public Works would increase the cost of SCAT from $3 to up to $3.75. The current bus fare of $1.50, with students paying $1 and seniors and people with disabilities paying 50 cents, could rise as high as $2.25, though more modest increases are possible.

MTA Protest: Advocates Demonstrate at Borough Hall

    The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has made wide-ranging service cuts despite citywide community and political efforts to stop them, including an 11th hour protest at Brooklyn Borough Hall on behalf of people with disabilities and seniors.

    The MTA has cut the V and W subway lines, decreased train frequency, eliminated more than 30 bus routes and reduced service on others. The cuts are part of an effort to plug an $800 million budget gap and are expected to save the transit provider $93 million annually.

    The MTA backtracked on a plan to withdraw funding for student MetroCards.

Communities Celebrate Harry Wieder’s Life

    Friends, neighbors, politicians and activists from some of Harry Wieder’s social justice networks celebrated his life on June 20 at Cooper Union in lower Manhattan.

    No family members were present, but a close cousin from Israel, Tommy Wieder, sent a written statement read by Michael Schweinsburg. He talked about Wieder’s acceptance of all people, and his love of New York.

    “I’m not sure you could find anybody who knew New York as well and as intimately as Harry,” Tommy Wieder wrote.