FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Chris Hilderbrant, Diane Coleman

June 9, 2010

Disabled Riders Protest RGRTA Board Chair, Say “Stop Ignoring us, Stop Violating Federal Law!”

Rochester, NY – Riders with disabilities are fed up with being continuously ignored by RGRTA and its Board of Commissioners regarding violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. They are protesting at Doyle Security Systems, Inc, where John G. Doyle, Jr., Chair of the RGRTA Board of Commissioners, is President and CEO.

“I am appalled that twenty years after the passage of the ADA, public transit users with disabilities are still being subjected to frequent violations,” said Stephanie Woodward, Transportation Systems Advocate with the Center for Disability Rights. “At our protest on April 16th, we were told to write a letter to the Board of Commissioners requesting a meeting to discuss and work together to resolve the issues. We followed up by sending a letter to every member of the Board on May 14, yet, we were ignored.” Mr. Doyle was asked to respond to the letters requesting a meeting by June 4, 2010. No communication has been received to date.

Customers who use wheelchairs frequently complain of being passed up by RTS bus drivers who do not want to take the time to operate the ramp or lift. Sometimes, passengers in wheelchairs are told that the lift or ramp does not work, when, in fact, it does. Bus ramps can be operated manually, but when that is pointed out, drivers give other excuses, such as the ramp is “stuck”, or is “too heavy”. According to RTS policy, bus lifts and ramps are to be checked before leaving the garage.

Users of Lift Line, RGRTA’s paratransit service, face trip denials even when calling three days in advance. “It’s frustrating when you’re trying to plan ahead and are told that there are no rides available, or you’re forced to accept a ride three hours before an appointment because that is all that they have,” explains Deb Duminuco, a Lift Line customer, and co-chair of the Transportation Action Group whose goal is to make public transit better for everyone. “That is a violation of the ADA.”

Especially galling to these riders is the fact that there have been efforts to work with RGRTA over the years, but to no avail. “We have tried everything – going to the town hall meetings, board meetings, and writing letters, but nothing has worked, including contacting the Board directly,” says Terrie Lincoln, a Lift Line user, and Systems Advocate with the Regional Center for Independent Living. “To me, it is clear that they have no regard for their customers with disabilities. They want us to shut up and go away.”

The advocates are calling for:

• A meeting with the RGRTA Board of Commissioners,
• Full RGRTA compliance with federal public transit access requirements,
• An end to Lift Line ride denials due to capacity constraints by negotiating contracts with cab companies for ambulatory customers, and
• Sensitivity training for RTS and Lift Line drivers provided by people with disabilities.