From the Dallas Observer:
“North Texas’s largest public transport system, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), just barely skirted significant funding cuts this legislative session. Now, the time to ask for money for ongoing advancements is nigh, and U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson is doing just that, having requested $3 million in federal funding for renovation projects to increase an Uptown DART station’s accessibility features.
…Public transportation is a vital service for many disabled residents and has been a driving force in landmark accessibility expansion laws, says Christopher McGreal, a Dallas-based senior litigation attorney at Disability Rights Texas.
…‘There is a good percentage, a healthy percentage of individuals that do rely on paratransit as well as the fixed line route,’ said McGreal. ‘Persons with disabilities rely on that transit service.’
The lawyer reiterates that accessible transportation has long stood as a pillar of equitable accessibility for people with disabilities.
‘Transportation has its own unique history and is symbolic, as well as practical, for persons with disabilities, particularly with physical disabilities… [who want] the same equal access that other transit riders use public transportation.’
As for inclinator replacements, McGreal says that keeping accessible infrastructure elements up to date is integral to providing for the disabled community.
‘If you’re unable to [keep stations accessible], that’s almost a de facto denial of service.’”
Read the full article on the Dallas Observer website.