This post is sponsored by the Active Transportation Alliance.
As Chicagoland faces a $771 million transit fiscal cliff, the disability community could be particularly hard-hit by service cuts. And already the Regional Transportation Authority is trying to address an ADA Paratransit budget shortfall for the 2025 fiscal year. Today the agency's board of directors voted to fund this year's shortfall. "2025 ADA ridership will exceed budget by 1.3 million to 1.8 million rides, producing a potential shortfall of $35 million to $65 million in the absence of mitigating actions," the agency explained in a blog post today.
RTA says it has developed an ADA Paratransit Action Plan with the goal of mitigating, "the continued, unsustainable growth in RAP and TAP ridership and costs." These are Pace’s Taxi Access Program and Rideshare Access Program, which subsidize these modes as an alternative to traditional transit and Paratransit. The action plan called for the following changes, which were approved by the RTA board in June as part of the plan (their language):
• "Pace establishing a 30 ride per month cap for both RAP and TAP"
• "Restoring the current $2 RAP and TAP fares to match traditional ADA at $3.25"
• "Offering free rides on all system-wide fixed route service to ADA-certified riders, which is currently offered only on Pace fixed routes"
These changes, discussed at six July community meetings, will go into effect on October 1.
During the public comment session at the start of today's board meeting, many people with disabilities and allies protested the coming changes. One person named Ryan, who has disabilities, argued that the issue is "about dignity, it's about equity." He said the change would force people to deal with longer wait times and less reliable service from Paratransit in order to save money, which would be "inhumane and cruel."
Another testifier argued the change would create an overflow of riders in the Paratransit program
Access Living Economic Justice Organizer Larry Dean said the RAP and TAP programs have positively impacted his own life. "I am here to ask you to preserve this essential program exactly as it is and to abandon any consideration of a 30-ride-a-month limit," he said. "For so many people in the disability community, RAP/TAP is not a luxury. It is the lifeline that connects us to the world."
"A 30-ride limit, while it may seem like a minor adjustment on a spreadsheet, would be a devastating blow to the people who rely on this service. It would force many people in the disability community to make impossible choices," he added. "Do I go to work this week or see my doctor? Do I attend my class or visit my family for the holidays? It would shackle us and confine us to our homes, undoing years of progress in making Chicago a more accessible and inclusive city."
"This program is more than just a bus pass or a train ticket," Dean continued. "It is a symbol of our city's commitment to its most vulnerable residents. It represents the belief that every person, regardless of their physical abilities, deserves the freedom to move and to live a full life. Limiting this program would send a clear message that our lives are less valuable, our freedom is conditional, and our participation in society is subject to a monthly cap."
"I urge you to look beyond the numbers and see the faces of the people you serve," Dean concluded, addressing the board members. "See the dreams, the aspirations, and the daily struggles of those who depend on this program. Please, do not let a financial decision strip us of our autonomy and our place in this city. Preserve the RAP/TAP program as it is, without a ride limit. Show us that Chicago truly believes in accessibility for all."
The RTA blog post on today's meeting encouraged transit users to get updates on the ADA Paratransit Action Plan and other other important Chicagoland transit matters, including the fiscal cliff, by joining the Transit is the Answer Coalition.
Watch slides and video from today's board meeting.
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