By: NY1 News
Among the cuts approved by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Wednesday were those to a key program for disabled New Yorkers. NY1’s Anthony Pascale filed the following report.
Along with her will to work, advances in technology have allowed Marilyn Saviola to thrive at her job as an advocate for the disabled.
Polio left Saviola paralyzed more than 50 years ago, but she is a fighter. Her latest battle is with the MTA over its plan to cut transportation services for the disabled.
“The system is so flawed now what other cuts could they possibly make?” asked Saviola.
The MTA's latest budget passed Wednesday calls for a $40 million cut to Access-a-Ride service in 2010 and an $80 million cut the following year. Access-a-Ride provides those who qualify with van service to and from where they need to go, for the same price of a bus or subway ride.
Officials are not saying just where the cuts would be made or how they would affect passengers, but people like Saviola fear what any cuts would mean.
“It’s hard enough to get a job, even if you're able-bodied,” she said. “If you're disabled, the unemployment rate is much higher, complicated by how someone can get to work, on time. By not offering accessible transportation with Access-a-Ride, you're putting more people out of work.”
Assemblyman Micah Kellner says the lack of details being given by the MTA worries him. He says he's frustrated that a plan he proposed last fall has yet to be enacted. It would allow disabled passengers who can ride in a taxi or black car to do just that, using an MTA-issued debit or credit card.
"We call it Access-a-Card,” Kellner explained. “The MTA wants to do it. We need to get the [Taxi and Limousine Commission] on board. The livery industry is so excited that it went to Visa to work out the details and we believe it will save $50 million a year and get people to where they need to go."
The MTA says it is just one of the options on the table. It is also looking into saving money through improved eligibility screening, more efficient scheduling, and the elimination of the most expensive carriers.
One of the more controversial ideas is having Access-a-Ride vans take more mobile passengers to the nearest bus stop or subway station with a working elevator.
The MTA is legally required to provide transportation to those with disabilities. Advocates for the disabled say if drastic changes are made to Access-a-Ride, they believe numerous lawsuits would follow.
