Duckworth bill proposes $1 billion annually for upgrades
Stations inaccessible 31 years after landmark disability law May 24, 2021 5:01 AM By Lillianna Byington
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who lost her legs flying helicopter combat missions in the Iraq war, is waging a new fight: pressing authorities to deliver on a three-decades-old promise to make transit stations accessible to all.
The Illinois Democrat toured renovations at Chicago Transit Authority stations after her election to the Senate. The authorityâs director was excited the accessibility project would be completed within two decades, Duckworth recalled in an interview.
âThatâs how long this is going to take?â the senator asked at the end of the tour. âAnd heâs at the innovative forefront of transit authorities that are trying to do this,â she said of the director. For Duckworth, who uses a wheelchair, the visit underscored how little transit authorities make access for people
Senators Propose Transit Accessibility Grant Program
Senators Propose Transit Accessibility Grant Program Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
The All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) Act of 2021 has been introduced to establish grants that help transit authorities and commuter railroads upgrade existing stations to “meet or exceed accessibility standards” under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), reported bill authors and U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.).
The legislation (download below) would appropriate at least $1 billion per year over 10 years, the legislators said during the May 18 announcement. They noted that nearly 20% of all transit stations were not ADA accessible as of 2019, according to Federal Transit Administration (FTA) data.
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