In a city of eight million people the government performs a vast array of public services to a staggeringly diverse population. However, despite their diversity the people of New York know one truth to be universal, that regardless of race, ethnicity, creed, or orientation mobility is important. Despite this, transportation for the elderly and disabled remain difficult and expensive. To combat this problem the mayor’s office must increase MTA accessibility as well as its scrutiny of paratransit services.
As things presently stand the subways of New York are all but inaccessible for the elderly and differently abled. As one ages his or her knees tend to go the way of all flesh, making the act of climbing stairs a feat of endurance. For the elderly an elevator at a subway station, therefore, is not a luxury but a necessity, and yet less than a quarter of New York City’s 472 subway stations are wheelchair accessible. Additionally, what elevators there are tend to break down at an alarming rate. The mayor’s office should, therefore, keep records on which elevators break most frequently (this can be done with minimal effort via a crowd sourcing model) as well as conduct an accessibility study …show more content…
The eligibility requirements should be slightly lowered, but most importantly there should be an increased focus on responding to consumer complaints. Many Access-A-Ride users feel that they are ignored by the city, and the MTA’s lethargic response has allowed for paratransit services to continue with rude drivers, extremely late arrivals, and unsanitary vehicles. It has become such a problem that one elderly man I know orders the rides an hour before he actually needs the cab on the assumption it will be forty-five minutes late anyway. To combat this mayor’s office should hold the MTA accountable for processing its complaints, forcing paratransit services to improve their