Posts tagged Disability
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Breakfast links: WMATA can run more 7000 series trains, inspect them every seven days
WMATA safety panel approves plan for less-frequent inspection. Former WMATA chief might lead Maryland’s transportation department. 200 sign up to speak at Arlington County Board’s missing middle public hearing. Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: DC taxis fail to meet accessibility standards, marginalizes disabled community
DC Taxis fail to meet accessibility standards. Some Anne Arundel County students walk along highways with no sidewalks. WMATA GM proposes lower fares for low-income riders. Keep reading…
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Why a study on transportation access for Virginians with disabilities died in committee
How hard is it for the disabled community to access reliable transportation in Virginia? A study before the General Assembly this year sought to answer that question — until Republicans let it die. Keep reading…
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Zero Vision in DC: Vision Zero is a disability rights issue
Disabled people are disproportionately affected when it comes to road safety. Here’s how we can do better. Keep reading…
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Sen. Tammy Duckworth talks about why every US transit station must be accessible
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), with Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.), introduced the All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) Act of 2021, which would establish a $10 billion grant program to help transit agencies and commuter-rail providers retrofit stations to meet the needs of people with physical, cognitive, sensory, and other mobility challenges. Keep reading…
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How accessible is Metro anyway?
Much more needs to be done to make local rail and bus systems truly accessible. For example, Metro’s 7000-series trains still have a dangerous gap between the cars that a blind man fell through in 2016, and more than half of local bus stops aren’t reachable to people using wheelchairs. Keep reading…
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This DC pilot aims to get more wheelchair-accessible taxis in circulation
Currently, there are about 280 wheelchair-accessible taxis in the District that make about 36,000 trips in total per month, but that’s not enough to meet the demand. A new pilot program by the District Department of For-Hire Vehicles (DFHV) aims to incentivize wheelchair-accessible vehicle (WAV) drivers to make more trips, and increase the number of accessible taxis in circulation. Keep reading…
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National links: High-speed trains could replace plane travel in the Green New Deal
The proposed Green New Deal wants to reduce plane travel and increase trips by high-speed train. Atlanta's plan to cap three-quarters of a mile of downtown freeway with green space is moving forward. Swiss voters have rejected a plan to limit sprawl over concerns it would worsten its housing shortage. Keep reading…
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The acoustics of public meeting rooms don’t invite participation
Recreation centers and schools are where a lot of important decisions of local government are made. Next to street fairs and festivals, they’re also the most likely places where people can come together to talk about and talk to their government and representatives. Unfortunately, many of these rooms are some of the worst-designed spaces for public dialogue. Keep reading…
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Metro Reasons: Computer-driven trains are coming back — that’s good news for riders
Finally, some good news for riders: Metro is planning to restore computer-driven trains in June of 2019, just under a decade after the system was turned off following a fatal collision of two Red Line trains outside of Fort Totten. The return of “auto doors,” the process where doors automatically open once a train properly berths at a station, should also be returning. Keep reading…