Hard fought progress that's been made in transportation for people with disabilities is being lost as paratransit services are cut back and the fees are raised. Yet the need for such services continues to grow.
The raise in fare is too steep for some who don't work and can't afford it. For example, the article states that in Niles, Michigan, where the fare was raised by a dollar a trip, "ridership decreased by 53% after that from 6,154 trips in 2007 to 2,896 in 2008."
Statistics show that ridership has gone up and more people are in need of paratransit service.
At the same time that partransit systems are struggling with funding, ridership is up. There was a 5.8% increase in national paratransit ridership last year, according to APTA's "Public Transportation Ridership Report" released in March.
Many Dial-a-Ride passengers are upset with fare increases because the service is their only way to get to work or medical appointments. "Please don't keep us prisoners in our homes," Patricia Williams, a disabled 40-year Reno resident said at a recent hearing. "Let us get out and see our family. Let us go to the grocery store." viaUSAToday.com
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