Access-A-Ride may be violating disability act

While state lawmakers continue to discuss the possibility of allowing Access-A-Ride (AAR) service providers to travel five miles over the Queens/Nassau border to transport customers, The Queens Courier has learned that current software may already be impeding AAR from offering adequate service to riders required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
According to ADA guidelines, the transit service should transport customers 3/4 of a mile from the nearest fixed route over the border, but AAR computer software only accounts for ZIP codes within New York City.
“At this time we have no way of knowing anything beyond the five boroughs,” said MTA NYC Transit Spokesperson Deirdre Parker.
Parker acknowledged that if a customer called and gave a Nassau County ZIP code for a destination point that was within the eligible areas, AAR would not grant a trip because it does not have the capability of factoring in Nassau ZIP codes to determine if the location falls within ADA regulations.
“We are working towards being able to take people a little bit further through the 3/4 of a mile,” she said.
However, City Councilmember John Liu, who chairs the transportation committee, said that response was unacceptable.
“Deficient software is not an excuse for non-compliance with the law,” Liu said. “Clearly, the system needs to be fixed.”
Liu said that this is the first time he heard about the issue, and that his committee would begin investigating the matter immediately.
“It’s silly for them to be constrained by such an arbitrary and capricious limitation,” Liu said. “This is of course something that needs to be improved.”
Meanwhile, the State Senate recently passed legislation that would allow AAR and Able Ride (Nassau County’s equivalent) vehicles to travel five miles over the Queens/Nassau border when transporting customers.
Assemblymember Mark Weprin said he expects the legislation to pass in the Assembly soon, where it will be up to Governor Eliot Spitzer to either sign it into law or veto it. Back in 2006, Governor George Pataki vetoed a similar bill that the legislature passed.