After looking at those slideshows, and overhearing a comment my boss made a few days ago, it got me wondering -



Is it worth it to build the disabled ramps?



Seriously, how many people ride public transit every day that are in wheelchairs? I realize some old people can't climb stairs, but they're not likely to be taking public transit anyways, and walking up those ramps would take ages anyways with all the switchbacks.



My boss made the point that the public transit authority should just give disabled people cab vouchers and be done with it. I know Metro does paratransit (and loses money on this and is more unreliable than buses), but what do people think about this? ADA requirements aside, what would be cheaper in the long run? building and maintaining ramps and elevators, or reimbursing people for cabs when they need to take public transit? Try not to get too emotional about this please, one of my best friends is disabled (she drive a car)

You build a ramp once and it last for decades. Or you can give cab fare out for decades. And then you have to hire people to hand out cab fare, decide who should get it, etc.



And you are wrong about old people that have trouble with stairs, they are VERY likely to take public transit. A good public transit system gives old people a level of independence unavailable to old folks in areas without transit.

People with bikes and luggage and arthritic knees will thank you for building the ramps and elevators. I know plenty of people who can walk all day around a city, but put one set of stairs in front of them and they'll grab you by the elbow while they take a full 2 minutes going up or down one step at a time.

^Actually, that would be me! I fell down the stairs, injured my knee, and walking with a cane, and cannot drive! And I am glad I don't have to contact Metro to make special arrangements until I heal. The ramps are there when we need them.

I think it's an ada thing...gotta build the ramps...not to luggage, bikes, injuries etc.

and i say less money for the physically handicapped, and more for the mentally handicapped



its not like you couldn't make the whole world handicap accessible, but you have to weigh the costs & the results



and sadly it seems that metro is not very good at getting value for their construction value. how many 1/2 billion dollar train lines will the tax payers put up with?



good intentions aside, the people who are designing this stuff are likely not really urban planners or handicap specialists. they are following laws that require X ramps with Y max grade. they build million dollar stations with ramps and elevators, but you get dumped out onto broken side walks and unsafe streets.



if someone took 1/1000th of all the money ever spent on wheelchair accessibility & put it into R&D, they handicapped could be flying around in rocket chairs.



or take that money to make bike lanes & dedicated pedestrian thouroughfares. they'd get greater usage & be a proactive response toward a healthier society



i found it strange when i visited socialist Paris, that they apparently pay no mind to wheelchair accessibility - there are steps & turnstyles everywhere, in their extensive & widely used mass transit system.

It is now the law that all rail and bus systems must be accessible. You asked how many people use the lifts and ramps. The number is huge and growing. Admittedly the ramps are long. Forsyth is amazing.



Ramps are more reliable than elevators and less apt to become public urinals.



Taxi vouchers (assuming that you will have lift equipped taxi's) would be massively expensive and virtually uncontrollable.