Dear Veera Kumar, Thanks alot for letting me know this update. Being a regular user of public transportation in US, I had several difficulties that you cited in this message. I really appreciate your effort for sending this article to list members. Thank You, SATHIYAPRAKASH.
>>> "B.V." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 1/2/2007 9:22:34 AM >>> A new settlement of a federal lawsuit promises to bring sweeping changes to Suffolk's public transportation system to accommodate disabled riders, attorneys said this week. Nassau/Suffolk Law Services in 2004 sued the county's department of public works, which operates Suffolk County Transit, in federal court on behalf of eight people with disabilities. A year earlier, the group filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation alleging the county's bus routes did not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, mandating that all buses have operational lifts for disabled riders and that bus stops be announced for visually-impaired passengers. The problems persisted for several years, despite repeated complaints by disabled commuters and advocacy groups, attorneys said Friday. The lawsuit further stated that Suffolk County Accessible Transportation, the county's paratransit system that provides door-to-door bus services for disabled riders by appointment, was plagued with problems and federal violations, including riders unable to book trips within 24 hours. Suffolk officials say the system provides more than 230,000 trips a year. The court-ordered settlement calls for the county to purchase 59 new fixed-route buses and to complete the installation of a fully automated stop announcement system in all bus routes by 2008. The county has 162 buses in its fleet, including most of the new buses mandated by the settlement. New buses also will be added to the paratransit system, which has 81 vehicles. The county will also completely revamp its paratransit reservation system. The settlement also requires the county to provide alternative transportation for passengers when bus lifts are not working or when they miss stops that are not announced. Law services attorney Robert Briglio said the settlement was "very substantial" and a groundbreaking victory for the disabled, who struggle with inadequate public transportation systems throughout the country. Briglio noted that the county showed "good faith" by agreeing to changes not mandated by federal law, such as more comprehensive training, monitoring and disciplinary measures for transit employees. "I'm happy that we settled it finally," said plaintiff Frank Perino, of Islip, who is visually impaired. "But I'm certainly not happy that it took several years to do it and that we had to do all this to get them to comply with the simple regulations that they should have been complying with." Deputy county attorney Gail Lolis said the settlement was "something we're very comfortable with" and added that, regardless of the settlement, the county planned implementing many of the improvements. "It's good for the county and it's certainly good for our disabled residents," she said. To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
