CHICAGO BLOG LOOKS AT CTA ADA ACCESSIBILITY ISSUE

STREETSBLOG CHICAGO recently looked at how the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and disability-rights activists are dealing with the lack of elevators at some CTA stations, such as Belmont, which is undergoing an upgrade without elevators. In that instance, adding elevators would have tacked on up to US$75 million to a US$15-million price tag, according to the CTA. A spokeswoman says decades-old infrastructure makes elevators cost-prohibitive in many instances. Further, if an upgrade is considered primarily cosmetic, elevators in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are not required. Disability-rights groups are encouraged, however, by the CTA’s All Stations Accessibility Program, which lays out a blueprint to make all stations wheelchair-accessible in 20 years.