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Disabled decry bus limitations, drawing attention of U.S. rep
Oct 10, 08:48 AM
New Britain Herald
By SCOTT WHIPPLE, Herald staff
NEW BRITAIN – U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy rode a New Britain Transportation Co. bus Thursday from Bank Street to Tunxis Community College in Farmington. He had been invited by resident Althea Pagliaruli to take the ride so he could better understand the hardships faced by physically challenged riders.
Most buses lack access for handicapped riders and are “dirty,” said Pagliaruli, who is not physically challenged.
Her wheelchair-bound friends complain that whenever they want to shop at Wal-Mart, Westfarms or the mall in Meriden, they have to hope a bus will show up equipped with a lift to help them on board – often to no avail.
On Thursday, Eneida Reyes of New Britain waited on Bank Street for a bus to take her to Westfarms. She said sometimes the bus company will send a backup school bus to take her to her destination; other times that backup bus never comes. And some mall stores have a policy of not allowing buses to pull up to their entrances, so passengers have to make their way through parking lots to get to the store.
Pagliaruli said bus company President Peter Agostini had dismissed her complaint by saying he didn’t have enough workers to help physically challenged riders.
Agostini, however, said Thursday that he’d cited the buses’ age as the problem.
“We’re waiting for a new fleet of handicapped-accessible buses to come in,” he said. “It’s like owning a car. After so many years, things start to go. We have two shifts of mechanics working on our vehicles.”
City buses are replaced every 12 years, Agostini explained.
“We’re due,” he said. “New Britain is next up. We should get 10 new buses some time next year with a low floor design for physically challenged riders.”
The problem is, since most of the buses are at least 12 years old, not all of them run every day, and the older lifts aren’t sturdy enough to support heavier wheelchair passengers.
People with physical limitations who need transportation help should call (860) 828-0511, ext. 16, Agostini said.
Murphy remembered that when he was a representative in the General Assembly there was a lot of talk about investing in buses, but not much money behind it.
Some cities – Middletown and Hartford – have been able to get federal grants for new buses.
Given the importance of public transportation to ease the energy crisis, emphasis should be placed on newer, handicapped-friendly buses, Murphy said.
The economic stimulus package passed Sept. 26 by the U.S. House of Representatives, the Job Creation and Unemployment Relief Act of 2008, contained $3.6 billion to buy buses and equipment to expand public transportation and make improvements to facilities. Of that, $40.7 million would be available to Connecticut. Of that, $38.9 million is available only to “urbanized areas” – those with more than 50,000 people. The U.S. Senate has yet to act on that bill.
“It’s great to have firsthand experience, seeing the problems we have with local buses,” Murphy said. “This way I can press the case for more federal funding.”
Agostini insisted the problem isn’t lack of funds, but rather the Federal Transit Administration’s 12-year mandate.
Murphy vowed to do what he could in Congress to shorten that cycle to 10 years.
Meanwhile, Reyes waited in her wheelchair for a bus with a lift. She shook her head.
“I’ve been told these are the same buses we’re supposed to take out of town if there’s a disaster,” she said.
