Greece, N.Y. (WHAM) – For years, Greece resident Ericka Glick relied on RTS services to get around. But she said recent changes have made it increasingly difficult for her and her husband — both wheelchair users — to find reliable transportation, especially outside the main service area.
“When RTS came up with their paratransit plan, it was supposed to include the disability community and be really great for us and we wouldn’t be left behind at all. That turned out not to be true. Our transportation got significantly worse in the suburbs,” Glick said.
Glick said she and her husband use both RTS On Demand and RTS Access, the disability transportation service. But she said getting a ride has become a struggle because they do not live in the main service area.
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“Using the On-Demand app is incredibly frustrating. We almost never get rides, no matter what time of day or night we try to do it,” Glick said.
Susan Stahl, director of quality assurance at the Center for Disability Rights, said the organization has heard from multiple riders who are running into similar roadblocks with RTS services.
“When we see people out in the community who can be full members of society working and playing and shopping and without a bus or a way to get around people are going to end up sitting in their homes,” Stahl said.
RTS said it understands the impact of cutting its On Demand service on customers, “especially those with disabilities.” The agency added, “It’s why we are expanding service in Greece, where we have the highest demand for On-Demand service, to help minimize the impact. And it’s why we continue working with our lawmakers to find a way to stabilize our system so we can avoid additional service cuts.”
Glick said she hopes lawmakers in Albany will help, and she wants other riders facing similar challenges to speak up.
“Voices are important, but once there is a collective they’re much louder,” Glick said.