It’s great that the CTA finally is talking about making all its transit stations accessible for riders with disabilities. It’s not great that they’re giving themselves 20 years to do it.

First, they have more important things to do!

Their urgent priority is to spend $570Million+ and gut Central Lakeview to build a Brown Line Flyover, all to shave 20-30 seconds of 40% of Red Line commuters’ trips to work.

Seriously. That’s their first priority.

Yes, upgrade the Red Line stations and track infrastructure. But waste $570Million on this crazy Flyover while disabled riders continue to wait?

CTA Makes Rail Accessibility for Riders with Disabilities a Long-Term Goal
Tony Briscoe, Chicago Tribune, 1/7/2016

The CTA is about to start looking at how to make its rail system completely accessible to riders with disabilities within 20 years, agency officials said Wednesday.

The agency expects to publish a report late in 2016 or early 2017 on the initiative, which would outline new capital improvements and concepts necessary to make every CTA train station accessible to those who use wheelchairs or devices such as scooters.

Currently, 99 of the city’s 145 ‘L’ stations, or 68 percent, satisfy regulations put forth in the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, CTA spokesman Brian Steele said.
link to full Tribune article