September 6, 2022•Advocacy Matters
U.S. Department of Transportation All Stations Accessibility Program
U.S. Department of Transportation All Stations Accessibility Program
Disability Matters with Joyce Bender
Tuesday, September 6, 2022
#AdvocacyMatters Segment
U.S. Department of Transportation All Stations Accessibility Program
The U.S. Department of Transportation is focusing on the accessibility of public transportation systems built pre-Americans with Disabilities Act.
On July 26, 2022, the 32nd anniversary of the ADA, the Federal Transit Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation announced the availability of $343 million dollars for its All Stations Accessibility Program. The funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58). The allocation of infrastructure funding will be awarded competitively to state and local governments who operate rail stations. The goal is to repair, improve, modify, retrofit, or relocate the infrastructure of stations or facilities that are pre-ADA and are not accessible. The money can also be used for planning projects or assessments of accessibility.
When the FTA refers to legacy rail stations, they are referring to public transportation stations already constructed or where construction began prior to January 25, 1992, or for commuter rail stations already constructed or where construction began prior to October 7, 1991.
The FTA estimates that there are over 900 inaccessible stations in the United States. These stations have been inaccessible to people with disabilities for over 30 years. These infrastructure funds will assist in the financing to fix some of these inaccessible stations.
The deadline for our state and local governments to apply for the money is October 7, 2022.
#AdvocacyMatters
Advocacy Matters. If your community has inaccessible pre-ADA public transportation systems, contact them, and encourage them to learn more about the program and apply for the funding.
Links
Grants.Gov Announcement
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=342716
FTA Website Announcement