Res. No. 325
Resolution calling upon MTA New York City Transit to install and operate photo cameras in each Access-A-Ride office as a service for their clientele, including seniors and persons with disabilities, who may otherwise face a substantial burden by having to travel to one location to obtain the required photograph and to another to submit the completed application.
By Council Members Dromm, Chin, Cornegy, Eugene, Gentile, Koo, Mendez, Rose, Koslowitz and Cohen
Whereas, The American with Disabilities Act ("ADA") requires that all public transportation agencies in the United States provide paratransit services to people with physical or mental disabilities, who cannot use public bus or train service; and
Whereas, MTA New York City Transit provides paratransit service to approximately 170,000 New Yorkers with disabilities through the Access-A-Ride program; and
Whereas, In order to determine eligibility for Access-A-Ride, MTA New York City Transit requires applicants to have a face-to-face interview at an Access-A-Ride-approved assessment center; and
Whereas, Access-A-Ride applicants are required to bring a passport-sized photograph with their completed application when attending an evaluation; and
Whereas, If an applicant does not bring a photograph to the evaluation center, the application will not be accepted; and
Whereas, Making a separate trip to obtain a passport-sized photograph before traveling to an assessment center is an unnecessary burden for mobility-impaired Access-A-Ride applicants; and
Whereas, On-site digital photography for identification purposes is ubiquitous at many office locations, including at New York State Department of Motor Vehicles centers; and
Whereas, It would be much more convenient for seniors and people with disabilities to simply be able to fill out an application at home and travel directly to an Access-A-Ride evaluation center, without having to make a separate trip to have their photograph taken; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon MTA New York City Transit to install and operate photo cameras in each Access-A-Ride office as a service for their clientele, including seniors and persons with disabilities, who may otherwise face a substantial burden by having to travel to one location to obtain the required photograph and to another to submit the completed application.
JM
Res904/2011
LS 885/2014