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Thursday, June 28, 2012

Illinois people with disabilities / Seniors low income ride free program to end enrollment

The cancellation of a state program that determines eligibility for low-income seniors and disabled individuals to travel free on public transit means no more new riders, Regional Transportation Authority officials said Wednesday.

State leaders nixed funding for Circuit Breaker, an Illinois Department on Aging grant program for poor seniors and people with disabilities that subsidizes medication and property taxes. But since you have to be on Circuit Breaker to qualify for free rides, that spells trouble for people who can’t afford transit and aren’t enrolled in the system. Circuit Breaker ends July 1.

“We’re deeply disappointed we’re no longer able to add low-income seniors or disabled riders and we’re working doggedly with the governor and General Assembly” to fix the problem, RTA Executive Director Joe Costello said at a board meeting.

Currently, there are 84,000 seniors and 58,000 people with disabilities who are low-income with ride-free passes good for two years. What happens at the end of that time in terms of recertifying qualifying individuals is unclear.

“Does that mean at the end of two years the program will be gone with no way to add anyone?” asked RTA Director Carole Brown of Chicago, a former CTA president.

“We expect to figure out a way to make this work (by then),” Costello said.

The state ended free rides for all seniors in September and converted the program to just include the very poor. At that time, thousands of people enrolled in the new system. But riders are still joining — about 1,353 seniors between January and May and 2,709 individuals with disabilities in the same time frame.

In the meantime, seniors and disabled individuals can ride at half-price in accordance with an established program that isn’t affected by the state’s budget woes.

“There are still subsidized benefits out there,” RTA Chairman John S. Gates Jr. said.

# article By Marni Pyke | Daily Herald | 6/27/2012
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120627/news/706279690/

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