Friday, October 12, 2012

Editorial: CTA to 'enforce' Baby Stroller policy - (maybe Priority Seating will be available again)


CTA President Forrest Claypool announced Thursday the transit agency will launch an initiative to remind passengers with strollers in tow that priority seating is intended for senior citizens and people with disabilities. (* as per federal regulations)

CTA President Forrest Claypool said he’s heard numerous complaints about strollers clogging the priority seating areas of buses from drivers and feels a nice reminder or three would be sufficient. The campaign will include handouts and additional signage.

CTA allows open strollers on buses and trains, but CTA personnel will ask they be folded and the baby held when a bus becomes crowded and warns a driver may ask riders with strollers to wait for a less-crowded bus or train.


(click to enlarge)

That comes as a less then a solution to riders like Verrone Perry, who spoke out about the out of control occurrences of open strollers on buses at Thursday’s CTA Board meeting (Oct 11, 2012).

“The baby strollers need to stop,” Perry said. “While they’re clearing the aisle with the baby stroller, there are people standing up, two to four people standing, that have worked hard all day and that want to sit down. “The drivers need to say something. Buses should not move until the baby strollers are taken down and the baby is taken out,”

Verrone Perry, thank you for your input, and the help you have done.

The 'Stroller' issue is one Ability Chicago members have advocated for CTA to return to the previous Policy of 'Stroller' must be folded before entering vehicle. While we applaud CTA President Forrest Claypool willing to acknowledge, and offer a solution he feels is fair for all concerned parties, this will be a wait and see if CTA follows through.


We as People with Disabilities that rely on the ability of being able to board a bus, not have to crawl over a 'stroller' to find a seat, or use Priority Seating, or having a bus driver tell a person who uses a wheelchair they have to wait for the next bus because a 'stroller' is in the 'wheelchair securement area' (yes this is happening).

We as People with Disabilities must hold CTA to their own Policies, and Priority Seating may be used in Chicago as it is intended to be used.

Jim Watkins
Ability Chicago
Executive Director

(above photo credit: Chicagoist/Chuck Sudo)
Video posted in memory of Harry Brooks, I know you are looking down smiling...



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For more posts on CTA Strollers: CLICK HERE

As an ongoing effort, and monitoring the issue. If You have taken video or pictures of "Strollers on CTA" - PLEASE SEND THEM TO US - with available information such as date time, route#, etc. - WE WILL BE HAPPY TO POST - TY
send to Ability Chicago at: jimwatkins@abilitychicago.info

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ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Transportation Vehicles

* As posted by the U.S. Access Board;
[NOTE: This document contains the Board's accessibility guidelines for vehicles which are codified at 36 CFR Part 1192. The implementing regulations of the Department of Transportation are codified at 49 CFR Part 38. Except for some minor editorial differences, they are identical and, except for the prefix, the numbering systems are parallel. For example, Section 1192.23 in this document corresponds to 38.23 in the DOT regulation.]

Subpart B -- Buses, Vans and Systems
§1192.27 Priority seating signs

(a) Each vehicle shall contain sign(s) which indicate that seats in the front of the vehicle are priority seats for persons with disabilities, and that other passengers should make such seats available to those who wish to use them. At least one set of forward-facing seats shall be so designated.

The first part of this requirement is simply a restatement of the provision of 49 CFR Part 609, in effect since 1976. The second part acknowledges that certain individuals who might need to take advantage of the priority seats have balance problems which make the typical side-facing priority seat difficult. However, this provision is not intended to require the installation of forward-facing seats where only aisle-facing seats are normally provided for everybody. Neither does the absence of forward-facing seats exempt the operator from the first part of this provision which requires that priority seats be provided, as is specified by the current regulation at 49 CFR Part 609.

The designation of an additional set of priority seats is up to the discretion of the operator. There is nothing in the provision which prohibits designation of the fold-down seats, when not used for securement. The DOT regulation explicitly prohibits an operator from requiring persons with disabilities to use such seats if they do not wish to do so. See 49 CFR 37.5(c).

(b) Each securement location shall have a sign designating it as such.

This provision simply requires that the securement location be identified by a sign. This is especially important where the area has a fold-down seat which might obscure the location or from which other people need to move when a wheelchair or mobility aid user boards.

(c) Characters on signs required by paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section shall have a width-to-height ratio between 3:5 and 1:1 and a stroke width-to-height ratio between 1:5 and 1:10, with a minimum character height (using an upper case "X") of 5/8 inch, with "wide" spacing (generally, the space between letters shall be 1/16 the height of upper case letters), and shall contrast with the background either light-on-dark or dark-on-light.

The Board acknowledges that the letter size limits the amount of information which can be placed on a sign but believes such signs should be legible to persons with vision impairments. The anticipated sign is relatively simple and can be brief. The specific letter size and aspect ratio requirements are drawn from research sponsored by the Board which tested signs of various configurations with subjects with low vision. In practice, the transit operator would probably never need to determine these measurements but would simply include them in bid specifications for signs.

While the character and stroke proportions are measured using an upper case "X", the sign characters can be either upper or lower case. Each type font has its characteristic proportions and should be calculated using the particular upper case "X". Many common typefaces comply. The Board did not attempt to list acceptable type fonts to avoid inadvertently omitting one which would comply.

The characters must contrast with the background. Generally, light characters on a dark background are preferred. While no specific contrast ratio is required, it is recommended that the characters and background contrast by 70%. Contrast in percent is determined by the formula contained in the discussion of §1192.25(b), above.

http://www.access-board.gov/transit/manuals/transit%20manual%20-%20b.htm


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