The Chicago Transit Authority announced earlier this week that it would postpone some capital improvements and maintenance work to avoid raising fares this year. An investigative report by journalism students at Columbia College Chicago recently found several problems with accessibility at train stations. The CTA has been making improvements to buses, trains, and train stations since a lawsuit 8 years ago that was initiated to force the agency into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Student journalist Elizabeth Czupta says she and her classmates were struck by how difficult riding the train can be if someone has a disability.

A spokeswoman from the CTA yesterday told us that out of the 36 accessibility issues identified by the journalism students only two were matters of ADA compliance. Those were elevators that were fixed as quickly as possible. She noted that the transit agency has come a long way since 2001, when only 57 train stations were accessible. With the renovation of the Brown Line,  the CTA will have 93 accessible stations by the end of this year.

Music Button: Dan Heck, “One For Flo”, from the CD Compositionality, (Origin records)

Related Articles:
Investigation Finds Handicapped Accessibility Issues Plague CTA from Chicago Talks
INVESTIGATION: Disabled And Downtown On The CTA from The Beachwood Reporter