MTA taxi plan strands the disabled

Changes to the MTA’s AccessA-Ride program leave disabled New Yorkers unsure if they’ll be picked up in a cab or a van, and no guarantee they’ll get where they are going on time.

A pilot e-hail program in effect since 2017 gave more paratransit driving work to green and yellow taxis — a cheaper option than having the agency pay about $70 per ride to transport people in traditional Access-A-Ride vans.

But a curtailment of the program that took effect in March is causing problems for disabled people.

“What they’re offering is a new and improved version of e-hail is essentially making Access-A-Ride unusuable,” said Beth King, 63, a psychologist who lives in Bay Ridge.

More frequently, Access-ARide passengers who seek taxi rides are being transported in multipassenger vans instead.

“They’ve decided they’re going to do group rides as much as possible,” said King.

Her complaint about group rides is a common one: Passengers are often taken far out of their way to pick up additional riders.

MTA spokesman Max Young said Access-A-Ride customer service complaints are down by 39% from last year, and noted the agency is working to rapidly increase the disabled access to the subway by the end of 2024.

“We know we have a long way to go to improve paratransit services while we simultaneously improve accessibility in the subway system,” said Young. “We’re working hard to do so with significant public input and outreach.”

About 4,000 cab drivers are signed up for the Access-ARide program. The MTA hopes to double that by the end of the year. Increasing the number of drivers would help the agency reduce wait times for riders, but cabbies have to be trained and undergo drug and alcohol testing to get in.

The MTA has also put in place a pilot for 1,200 AccessA-Ride users, which allows them to order handicap-accessible cabs on-demand for just $2.75. The agency has extended that program through the end of the year.