Brooklyn Cancer Survivor Takes On The MTA Over Stripped Access-A-Ride Service
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A Brooklyn cancer survivor with bad feet and a degenerative back is locked in a battle with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority over its Access-A-Ride program.
The program is designed to provide transportation for the disabled, but Iris Marcus told CBS 2's Sean Hennessey that she can't get a ride.
For five years Marcus had been approved for conditional Access-A-Ride service, meaning that she would take a bus or subway to meet her ride. But Marcus was getting door-to-door service instead.
Following an MTA crackdown Marcus said she lost her door-to-door service.
She applied for full service and even submitted letters from doctors that outlined her physical limitations and her inability to take public transportation.
However, following an assessment by the MTA, which included an agility test, it was determined that Marcus was "functionally capable of using regular public transportation."
Marcus disagreed with the MTA's findings.
"The findings are wrong. It just doesn't make sense," she told Hennessey on Monday night. "I can walk a few feet but that doesn't mean I can ride a bus or climb stairs. I cannot."
Brooklyn Assemblyman Bill Colton has taken notice. Last week he sent a letter to the U.S. Assistant Attorney General saying that "New York City Transit has further handicapped her ability to fight for her life."
Marcus said she's noticeably frustrated by the policy.
"It's very frustrating. Here's the evidence, here's what the doctors say, oh no it doesn't matter."
Marcus said that as long as she is unable to take the bus or subway to meet her ride, she will remain a prisoner in her own home.
Should Marcus be allowed to use the full door-to-door service? Let us know in our comments section below...
