From NorthJersey.com:
“Newark AirTrain station to
get $250,000 makeover for travelers with disabilities”
The AirTrain Rail Link station at
Newark Liberty International Airport will get a $250,000 makeover to improve
accessibility for travelers with disabilities after a federal investigation
found multiple violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Under a settlement announced this week, the
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey promised to make upgrades throughout
the station, which serves 33,000 passengers a day traveling on Amtrak and NJ
Transit and the monorail link to the airport. The settlement "removes a significant
barrier that prevented people with disabilities from fully accessing a rail
station that is a gateway to travel all over the world,” Rachel Honig, the
acting U.S. Attorney in Newark, said in a statement Monday detailing the
agreement.
The Port Authority will make
$250,000 in accessibility upgrades to the Newark Airport rail station serving
AirTrain, NJ Transit and Amtrak, after an investigation found numerous
violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. From platforms and bathrooms
to its hallways and waiting areas, the list of items that failed to meet ADA
and Department of Transportation standards was a long one that included
improperly mounted ticket machines and kiosks and screens that project too far
from walls, posing obstacles to visually impaired travelers who use canes,
according to a copy of the settlement posted online. Raised braille lettering, also required under
federal rules, was missing from signs, kiosks and fare gates.
In an email to The Record and
NorthJersey.com, the Port Authority gave no timeline for the work but said it
would be done promptly. “The Department
of Justice has now concluded a multiyear investigation, and identified
approximately $250,000 worth of improvements that can be made to update the
station and improve its accessibility,” the agency said. “The Port Authority
will promptly make those improvements, and is strongly committed to ensuring
that its facilities are accessible and up to date.” The station was built in
2000 for “about $50 million,” according to the Port Authority, which did not
answer questions about how or whether the construction was certified as
ADA-compliant at that time. The project was completed a decade after Congress
passed the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The agency agreed to remedy every
item listed in the 19-page settlement, including remounting machines and kiosks
and reinstalling misplaced fire sprinkler equipment. "We welcome the Port Authority’s
commitment to bring Newark Liberty International Rail Station into compliance
with the ADA, and we will continue our work to ensure that no one is denied
access to any of the rights and accommodations our Constitution and laws
ensure,” said Honig. Anyone who believes
they may have been a victim of discrimination can file a complaint with the U.S
Attorney’s Office or call the office's Civil Rights Hotline at (855) 281-3339.
^ While this is a welcomed move
it is also one that should have been done back in 2000 (21 years ago.) It means
that for over 2 decades disabled people using AirTran in Newark have had problems
and that for over 2 decades Air Train Newark has been breaking Federal ADA
Laws. I have take the Air Train at the Newark Airport many times – although I
am not disabled. It makes me question the Air Train at the JFK Airport in New
York too since I believe they were built by the same company. Hopefully that
can be looked into and any ADA violations will be found and fixed. ^
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