ADA and People Traveling on Intercity and Commuter Rail Lines
by: New Mexico Legal Aid
A commuter service is a passenger service.
It runs between cities, where the passengers work, and the homes where they live.
The line can stay within one state, or cross into neighboring states.
Each train has at least one car for disabled persons. That includes people who use wheelchairs.
New train cars must be built to carry disabled people, and those who use wheelchairs
People who use wheelchairs must be able to enter a one level coach.
It must have space to park and lock a wheelchair.
It must have a seat to which a passenger in a wheelchair can transfer, and a space to fold and store the passenger's wheelchair.
It must have a restroom that a person in a wheelchair can use.
In a single level coach a person who uses a wheelchair and wants to stay in it, should have a place to park and lock it.
There should be a number of spaces for this purpose.
The number of spaces should equal one half the number of single level coaches on the train.
The coaches should have spaces to fold and store wheelchairs.
The number of these spaces should be one half the number of single level coaches in the train.
The spaces will be located in single level coaches and food service cars.
Only two of each space will be allowed in any of these cars
When a passenger in a wheelchair wants to use a single level dining car, he has to enter it from a car which is made for wheelchairs.
The passenger can go out of his car to the station platform and go to the car connected to the dining car. It is wheelchair ready.
The train does not have to be moved.
The service in the dining car must be the same as that for a person without a disability.
Two level dining and lounge cars must be made usable for disabled persons. Everything should be done to make the service to disabled persons equal to that of a person without a disability.
At least one car of each train must be altered for people with disabilities.
Some cars have restrooms for people who are not disabled.
These cars should also have restrooms for the disabled, including those using wheelchairs.
There are stations for these systems that are now being used. These must be made accessible to disabled people. They must be made usable by disabled people. This includes those that use wheelchairs.
Important stations in the system must be handled in the same way.
Some buildings will have to be changed inside. In making the changes it must be done so the path to the new section is easy to get to.
They must be sure that disabled persons can use restrooms, telephones, and water fountains in the new area.
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