Using paratransit in New York can be a difficult prospect for those with disabilities, so one local family is visiting Albany this week to advocate for improvements.
Disabled Army Veteran Kenneth Speaker and daughter Stephanie, who has epilepsy and asthma, have been advocates for 11 years.
Bus fares around Buffalo are too expensive, and not accessible enough for those with disabilities, said Stephanie Speaker, a resident of Depew.
“I'm trying to get this whole thing fixed, that paratransit will go further," she said. "Right now ... they could pick you up at your house, but they could only go 3/4-mile from a big bus stop.”
Speaker also says veterans should be able to ride all public transit free of charge.
"Veterans should be for free riding a bus," she said. "They fought for our country, and they gave up their lives for us. And I think I think the veterans should get it for free."
Bipartisan New York Senate Bill 3144, or in the state assembly as Bill 00574, is under discussion, and would require accessible buses within three miles of bus lines for public transit authorities.
