August 04, 2021

Duckworth Bill to Make Public Transit More Accessible Included in Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal

 

[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) celebrated how the inclusion of a modified version of her All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) Act in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will help Americans with disabilities and improve their lives by helping make transit stations more accessible. According to the Federal Transit Administration, as of 2019 nearly 20 percent of all transit stations were not ADA accessible. Duckworth’s provisions will provide $1.75 billion over five years to support legacy transit and commuter rail authorities to upgrade existing stations to meet or exceed accessibility standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Biden Administration highlighted Senator Duckworth’s ASAP provisions in its fact sheet titled, “Top 10 Programs in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act That You May Not Have Heard About.”

“While we’ve come a long way since the ink dried on the ADA more than 30 years ago, but we still have a long way to go to make this country truly accessible, including making sure that every American can use our nation’s public transportation systems,” said Duckworth. “It’s imperative that transit systems continue to make accessibility a priority, and I’m proud that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will include a modified version of my ASAP Act to help provide local transit authorities with critical funding they need to expedite station upgrades and renovations that meet or exceed accessibility standards.”

In May, Senator Duckworth, along with U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Chair Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging Chair Bob Casey (D-PA), introduced the ASAP Act to help make public transportation systems more accessible to passengers with disabilities. The ASAP Act establishes a discretionary grant program that supports local transit authority and commuter rail efforts to increase the number of existing accessible stations or facilities that meet or exceed accessibility design standards under the ADA for rapid rail and commuter rail systems. A coalition of 18 State Attorneys General wrote to Congressional Leadership on July 26, 2021, in support of the ASAP Act.

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