"Hell In River City"
Disabled passengers forced to cross a busy street to catch a cab.
By Jennie Barker
The Jackson Street Bridge, which is currently undergoing major repairs, will be shut down until next year. This means that as of June 1st, cabdrivers are only allowed to drop off and pick up customers at Union Station on the west side of Canal Street between Jackson and Adams. For senior citizens and people with special needs, this means having to cross through congested traffic, oftentimes unaided.
“This is totally unacceptable. It’s hell in River City,” said Joan Barnes, who drives a wheelchair-accessible taxicab with Yellow Cab Company.
According to the Chicago Department of Transportation, CTA busses are still authorized to drop off and pick up passengers from the east side of the street. Barnes thinks this should also apply to wheelchair-accessible cabs. “Why should senior citizens [and people with special needs] have to cross three lanes of traffic for the buses?” she said.
Barnes recently assisted several passengers across the street during mid-afternoon traffic, including a 90-year old woman who had difficulty walking on her own. Barnes recalled that it took about several minutes to help the woman, and can’t imagine how challenging it would have been during rush hour traffic.“ [A lot of] these people have heart problems, and no mobility aid to help them,” Barnes said.
For passengers who use wheelchairs, entering and exiting the cab is another concern. According to Barnes, all wheelchair-accessible cabs like hers have wheelchair ramps, which are located on the right side of the vehicle. Having to load and unload customers from the opposite side of the street would be a problem for them.
Not only would the wheelchair ramp be facing the wrong side of the street, traffic would also be moving in that direction, possibly creating a dangerous situation for customers trying to access the ramp.
Barnes said CTA police are giving out tickets and fly tickets to those who don't comply with the rules, but said an exception needs to be made. “A person with a disability should have a right to be dropped off the right side of the street without being harassed by the police,” she said.
So far, Barnes has contacted the 2nd Ward alderman Robert Fioretti and the Department of Transportation about the issue. She has also advised customers to file their own complaints. “I'm going to go to every government person [in the city],” she said. “This isn't right.”
WHY YOU HAVE TO dEAL WITH THIS AND WHY HELP SOMEONE CROSS THE STREET?
do another job that pays you will and gives you health benefits and once you get older, you too will be able to cross bridge without other's assitance.
this greedy and corrupt city officials won't give a **** about it and you just make yourself look as a porter by helping someone walk on street than just driving cab.
UPDATE - City makes concessions to cabbies transporting disabled passengers
Taxicabs are now allowed to pick up and drop off disabled passengers on the east side of Canal Street, according to Jill Gansen, a project engineer with the city of Chicago.
Signage has been placed indicating this permission. Chicago taxi drivers picking up or dropping off disabled passengers may need to point out to traffic aides or police officers that they are working with disabled passengers to avoid being ticketed.
Re: UPDATE - City makes concessions to cabbies transporting disabled passengers
I 'd not pick up my grand mother using taxi at all .
I'd not also pick up 90 year woman for 5$.
I suggest you to work at mcdonald that pays you $8 an hour and make over $60 a day in just 8 hours rather than driving cab with 90 year old woman inside and earning $40 a day and driving 12 hours.
or work at senior citizen building which pays you $10 an hour and all you do is wipe the dirty ass of 90 year old big mouth women.
what if it is ur mother who is looking for a taxi and she is disable then would u pick her up