REPS. GARCÍA, NEWMAN, SENATOR DUCKWORTH AND THE CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY APPLAUD THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ASAP ACT
REPS. GARCÍA, NEWMAN, SENATOR DUCKWORTH AND THE CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY APPLAUD THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ASAP ACT
This legislation, previously signed into law as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, will provide $1.75 billion to cities to make public transit accessible to riders with disabilities
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representatives Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Marie Newman (IL-03), and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) are proud to celebrate the official implementation of the All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) Act through the U.S. Department of Transportation. This legislation was initially introduced by Representatives García and Newman, and Senator Duckworth, and was signed into law last year by President Biden. As a result of this program’s implementation, cities including Chicago will have access to $1.75 billion in grant funding for crucial upgrades to make transit stations ADA compliant.
"I've been a champion for greater accessibility on Chicago's public transit throughout my career, and I’m proud that the implementation of the ASAP Act will improve access and ADA compliance. It’s long overdue,” said Congressman García. “These funds are a key part of building an inclusive transit system, and they’ll enable more users of all capacities to use stations, trains, and buses with confidence.”
“In order to have truly world-class, equitable public transportation we must ensure that every station, bus and train across our nation is equally accessible to everyone,” said Congresswoman Newman. “This program will revolutionize transit accessibility by providing our cities with the funding they need to ensure their public transit systems can better serve all riders, especially those with disabilities and our seniors. I was honored to introduce such crucial legislation with Senator Duckworth and Rep. García, and I am thrilled to see this transformative program launch at the Department of Transportation. Thanks to this funding, our goal to ensure all public transit stations are 100% accessible is now one step closer to reality.”
“When the ADA was signed 32 years ago, it was supposed to consign ableism to the history books—yet we still have a long way to go to ensure that every corner of this country is actually, truly and fully accessible for the 61 million of us living with a disability,” said Senator Duckworth. “I was proud to lead the effort to include the ASAP Act in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and I’m thrilled that the DOT is making ASAP funding available to transit agencies today. It will go a long way toward making the roughly 900 inaccessible rail and subway stations fully accessible for all Americans.”
“Improving accessibility of CTA’s rail system has been a top priority for me, and this new funding opportunity should help us move forward with the critical projects outlined in CTA’s All Stations Accessibility Plan,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “I’m pleased that CTA’s program served as inspiration for this new federal funding program and look forward to working with the delegation to prioritize these important investments.”
According to the Federal Transit Administration, nearly 20% of all transit stations as of 2019 were not ADA accessible. Under the new Department of Transportation program established by the ASAP Act, $1.75 billion in grant funding will be made available over five years. This funding will help ensure that transportation in Chicago and in cities across the country finally complies with federal accessibility guidelines.
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