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New Acess-A-Ride vehicle (www.mta.info)
NEW YORK—The Metropolitan Transit Authority purchased 30 paratransit vehicles and will test them to see if they can ultimately replace older Access-A-Ride vans.
The new MV-1 vans seat up to four passengers with space next to the driver for a wheelchair or scooter, and have a large doorway and fully integrated power ramp. Half of the vans are gas-powered and the others run on compressed natural gas. They are ready for operation after arriving in December.
MTA’s Paratransit Division currently has “1,970 vehicles, 1,300 of which are vans with wheelchair accessibility,” states an MTA release.
However, Disability Rights Advocates, who have been advocating for increased wheelchair access, put the number at 232 in a December press release, which was issued after a judge ruled the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission discriminates against people with disabilities.
