Results tagged “accessaride”

If you spend enough time riding a bike around New York, you learn to steer clear of those insane Access-A-Ride drivers, who are employed by NYC Transit to provide transportation for people with disabilities who can't take the subway or bus. In our experience, Access-A-Ride drivers are maniacs, and in recent years, the drivers have been in some high-profile accidents, including a fatality and a hit-and-run.

The State Island Advance has a heartbreaking yet inspirational story about a young man really looking forward to the new school year at Fordham University's Lincoln Center campus. Except Tim Price was run over by an Access-a-Ride minibus and "dragged 40 feet" earlier this year ("His right leg had been shattered, both clavicles broken, and his face and back severely burned") and now walks with a limp and uses a cane. His mom can't take him from S.I. to Fordham--she has two jobs--and hasn't found an affordable car service (boarding at Fordham is too expensive, too), so Price might have to...turn to Access-A-Ride for transportation. However, the honors student says, "I don't know if I could psychologically handle that." He is also suing NYC Transit, the Access-a-Ride vehicle's owner, and the driver for damages. An unofficial poll of NYers indicates they think Access-a-Ride drivers are some of the worst.

Yesterday afternoon, an Access-A-Ride car crashed into a tree and light pole in Queens, killing an 80-year-old passenger and injuring the driver and two passengers. The car was on the Juniper Boulevard North near 62nd Avenue; the driver apparently swerved to avoid an oncoming car. One witness told WABC 7 the accident was "pretty bad," noting, "The whole top [of the car] is gone." The Access-A-Ride driver had a valid license and passed a Breathalyzer...