By: Ashmar Mandou

Members of Access Living and Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) will partner together to host, “Cambiando Vidas,” a town hall meeting, with the objective to hold the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), and Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) accountable for the lack of access to 31st Street bus for individuals with disabilities. “They are violating our rights as residents,” said Michelle Garcia, Latino Community Development Organizer for Access Living, an agency dedicated to addressing the needs of individuals living with a disability. “We have reached out to CDOT and CTA on numerous occasions, but they never give us a solution to this critical issue of providing proper access to certain bus stop areas.”

This past summer, CTA unanimously approved an ordinance to restore a portion of the 31st Street route with the stipulation of an ‘experimental’ 180-day trial test to study the demand of ridership, which is set to expire in March. But Garcia and other community members are demanding to see the results of the study and figure out why certain bus stops are hazardous for riders with disabilities. “The CTA and CDOT are not giving us answers,” said Garcia. “There needs to be more transparency between them and community members who are in dire need of a safe passageway to board.” According to CTA officials, the entire cost to operate the full route would be $3 million annually. However, Garcia and members of LVEJO believe there are enough funds to push for the full route with safer accessibility. “For example, on 31st Street and Homan there isn’t a sidewalk for individuals on a wheelchair to board. There are several stops exactly like the ones on 31st Street and Homan that are impossible for residents to take advantage of the route,” said Garcia.

This Saturday at Toman Library, 2708 S. Pulaski, in Little Village, Access Living and LVEJO will host a bilingual town hall meeting to discuss the impact inaccessibility of the 31st Street is having on the community and pressure CTA, CDOT, and IDOT officials to create effective sidewalk passages for the disabled community. According to Garcia, officials from all three agencies are expected to attend as well as Alderman Ricardo Munoz to answer any questions. “We will also have a lawyer on hand to represent the demands of community residents,” said Garcia. The meeting will commence at 11am and everyone is encouraged to attend to voice their concerns.