By Lacey McMurry
Tracy Feist said the one-half mile she must travel to the bus stop feels much longer. Ordinary inconveniences like rain, potholes, or heavy traffic might not worry most people.
But for Feist, who is confined to a wheelchair, any previously unknown obstacle she encounters on her way to the bus stop might become a potential danger. A sudden rain shower would ruin the electric controls on her wheelchair. Heavier-than-usual traffic could prevent her from crossing the street.
Feist, a Springville resident, said she used to be able to ride a UTA Paratransit bus that would come directly to her door and take her anywhere she needed to go. But because of budget concerns, she is now required to ride the public bus.
'On nice days, I know what barriers are in my way and I can deal with them,' she said. 'But I don''t think I should be expected to ride the public bus all of the time. When I come home at night, it''s scary to have to travel home in the dark. Other people could run away from an attacker, but I can''t.'
UTA Paratransit Operations Manager Cherryl Beveridge said all disabled people used to qualify for the Paratransit service because some public buses were not equipped with wheelchair lifts. However, as UTA services have evolved in the past few years, all public buses have been upgraded with the necessary technology they need to cater to disabled riders. UTA officials now decide who should qualify for Paratransit service on a case-by-case basis, Beveridge said.
Beveridge said 4,300 people now use the Paratransit service, but it is not economically possible to provide the service to disabled people who are able to ride public buses.
'Everything has a cost to the taxpayers,' she said. 'We must manage cost in a feasible, practical way, and we are doing that. Just because a service is convenient doesn''t mean everyone should be entitled to it.'
Sandra Curcio, executive director of the Central Utah Center for Independent living, said asking disabled people to ride a public bus is potentially problematic. Although Curcio said there aren''t any statistics available that identify particular problems disabled people face when they ride public buses, many people have told her it is difficult for them.
'In order for someone who is disabled to be independent, they must be able to rely on public transportation,' Curcio said. 'If for some reason they aren''t comfortable using public transportation, they lose their independence.'
Feist said she thinks not being able to use the Paratransit service is affecting her ability to get and keep a job. She also said she thinks she should be the one to decide which bus she wants to ride.
'Riding the public bus really stresses me out,' she said. 'I have to change routes six or seven times and deal with impatient bus drivers on a strict schedule. My wheelchair was even broken once because it didn''t get strapped in properly.'
Beveridge said UTA officials understand the anxieties disabled people have about public transportation and work hard to alleviate them. Public bus drivers are required to go through the same training as Paratransit drivers, she said.