CONCERNED CITIZENS OF PARATRANSIT [email protected] STANDING UP FOR ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORTATION

This service is extrenely important to the senior community and the number of rides should not be cut!

I assisted my daughter in applying for this program and was ecstatic upon her approval… Increased independence is now in jeopardy. We need to protect the rights of those who can not advocate for themselves.

This is so sad. My daughter relies on them heavily to get to work and other appointments.

Why not $1000 minimum Uber Cash monthly? Versus 30-240 rides. Currently we get circa $7200/mo. via 8ridesx$30?x30days. Desired cuts are 240 rides to 30 or one eighth. The $1000/mo. RAP stipend could be rolled or expired each month. Monthly allowance may be raised or lowered, depending on funding. Uber Cash is an easy change for Uber. Luxury or eco or shared rides, AND DISTANCE, would be Voucher rider's choice. When you need to ride, and/or feel up to going out, your cash could be available. Rolling over monthly is automatic by Uber. Such an opportunity. Expiration is also already available via Uber's programming [budgeting]. Alternatively, perhaps 60 rides, AT LEAST. What about the 5 stops allowed per ride...does the Voucher 1. allow, and 2. is applied by Uber for multiple stops? Thank you very much for your time and attention.

As a parent of 2 adults with disabilities who have community jobs, transportation is essential. They both use Uber to get them to and from work. They both services must remain as is for them to maintain their employment.

My adult daughter relies on RAP. It has given her independance to go to school and programs.

My son rely on the pace bus to take him to his day program I don’t want to think what is going to happen if this happens .

Someone is clueless about the actual needs and realities of persons with disabilities or bigoted. You are free to choose which applies on this one.

The RAP program has allowed me to finally be an active member of my community. Knowing I will arrive on time for activities, and not have to wait for a pick up for a long time has allowed me to start volunteering and join activities. In the year and a half that I have had access to it, I have been able to stop relying on family members to take me to multiple weekly appointments, and have been able to start to grocery shop for myself. The significant cuts to this program will greatly affect me. I will lose so much agency and independence.

People with disabilities deserve to maintain their independence and this service is essential to their quality of life.

Please don't cut the Funds. I don't want to beg and depend on someone to take me where I need to go.

I use tap frequently for doctor appointments therapy and laundry and my son who has a job who has a developmental disability relies on it Togo to work which helps him be independent this service is definitely needed and any severe changes will disrupt his and my independence

RAP has changed my life, I've never had this much independence. I don't know what I would do without the ability to get a ride when I need it.

Please consider the lives of people with disabilities who do not drive

Don't cut the program. Please ,

Not everybody can wait for four buses to get home.

I am a current TAP consumer and this service is important for me but also for the taxi drivers who provide the service. DO NOT CUT this program!!!!!!! Any limitations on number of rides limits what I can do independently. Relying on the paratransit system that is historically late to show up and you have to know a pickup time in advance is not possible for doctor's appointments and emergency care not to mention shopping. It is easy to say I'll schedule two (or more) hours for such things to use paratransit buses, but in reality I have found there's sometimes nothing in my power that can get me to my pickup on time. Taxis fill that gap and if anything is fully funded and expanded it should be TAP.

Please do not reduce the number of rides that are allowed. This would be a huge hardship for me. I take approximately 20 rides a week.

As an ADA Paratransit rider, I request that you reconsider the 30 ride limit per month for the RAP and TAP programs.

This is unacceptable.** For years, people with disabilities have fought tirelessly for our independence. The RAP and TAP programs have been a significant step toward our autonomy, allowing us to move freely, when we need to, without depending on others. Now, proposing to reduce the number of trips from 240 to just 30 per month is a direct slap in the face to our community. With only 30 trips a month, we wouldn’t even be able to cover basic round trips. Does the person behind this proposal not realize that people with disabilities also work, study, attend medical appointments, undergo treatments, have social lives, and visit family and friends? This decision seems to have been made by someone completely disconnected from our reality. By limiting our travel, we are once again being pushed toward dependence, stripped of our basic right to decide when and how we move. Furthermore, increasing the fare from \$2 to \$3.25 — without that even being the maximum for longer trips — creates yet another financial barrier, especially for those of us already facing multiple disability-related expenses. This is not just a bad administrative adjustment. It is a devastating setback that threatens years of hard-earned progress. I urge the person behind this proposal: consider the deep harm this would cause to the disability community. We demand respect, equity, and the full protection of our rights. **We will not go backwards.