NEWARK, NJ – The U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a comprehensive settlement with the New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) for failing to operate a paratransit service that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act, which could end the civil rights of people with disabilities. resolved a claim that it infringed 1990 (ADA), U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
ADA encourages public agencies such as NJ Transit to provide accessible public transit for people with disabilities, including by providing a paratransit system comparable to transit services provided to individuals without disabilities. I am requesting. Under this agreement, NJ Transit must ensure that its paratransit system, Access Link, eliminates capacity constraints that significantly limit the availability of transit services to ADA paratransit eligible persons. NJ Transit’s Access Link exposed a significant number of her ADA paratransit eligible passengers to excessively long journeys, late pick-ups, late drop-offs and excessive call hold times.
“Without equal access to public transportation, people with disabilities are denied equal opportunities to participate in society,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger. “This agreement removes discriminatory barriers by providing equal access to public transportation throughout New Jersey for thousands of Americans with disabilities.”
New Jersey Transit has committed to making five intercity rail stations (Newark Penn, Princeton Junction, Metropark, Trenton, and New Brunswick) accessible to people with disabilities. New Jersey Transit will have to modify multiple parts of the train station and its access points, including physical changes to multiple platforms, waiting areas, parking lots, and restrooms.
Earlier this year, U.S. Attorney Sellinger created the Division of Civil Rights, dedicated to enforcing federal civil rights laws, including the ADA, with the goal of protecting and upholding the civil rights of people in our community. did. The matter was prosecuted by the newly formed Civil Rights Division of federal prosecutors.
Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice at http://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement/complaint or You can call the Department’s civil rights hotline. at (855) 281-3339. For additional information about ADA, visit www.ada.gov or call the Department of Justice’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD).
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Campion, Chief of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
