Bill would provide grants for accessibility upgrades to transit systems
Three U.S. Senators have introduced legislation that would provide $1 billion annually in grant funding to improve public transit accessibility for passengers with disabilities. Democratic Sens. Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), Sherrod Brown (Ohio), and Bob Casey (Pa.) have put forward the All Stations Accessibility Program Act of 2021, which would establish a federal grant program to upgrade stations for transit and commuter rail agencies to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards. The legislation stipulates grants would pay 90% of the cost of accessibility projects on legacy transit systems. Duckworth said in a press release that the U.S. still has “a long way to go to make this country truly accessible, including making sure that every American can use our nation’s public transportation systems. It’s imperative that transit systems continue to make accessibility a priority.” The full bill is available here. A House version of the bill was introduced by Reps. Jesus (Chuy) Garcia and Marie Newman, both Illinois Democrats.
AP report says NTSB head Sumwalt plans to step down
Robert Sumwalt will step down as chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board at the end of June, the Associated Press reports, citing a source familiar with the matter. Sumwalt, who has served the board in various positions since 2006 and has been chairman since 2017, will depart on June 30. Current board member Jennifer Homendy is expected to be selected to succeed Sumwalt, the AP said. She has been a member of the board since 2018.
