About Us

Capital District

Coalition for Accessible Transportation

(518) 273-1110

(A Grassroots Disability Coalition located in Albany, New York's Capital Region)

Members of:

The Council for Community Service of NYS, (CCSNYS)

The National Alliance of Public Transportation Advocates, (NAPTA)

Americans for Transportation Mobility, (ATM)

American Flag

About Us

Updated: March 19, 2008

Representation of a board meeting. Capital District Coalition for Accessible Transportation is a volunteer group that formed in late May of 2002. We are a multi-cultural organization comprised of agencies, independent advocates and representatives from the disabled community who rely on accessible transportation for their independence, quality of life and necessities. Our goals are equal safe, accessible and affordable transportation, especially public transit, for the disabled community of the Capital District in New York.

We are members of the NYS Council of Community Services, The National Alliance of Public Transportation Advocates and Americans for Transportation Mobility. Our chairperson is on the newly reestablished CDTA Disabled Advisory Committee that addresses disability public transit with CDTA. We also have board members on the NYAIL Transportation subcommittee which addresses transportation issues in all of New York State.

None of us are affiliated with or employed by any transportation company or authority. Our priority is the disabled community of the Capital District.

Board of Directors

Our board of Directors includes:

**Cliff Perez - (ILCHV) Statewide Systems Advocate

& advocate for people with vision disabilities

* Hasan Tucker - Independent Advocate - Our Webmaster (2002 - Founding

Member)

Patrick Burke - Volunteer Representative for Center for Independence (CDCI)

* Arlene Burt - Mental Health Disability Advocate - Honorary Member

* David Suggs - Independent Advocate (2002 - Founding member)

**Karen Garofallou (ILCHV)- Honorary Member - 2006

& Advocate for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing

* Lisa Drzymala - Honorary Member (2007)

Charity Shoen - Albany MS Society (2007)

Patrick McBride - Co Vice Chairman & Independent Advocate

Vacant - NYS Self Advocacy Inc.

* Deborah Williams - Honorary Member (2007)

Joe Laramie - Honorary Member (2007)

* Ed Rich - Co Vice Chairman (2002-Founding member)

* Donna Suhor - Chairperson and Disability Transportation

Advocate (2002-Founder)

* Uses Paratransit Bus Service (STAR)

** ILCHV = Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley

Local transportation

Local Transportation for the disabled community ranges from bus, specialized buses called Paratransit for those unable to use the fixed route buses, volunteer organizations, private organizations, agencies and taxis (not truly accessible ones), shuttles and vans.

Accessible Transportation

Accessible transportation is particularly important for public transit in any community. This enables those with disabilities to go about daily errands, get children to daycare, work, acquire or further educational goals, shop and for entertainment. Both CDTA's fixed-route buses (the average city buses, most of which are accessible), and CDTA’s STAR bus service (Special Transit Available by Request) buses make up the area’s public transportation system for the disabled community.

Paratransit

Para-transit is the Federal Government’s mandated public transportation for those that cannot ride the fixed-route buses. CDTA’s STAR program is exceptionally important to those who are disabled in the Capital District and for many, their only link to friends, family, jobs and religious services.

Our local para-transit, STAR, can make the difference in being able to remain independent or being (and we don't use this word often) " home-bound" to someone with serious illness/disability.

STAR provides 600 plus one-way trips per day for the Capital District’s disabled. This is the fastest growing transit need in the Capital Region. There are about 3500 ACTIVE (currently approved) STAR customers in the STAR's database.

Our Goals

CDCAT’s goals are particularly centered around the accessibility of public transportation for the reasons given above. Equally important is the need for private transportation services (cab companies, etc) to provide accessible, equal and comparable services for all those with disabilities and all varieties of service animals and mobility equipment.

Accessible transportation is vital to community integration and independent living for people with disabilities.

A Note:

* We're not the same public transportation group, or affiliated with, "Citizens for Public Transportation".

Please don't get us Confused!

The Albany group "Citizens for Public Transportation" and the organization, "Capital District Coalition for Accessible Transportation" (CDCAT) are 2 different groups!

CDCAT is NOT the same community organization/group as "Citizens for Public Transportation" located in Albany, NY, though from time to time we may share some of the same issues and concerns.

These are 2 completely separate groups run by different people. Please don't confuse them!

The difference is that CDCAT was created by people with disabilities specifically to address disability issues for all types of transportation, from bus, to wheelchair accessible taxis, to air, rail, and water transportation, for people with disabilities, and CDCAT has the support of local Independent Living Centers, NYS Self Advocacy, and other disability organizations who have advocates that are professionally trained to assist with issues, problems, and statewide advocacy.

Public transportation has a different set of regulations for people with disabilities, and what is or isn't discrimination. This also applies to STAR (also called paratransit) run by CDTA. Paratransit is a Civil Right for people who can't use (regular) line buses. CDCAT knows what those rights are, and fights to achieve them.

Our board of directors is made up of people with disabilities who use STAR, route buses, taxis, trains and other forms of transportation. We know transportation problems first hand as we use the system!

CDCAT addresses issues revolving around the ADA as well as work with people who request advocacy and assistance with various forms for transportation services specifically for people with disabilities.

The other organization, Citizens for Public Transportation, is concerned only with line bus transportation, bus routes and general bus issues and not with disability rights or law.

While there are times that our agendas mesh with Citizens for Public Transportation and we work with them on these issues, we are still separate from them.

The Coalition (CDCAT) only addresses disability transportation rights, complaints, issues, and concerns.

Last Updated: 03/19/2008

Top of Page