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Buses

Buses

Today’s buses have low floors and ramps that fold out for wheelchair users. But older buses were much harder to use. They had steps that folded down and doubled as wheelchair lifts. The bus driver had to leave their seat, go to the back, and use a key to operate the lift. Then they had to secure the wheelchair in place. This took up to five minutes, making other passengers angry and embarrassing disabled riders.

When the first accessible buses arrived, some drivers refused to use the lifts. Activists protested and started creative campaigns like “Ride A Bus Day” and “Bus Operator Awards” for helpful drivers.

Activism Milestones

  • 1976: A federal funding bill required “special planning for mass transportation facilities and services to meet the needs of the elderly and disabled.”
  • 1981: The MTA purchased its first wheelchair accessible buses. Only a few routes had accessible buses.
  • 1984: After a lawsuit, the MTA agreed to make 50% of its bus fleet wheelchair accessible.
  • 1990: The ADA requires all new buses to be wheelchair accessible.
  • 1994: 100% of local buses operated by MTA are wheelchair accessible.
  • 2016: The MTA pilots accessible information screens on buses, which makes navigation easier for deaf and hard-of-hearing passengers.
  • 2022: A pilot program is launched to create additional space on buses for strollers while keeping wheelchair spaces intact.

Refusals by bus operators

When the MTA bought its first accessible buses, drivers said they didn’t have enough training to operate the lifts and didn’t bring keys to use them. Disability activists Denise McQuade and Anne Emerman protested when they couldn’t board. Anne was threatened with arrest, and Denise sat on the bus steps for seven hours until she could finally board. Activists later gave out keys to those who needed a lift.

Top: 1981. Photos from the Anne Emerman Collection Bottom: 1981. Pamphlet from the EPVA Collection. Key from the Jean Ryan Collection.

Low-floor buses

Early bus lifts were slow and hard to use. Older people who couldn’t climb steps easily also needed low-floor kneeling buses that were closer to the ground. In the 1970s, the federal government had a program called TransBus to encourage bus makers to adopt new standards. The bus makers said it wasn’t possible, but eventually found a solution.

c. 1980s. Photos from the EPVA Collection. Bottom photo: Denise McQuade worked for the MTA after her bus protest in 1981.

Ride A Bus Day

The MTA upgraded its bus fleet to be fully accessible, but this was a gradual process that took more than a decade. At first, only a few routes had buses with lifts. Advocates worried that disabled people wouldn’t ride the new accessible buses, which would undermine their fight for access. They organized “Ride A Bus Day” (and later, “Ride A Bus Week”) to publicize the new bus lifts and encourage people to use them. 1982 Poster from the Carr Massi Collection. Photo from the EPVA collection.

Bus Operator Awards

As more wheelchair-accessible buses became available, passengers continued to have problems boarding. Some bus operators did not want to be bothered and would not pick up a passenger if they saw their wheelchair. To encourage better behavior, EPVA held Bus Operator Awards events to recognize courteous drivers.

Top: 1983. The first bus operator awards ceremony was held at City Hall. Bottom: 1995. The 12th annual bus operator awards brochure and an awardee. All from the EPVA Collection.