I had no idea where you were from, since your bio doesn't say. Since you bothered to mention Geoff Gallop recently, I guess you're from Perth. I just got back on Thursday, having been over there for Swancon last weekend.
I don't see equal access as being terribly lofty an aim in public transport. Vehicles get replaced and can be replaced with accessible vehicles with minimal extra cost. (Buses that kneel and have extending or flip out ramps are pretty common.) Since the US has had anti-discrimination legislation for longer than most places, there are some cities there (eg. Seattle) in which all buses are accessible. Perth is pretty poor for disabled transportation, except in the city itself. Even the public bus from the airport and the shuttle bus from the airport (unless you specifically book it in advance) aren't wheelchair accessible.
I can understand you not seeing many people in wheelchairs on your trains. Many people will get to the train by catching a bus and get to the bus by going along the road. Most Perth bus lines seem to be randomly accessible and then some of your suburbs don't have footpaths on some of their streets at all, making it rather hard and/or dangerous to get to the train by wheelchair in the first place.
FWIW, I find zig-zag ramps are often a lazy way out when a better solution could have been found. I guess more architects need to be tied into a wheelchair for a few days.
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Date: 2006-03-11 03:55 pm (UTC)I don't see equal access as being terribly lofty an aim in public transport. Vehicles get replaced and can be replaced with accessible vehicles with minimal extra cost. (Buses that kneel and have extending or flip out ramps are pretty common.) Since the US has had anti-discrimination legislation for longer than most places, there are some cities there (eg. Seattle) in which all buses are accessible. Perth is pretty poor for disabled transportation, except in the city itself. Even the public bus from the airport and the shuttle bus from the airport (unless you specifically book it in advance) aren't wheelchair accessible.
I can understand you not seeing many people in wheelchairs on your trains. Many people will get to the train by catching a bus and get to the bus by going along the road. Most Perth bus lines seem to be randomly accessible and then some of your suburbs don't have footpaths on some of their streets at all, making it rather hard and/or dangerous to get to the train by wheelchair in the first place.
FWIW, I find zig-zag ramps are often a lazy way out when a better solution could have been found. I guess more architects need to be tied into a wheelchair for a few days.