[nfbmi-talk] mich flier ada complaint

[J.J. Meddaugh]

That's an interesting approach. I'm definitely against them moving the 
stop to a further location. I'm not sure an ADA lawsuit will fly in this 
situation though.
Is an inconvenience a good enough reason for a lawsuit?
The stop is a major inconvenience, but I'm not sure if it's illegal. 
Though from what I've read of complaints from users with wheelchairs, 
they may have a legitimate complaint.
Not ADA compliant because of lack of a guide dog relief area?
Glad to see the governor and MDOT weigh in on this though.

Best regards,
J.J.

On 9/20/2014 9:09 AM, joe harcz Comcast via nfbmi-talk wrote:
> Michigan Flyer AirRide bus stop debate: Blind woman, wheelchair user sue Detroit airport
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> Meegan Holland | mholland at mlive.com
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> Meegan Holland | mholland at mlive.com
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> on September 20, 2014 at 6:47 AM, updated September 20, 2014 at 7:34 AM
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> A blind East Lansing resident and the executive director of the Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of America want the Detroit Metropolitan Airport to reverse
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> its decision to move the Michigan Flyer bus stop to an area that they say is not ADA-compliant.
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> The stop at the McNamara Terminal at DTW serves the huge Delta Airlines customer base and Air France. Michigan Flyer AirRide, AirBus for U-M students and
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> SMART buses serving southeast Michigan all use the stop, which is curbside at the International Arrivals waiting room. DTW wants to change it to the Ground
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> Transportation Center.
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> Karla Hudson of East Lansing and Michael Harris filed a lawsuit and a request for an emergency temporary restraining order in federal district court on
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> Friday, saying that the current McNamara stop adequately serves people with disabilities, while the new stop at the Ground Transportation Center violates
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> the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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> They aren't alone in their complaints. Many seniors and frequent passengers of the Michigan Flyer/AirRide service have gone on record with emails explaining
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> why they don't want the boarding area moved. The popular bus line serves East Lansing, Ann Arbor and DTW.
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> Earlier this summer Gov. Rick Snyder wrote the Wayne County Airport Authority encouraging them to reconsider, saying the current stop "provides convenient,
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> direct access and ideal customer service." And on Sept. 18, Jerrold Jung, chair of MDOT's State Transportation Commission, wrote the Wayne County Airport
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> Authority CEO Tom Naughton asking him to delay the move.
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> But that didn't sway the authority, which has photos of congestion at the current International Arrivals stop and cars passing the Michigan Flyer on the
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> right, endangering passengers.
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> "Once we observe that a safety hazard exists, we're obligated to address it ... it's a vehicle or pedestrian accident waiting to happen," Wayne County Airport
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> Authority spokesman Michael Conway told MLive.
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> Attorney Jason Turkish of Southfield-based Nyman Turkish PC disagrees. He's representing Hudson and Harris in their federal suit.
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> "The location that the airport is proposing for (Michigan Flyer/AirRide) and SMART bus services is not accessible to the disabled and poses a great risk
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> to the safety of its passengers," said Turkish. "For those reasons we asked the U.S. District court to enter an emergency order requiring the airport for
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> the time being to keep public transportation in its current location, which is accessible to persons with disabilities."
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> But Conway says the claims are unfounded: "People are asking, 'Why are you discriminating against people of disability?' That’s not what we’re doing – we’re
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> trying to improve the safety of the airport."
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> Conway answered passenger's beefs,
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> which range from braving the elements to accessibility issues.
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> Turkish on Friday morning filed the lawsuit based on claims that DTW is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. A request for an emergency restraining
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> order to prevent Monday's move was rejected late Friday, Turkish said, because Judge Mark Goldsmith was concerned it would be confusing to make the change
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> so late in the game. Turkish said he hopes for a hearing next week to get a preliminary injunction.
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> The lawsuit in part states:
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> Block quote start
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> By ignoring the needs and dignity of Plaintiffs, and other disabled persons similarly situated, while traveling to and from the airport, Defendant treats
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> them as second-class citizens, unjustly disregards their basic rights to equality and dignity, and causes embarrassment, humiliation, harassment, and emotional
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> distress. Additionally, by moving transit access to an inaccessible area, Defendant's plans will needlessly subject the Plaintiffs, and those similarly
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> situated, to unnecessary risk of bodily injury and death.
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> Block quote end
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> The new location at the GTC violates the ADA, the suit states, because of traffic congestion, dangerous boarding areas, inadequate waiting areas, exposure
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> to the weather, difficult-to-find elevators and the lack of a service animal relief area.
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> Conway said many DTW passengers with disabilities already use the Ground Transportation Facility to pick up cabs and hotel shuttles.
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> "The Ground Transportation Center is ADA compliant and to make this an issue, is not true," he said.
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> Meegan Holland is Lansing/Capitol News Editor for MLive Media Group. You can email her at
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