The U.S. Attorney is reviewing the removal of the Southridge bus stop for possible violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Southridge ordered the transit system to change the stop to the new location effective November 1, 2013, claiming that they were looking out for bus riders’ safety. However there are several problems with their story:
- Southridge management first moved the stop away from the mall entrance near Sears in 2012. Since the temporary Southridge bus stop they came up with was so unsafe, why not simply move the stop back to its former location near the Sears entrance?
- Removing the stop from the main mall entirely and forcing bus riders to cross a parking lot seems to be substantially less safe.
This illustration shows how moving the bus stop has made bus riders substantially less safe. (Click to enlarge)
As bad as this is for all bus riders, it is even worse for persons with disabilities. When this change was announced by Southridge, we were concerned that this would be a problem for persons with disabilities and that is exactly how this has turned out.
We are happy that this is being pursued and will continue to keep you informed of any updates.