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After nearly two weeks of public hearings, it is clear that hundreds of needy Utah citizens rely heavily on a convenient transportation service provided by Utah Transit Authority. Those who use the service have made it clear they don't want it trimmed or the cost increased.
We sympathize with their concerns, even their heartfelt anxieties over what is being proposed. Indeed, KSL encourages UTA to be exceptionally sensitive to the needs of the paratransit clientele.
At the same time, UTA's paratransit service has typically exceeded the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The proposed changes, in fact, bring UTA more in line with the minimum service expected by the ADA.
KSL can't fault UTA for pursuing the change, especially with the organization looking at cost cutting measures throughout the system. However, UTA officials need to listen with open ears to what they're hearing from the community's most needy citizens, many of whom are trying admirably to be functionally independent. Surely, there is room for compromise in the form of less drastic cutbacks and fare increases.
Above all, let the hearings become a catalyst for more effectively coordinating the dozens of established federal, state and private funding options that are available for helping disabled citizens with their transportation needs.
