Commission on Disabilities Chair Tricia Palluzzi. Parks Director Max Webster and Commissioners Harvey Feinberg and Mary Ann Moran. The top of East Rock. Hello, up there! Credit: Thomas Breen file photo The city’s disability commissioners stopped by the city’s parks commission meeting W ednesday to pitch a plan to help get people with mobility limitations up to the top of East Rock every day of the week — not just on Sundays. Parks commissioners didn’t vote on that proposal during their latest regular monthly meeting at 720 Edgewood Ave. Instead, they tabled the the matter for a later meeting, after debating whether it was the most cost-effective method of making East Rock summit accessible to everyone. Wednesday’s discussion took place after the Elicker administration closed the summit road to all car traffic in April 2020 at the start of the Covid pandemic. The city then opened the summit road to car traffic on just Sundays beginning in 2022. The mayor has defended the car-limiting policy as overwhelmingly popular among users of the park who want a safe place to walk or bike without contending with motor vehicles; critics have lambasted it as discriminatory against people with disabilities. “While we understand safety concerns and that the public enjoys the road without traffic, there must be a balance with the rights of people with disabilities,” reads the written proposal submitted by the disability commission to the parks commission. Commission on Disabilities Chair Tricia Palluzzi presented the proposal alongside Gretchen Knauff, the city’s director of disability services. They pitched a single accessible golf cart that would be able to hold multiple passengers, with and without disabilities, so that people with disabilities could ride with friends and families up to the summit. The golf cart would be available every day except Sunday, when cars are currently able to drive up to the summit. During icy months when the road is closed to everyone, the golf cart wouldn’t need to operate. The Commission on Disabilities’ proposal calls for people with disabilities to be able to ride to the summit for free, as “the road closure creates a barrier” for them. Other passengers could be required to pay a fee, to help recoup some of the expenses. Knauff said that the U.S. Capitol building uses a multi-person accessible golf cart to help people with disabilities access the building. In the current state, she said, the inaccessibility of the East Rock summit is “violating the Americans with Disabilities Act,” known as the ADA. “What if we couldn’t do all the days?” asked Parks Commissioner Mary Ann Moran. “That would be better but still not equitable,” Knauff said. Disability Commissioner Lena Esposito attended Wednesday’s meeting. She described herself as a parent with a “special-needs child,” and said she isn’t able to drive because of a traumatic brain injury she experienced. “It’s very hard to bring your children when you don’t have access,” she said. Parks Commissioner Harvey Feinberg asked who would take care of the golf cart. Knauff said that it would be the Parks Department. Moran asked Parks Director Max Webster if that would be feasible. “We don’t have a role that’s exactly applicable to this,” Webster said. Still, he said the Parks Department would look into what is possible, whether that be a part-time position with multiple people, or a seasonal position. The position would also have to be budgeted for. “The parks in general are meant to be enjoyed by everyone,” he said. Parks Commissioner Emily Sigman wondered whether the city’s government-subsidized rideshare service, Via, might be able to provide rides to the top of East Rock for those with disabilities. Via has wheelchair-accessible vehicles available. “It’s something that’s already serving people in this way,” she said. While she said she understood the need for equity, she said it didn’t seem efficient to her to have a cart and someone constantly waiting in it. Knauff said that due to the Via service being on-demand, riders might have to wait. “And who would pay for it?” she asked. “What if the driver doesn’t show up?” Moran added. Sally Esposito, a meeting attendee and former city disability services director, said that she felt going through Via would be adding an extra step for people with disabilities. She also noted that Via is currently limited in where it travels. “To me, that’s much more complicated,” she said. Webster said that the Parks Department wants to minimize any extra steps people with disabilities would need to take to get to the top of East Rock. “Right now, our best option is looking like the golf cart,” he said. He added that his department would also look into using a car service like Sigman suggested. Meeting attendee Aaron Goode noted that an organization like Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers, which has a vast network of volunteers who provide rides for seniors to medical appointments, might be able to help do this work. “Could verified volunteers potentially drive the car?” Esposito asked. Potentially yes, said Webster. Cathy Roy, another meeting attendee, asked why the conversation was just centered around East Rock and not other sites, like Edgewood Park or the top of West Rock. “Why does it have to be the one park?” Webster said that the Parks Department does regularly receive requests from people who want to get to the top of East Rock. “Last year maybe five or six requests,” he said. Typically a parks staffer will meet the person and open the gate. “We have not received a request for access to another park.” David Shimshick, who leads Friends of East Rock Park but said he was not at Wednesday’s meeting to represent the volunteer organization, requested data on pedestrian-vehicle accidents in the park. “It’s such a majestic icon in our city,” he said of the summit, and people don’t always have time to “schlep to the top,” even if they don’t have disabilities. “We shared the road every year before Covid,” he said. “Why can’t we share it now?” Sigman said that she understands the importance of accessibility for those with physical disabilities and agrees that parks should be for everyone. She said her father was disabled and she herself was in a wheelchair for an extended period of time. Still, she wanted to make sure that “we’re thinking about disabilities and abilities that are not visible,” and the people in the city who struggle to find places where they can get away from cars. There are many places where cars have access in the city, she said. There are “so precious few” in the city where people can go to not be around vehicles, whether that be for mental or physical health. “For a lot of people,” Sigman said, “this is more than snooty East Rock folks wanting to keep the park to themselves.” Parks Commissioner Kenya Adams-Martin noted that the golf cart would require a comprehensive plan and need thorough orchestration. She reminded attendees of the number of car thefts seen by the city. “You think they’re not gonna be stealing those golf carts?” Feinberg recommended deferring the decision to a later meeting so commissioners could have time to read the disability commission’s proposal and conduct any research necessary. “We shall let you know when to come back,” he told the members of the Commission on Disabilities. Parks Director Webster: Parks should be for everyone. The post Disability Advocates Deliver East Rock Golf Cart Plan appeared first on New Haven Independent. ...read more read less