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Napolitano Receives “Spirit of Accessibility” Transportation Award

November 29, 2016

(Los Angeles, CA) Yesterday, Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (D-El Monte) was honored by Access Services with the "Spirit of Accessibility" award for including an amendment in the FAST Act Transportation Bill which maintained a simple two-tiered fare structure for transit riders with disabilities.

"I am truly honored to receive this award and grateful for the work Access Services and Los Angeles County transit agencies do to provide mobility for the disabled community," Napolitano said. "Because of our combined efforts, our amendment, which allows all 44 LA County transportation agencies to utilize Access' simple fare system, was included in the Transportation bill signed by the President one year ago this week."

Napolitano's amendment to the 5-year Transportation bill prohibited the Department of Transportation from forcing Access Services to change its fare structure into a complicated, individual trip based fare. It would have increased fares and created more logistical problems for the vast majority of customers.

"We should be making it easier for customers with disabilities to commute, not more difficult," Napolitano continued. "Access Services was exceedingly helpful in providing critical background information and quick responses to our inquiries in order to move our amendment through the Congressional process. We are also grateful to the hundreds of transit riders and disability advocates who wrote to Congress in support of this effort. Thank you for this award, and I look forward to continuing our work together to improve our transit system."

Napolitano is the highest ranking Californian on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. She was appointed as a conferee to finalize the $305 billion FAST Act last year where she was able to secure over $26 billion for California highway construction, safety, and transit programs.

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