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Changes To Light Rail Will Improve Access For People With Disabilities

light rail
Valley Metro
/
handout | agency
Valley Metro light rail.

Expect more changes on the Valley’s light rail in the coming years. The change will make life considerably easier for people with disabilities.

One fare machine at each light rail station will be lowered by six inches to help improve access for individuals using mobility devices. The issue came to light when a disabled vet had trouble reaching the machines.

"He had problems reaching the buttons, so we determined that it would make sense for us to lower the pedestals on 62 of our fare vending machines at light rail stations by six inches to help people in mobility devices in purchasing their fares," said Susan Tierney with Valley Metro.

Tierney said it will cost $275,000 over the next three years to make the changes.

KJZZ senior field correspondent Kathy Ritchie has 20 years of experience reporting and writing stories for national and local media outlets — nearly a decade of it has been spent in public media.