Recently, the U.S. Department of Transportation ("DOT") announced that individuals with disabilities will have greater access to intercity, commuter, and high-speed train travel. The new rule will now require new station platform construction or significant renovation to enable those with disabilities to get on and off any car on a train.

"This will help give passengers with disabilities better access to rail travel across the country," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "By putting this protection in place, passengers with disabilities will be able to get on and off any accessible car that is available to passengers at a new or altered station platform."

DOT is amending its Americans with Disabilities Act regulations to require intercity, commuter, and high-speed passenger railroads to ensure, at new and significantly renovated station platforms, that passengers with disabilities can get on and off any accessible car of each train. Passenger railroads must provide level-entry boarding at new or altered stations in which no track passing through the station and adjacent to platforms is shared with existing freight rail operations.

Send your questions and comments to Jenny Carlton, NCHPAD News Editor, at jcarlto1@uic.edu.