Even if you don’t use a wheelchair, and I do, New York City can be intimidating. One of the best sources of information for visitors is the city’s official tourism website produced by NYC and Company (www.nycvisit.com). Also invaluable is the free online book, Access New York: A Guide to Accessible Travel in NYC, which is published by the mayor’s office.
Getting ThereNew York has three major airports that handle more daily flights than any other city. Before booking a flight, consider how you will get from the airport to your hotel. When I was able to transfer easily from a wheelchair, we hired a car or took a taxi. As transferring has become harder, I prefer to stay in my wheelchair. At the Newark (New Jersey) airport, a wheelchair user can easily hop on the AirTrain and ride to New York Penn Station at a cost of $11.55. From there you can walk or hail a cab.
On our most recent trip, I discovered two services that would take us from the airport to our hotel. Vega Transportation (888-507-0500) charges $150 per trip for a “white glove” wheelchair-accessible service. (The company came highly recommended by an employee of NYC and Company whose wife has MS and uses a wheelchair.)
Not wanting to spend $300 getting to and from the airport, I called Super Suttle (#). The shared ride ground transportation company has two wheelchair-accessible vans (one was in the repair shop during our visit.) A reservation for accessible transportation must be made several days or even a week in advance of your trip.
Our flight arrived in New Jersey at 10:30 a.m. By the time we deplaned (wheelchair users are the last passengers to exit) and recovered our missing suitcase which had been sent to Lost and Found, we finally called Super Shuttle to confirm our pick up at 11:40 a.m. Within fifteen minutes, our driver, Howard, strolled into the airport and escorted us to a van with a wheelchair lift. The cost of our ride was $17 per person plus a tip.
Getting Around
On FootManhattan is 13.4 miles long and 2.3 miles wide at its widest point. Twenty north-south city blocks equal a mile. Walking is the simply the best way to see the city. I used my manual wheelchair and Jim pushed me along sidewalks crowded with pedestrians. More streets have curb cut outs than on our previous visits, but they are broken, worn or dangerously steep. Pedestrians move quickly and often don’t wait for a green light.
By BusBusses are equipped with wheelchair lifts and cost $2 per ride—no matter the distance. Talk to your hotel concierge and get a map. Purchasing a Metro Card will save you money.
Subway (No way)“Do not use the subway,” was the advice we received from a New York City visitor counselor. She explained every stop does not have an elevator and those that do are often broken.
TaxiIf you take a cab, catch one on a side street instead of a major thoroughfare. Our experience has been most drivers don’t assist you with placing the wheelchair in the trunk—and it’s a tight fit. New York City has more than 12,000 taxis and less than 60 are wheelchair-accessible. In 2007, fifty new wheelchair-accessible cabs were unveiled. During our four day visit, we saw only one (the universal wheelchair symbol is on the side of the vehicle.) After hailing the cab, the driver pulled over to the curb and stepped out of the van. He lifted the hatch and extended a manual ramp. I rolled into the cab and we were off in less than three minutes. I felt like a real New Yorker as we drove nearly 50 blocks. The $20 fare (including tip) was worth every penny.
Resources
-NYC and Company, (www.nycvisit.com) -Super Shuttle, 212-258-3826 (www.supershuttle.com) -Access New York, http://www.nyc.gov/html/mopd/downloads/pdf/access_ny_review_2006.pdf. Call 212/788-2830 for a free copy. -Visitor Information Counselors, call 212/484-1222. Five New York City Official Visitor Information Centers are located in: Midtown Manhattan; Downtown; Chinatown; Harlem; and the Financial District.-City Pass, (www.citypass.com)
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