Disabled Abilene residents call for investment in Paratransit services

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Finding reliable transportation can be a significant challenge for Abilene residents with disabilities. The CityLink paratransit service was introduced years ago to help meet this crucial need.

However, residents and disability advocates have expressed concerns that the service has been inadequate for some time, leaving those who rely on it without dependable transportation options. Al Houle, an Abilene resident who has been using the paratransit service for the past four years, is part of a group that shared their concerns with the Abilene City Council during a meeting on June 12.

“I find that the drivers and the dispatchers work very hard, but they are frequently put in a position where they cannot succeed. I’ve had drivers and vans pick me up as much as 2 hours late, or not pick me up, show up at the incorrect address, and be on the van for an excessive period of time—up to close to 2 hours. I recognize that this is a shared ride service, and you would anticipate that some of these things could occur, but this has become the norm,” said Houle.

These issues go much further than an ordinary inconvenience. Leslie of Disability in Action told the council, “Especially to those with disabilities, public transportation isn’t a luxury; it’s a lifeline. It’s the difference between independence and isolation, between participating in our community and being shut out.”

It is a lifeline for medical appointments, rides to work or family functions, and even a safeguard against more dangerous alternatives, as some residents like James Ferguson, who uses an electric wheelchair, have experienced since the paratransit service has been scaled back.

“I started riding my chair to work… I work at AbiMar Foods… and I have to clock in no later than 7 o’clock… It takes me about 30 to 35 minutes to drive from here to work,” Ferguson said.

His two-mile trek in the Texas heat was made even more treacherous by the railroad crossing he had to face along the way.

“A few weeks ago, I got a little nervous. As I was crossing the railroad tracks, my front right wheel dropped in between the tracks. If it hadn’t been for a police officer there, I could have potentially been in serious problems,” said Ferguson.

Even when he is able to catch the bus that runs near his home, he still has to make every stop on that route and one transfer, making him routinely 45 minutes late for work.

Hardin Simmons University Professor and Physical Therapist Brady Holcomb and Dialysis Social Worker Kaci Nielson informed the council that they and their colleagues have noticed increased difficulty in making appointments for many of their clients with disability needs. Those difficulties have been increasing lately due to the paratransit shortcomings.

“I have spoken to other rehab therapists at both Hendrick and West Texas Rehab. They frequently have clients late or miss appointments, or have ridiculous wait times for pickup due to transportation issues with CityLink,” Holcomb said.

“Dialysis is the mechanism that keeps people alive, literally, when their kidneys stop functioning. We have several patients who are dependent on CityLink to get to and from treatments,” added Nielson.

KTAB/KRBC spoke with Don Green, the Abilene Director of Transportation Services, three weeks ago to find out what obstacles are keeping the paratransit system from operating at its full capacity. He said the main concern at this time is a lack of applicants to become drivers.

“We’re experiencing an extreme shortage of drivers. Normally, we have 12 positions. Right now, we have three drivers filling those positions,” Green said.

He says this continued decline in available and qualified drivers is why the city has had to cut routes and scale back the service area. Residents like Sarah M. Turner, who told KTAB/KRBC that the disappearance of services she’s relied on since college came as quite a shock.

“I’ve been using City Link since I was 19, and they’ve become like family. I had some of them at my wedding. It was like getting ghosted by a friend; that’s the best way I can describe it. One day they were in my life, and then the next day, I had no idea what to do,” said Turner.

Turner mentioned that she has spoken with city officials and CityLink representatives, as well as several current and former paratransit drivers. In these discussions, she highlighted that low driver pay and exhaustion were the primary reasons why some drivers left their positions.

“All of the drivers that I know that left. It was because of a lack of funding, and they couldn’t push their bodies any further than they already were. I think it’s because the city needs to find money to pay the drivers what they deserve,” Turner expressed.

She and her fellow citizens hope to convey the message that, in their experience, the current system does not work for those who need it and are calling for increased care and investment to get that system operating at the needed level.

“Abilene is not a safe place to be disabled and live life successfully. They are setting us up for failure by taking this away. You are the ones that have the authority to do something about it. Please use that authority on behalf of those of us who can’t. Use what you have to change the city for the people that want to call it home,” said Turner.

Mr. Ferguson mentioned that following his interview with KTAB/KRBC regarding this story, the City has reached out to offer assistance in coordinating transportation to accommodate his schedule. He described this development as a blessing but hopes to see improvements in the system for others who still lack access to this essential service. Green encourages anyone interested to learn more about the paratransit system and consider applying to become a driver.