Robert Acevedo’s Difficult Commute: ‘I’m One of the Invisible Minority’
Robert Acevedo wanted to go to his gym on the 112th Street in East Harlem from his apartment in Chelsea early Tuesday afternoon.
For most people, it should be an easy trip. But Acevedo relies on a wheelchair.
Acevedo, 53, suffers from spinocerebellar ataxia, a genetic disorder that has affected his ability to walk since 2008. He started to use a wheelchair about three years ago.
Every time he needs to go somewhere, Acevedo will check Google Maps to see which transit options are wheelchair-accessible. He decided that the trip to Harlem would be “too complicated” to complete by subway.
Less than 25 percent of the 472 subway stations in New York City are accessible to the disabled. Neither of Acevedo’s two closest stations — the 28th Street station on the 1 Line, or the 28th Street station on the R and W Lines — has an elevator.
When Acevedo does take the train, he needs to go to the 34th Street Herald Square station, which has two elevators from ground level. “That is a luxury, although one of them may not be working sometimes,” said Acevedo.
There are direct buses from Acevedo’s place to the gym. But the half mile to the bus stop during weekday lunch hour, in a commercial area, is another challenge.
On Tuesday, Acevedo left his building at 1:10 p.m. His way was blocked by a construction site on the north side of 28th Street, forcing him to turn back and cross the street. He returned to the north side at the next intersection because the crossing is more flat and the south side corner doesn’t have a curb cut.
The biggest issue is sidewalk congestion. Acevedo said he tries to avoid packed sidewalks and would rather ride his wheelchair in the street, even though he knows that is dangerous. “There are too many people who are looking at their phones and not paying attention. I’m afraid that my wheelchair would hit them, so I’ll take the risk,” he said.
It took Acevedo almost 20 minutes to get to the bus stop at Madison Avenue and East 28th Street. After a short wait, an M3 bus came at 1:33 p.m. The bus was largely empty and the driver put the ramp down and three seats up to make room for a wheelchair. But just before Acevedo was to get on the bus, a man rushed in front of him. “That happens all the time,” Acevedo said. “I’m one of the invisible minority. Welcome to my life.”
The bus ride was smooth, although the driver did not secure Acevedo’s wheelchair in the tie-down devices.
The bus arrived at 110th Street at 2:28 p.m. “It was very slow as always, but it’s probably still faster than taking the Access-A-Ride,” Acevedo said, referring to the city’s paratransit service.
“It is not easy for us to navigate the streets, but I don’t want to be home all the time. I want to be active,” Acevedo added.
