NJ Transit is trying to improve its Access Link program to provide services for people with disabilities to make sure they get to and from their next destination in a timely manner after many users complained about slow and canceled rides and a Transit reach a settlement agreement with the doj in December that they must improve their service they are now launching a new pilot program in partnership with Lyft and Uber Ted Goldberg spoke with two Access Link customers about the new pilot program and why it's critical to their livelihood Rutgers Professor Javier Robles has been using a wheelchair since he was 16 years old after falling from a tree Roble suffered a C5 spinal cord fracture leaving him a quadriplegic with limited use of his hands when he can't catch a ride from family or friends he gets around via Access Link I'll be your driver today what's happening fellas Access Link is NJ Transit service for people who can't access buses or trains I am grateful for Access Link but realistically I think Access Link outgrew itself within the first few years but it's not a perfect solution for people with disabilities like Robles who are trying to hold down a steady job access like Vans aren't always on time you can't get to your job an hour late or two hours late because your driver drove you you know around to drop off five or pick up five or six other people and then you get to your job you know your boss doesn't understand back in December NJ Transit reached a settlement agreement with the Department of Justice requiring them to improve Access Link as part of the settlement a new state pilot program has been created that allows people with disabilities to use an Uber or lift instead of Access Link according to NJ transit's website people can sign up if they don't need a wheelchair and if they live in Region 2 or 5 covering eight counties the website says a fair with an Uber would cost the same as a ride on Access Link the goal of this pilot program is to improve the Access Link travel experience by expanding options for our customers for reducing waiting time and trip times and while also making it more cost effective for NJ Transit roadblaze is hopeful that it'll work even though he can't use Uber because of his wheelchair the less competition you know quote unquote the better for people with you know serious mobility issues who can't use Uber not every Access Link user is that optimistic here we go Matthew gross uses Access Link and sings about his issues with it oh wait outside it was cold he says some of the drivers have been cold as well and not very reliable my ride home was from three to three twenty I called the right number up at 3 35 and it said you ready for this the number you have reached is no longer in existence gross made headlines 26 years ago when he was shot in the head on the observation deck of the Empire State Building when a terrorist killed his friend and shot five other people I remember very little of that day they told my whole family to die it took months for gross to heal up in a hospital and a rehab facility though his vision never fully returned if I go like this right and I look straight ahead I can't see this gross's family isn't comfortable with him driving so they told him to use Access Link his bad experiences have left him pessimistic towards the idea that it will work well with Uber I worked at BJ's at 10 30.

I would get a 6 30 ride and sometimes I'd be late getting there they picked me up three hours late and they don't care in the two weeks since this program launched NJ Transit tells us more than 2 000 customers have signed up and Rideshare apps have provided about 4 000 rides NJ Transit says the program could expand depending on how the rest of the launch goes while they continue to fix the problems customers are currently dealing with for NJ Spotlight News I'm Ted Goldberg