FOR CHICAGO RESIDENTS WITH DISABILITIES GETTING AROUND THE CITY CAN BE MORE OF A BURDEN THAN A SIMPLE TASK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WT TW NEWS, NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY'S MEDILL SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM STUDENTS EXPLORE THE CHALLENGES.

MOBILITY, LIMITED WRITER, SPACE USING A GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIZED PROGRAM DESIGNED TO CREATE MORE TRANSPORTATION EQUITY.

HERE'S NORTHWESTERN PROFESSOR AVA THOMPSON GREENWELL WITH THE STORY.

>> I USING A WHEELCHAIR I LIKED.

>> THE BLAKE, THE MESSAGES AND SPOKEN WORD ARTIST.

SURE.

NOW LANES POETRY ARE ALSO IN POSITIVE.

>> I COULD EVERYTHING.

BUT I CAN SOMETHING.

>> LOOK, COMMUTING TO OPEN MIKES AND HOSPITAL VISITS HAS BEEN ANYTHING BUT POSITIVE.

ON ONE PARTICULAR TRIP TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM.

LANE SAYS SHE SAID WAITING FOR A CAB HOME.

ONE THAT NEVER CAME.

>> THEY ARE OUR LITERALLY RUNNING PAST.

>> HUGE.

I WAS JUST WAITING.

AND AND >> LANE LIKE THOUSANDS OF OTHER CHICAGOANS RELIES ON THE TAXI ACCESS PROGRAM KNOWN TAPPED TO GET AROUND THE PROGRAM.

CHICAGO SUBSIDIZE TAXI ADMINISTERED BY PACE, SERVES THOSE WITH DISABILITIES, CAN USE OTHER PUBLIC TRANSIT.

IT HAS SEEN AN EXPONENTIAL INCREASE IN POPULARITY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

>> ESPECIALLY AFTER PACE TEMPORARILY WAIVE FARES DURING COVID TACKY.

PICK YOU AND YOU CAN PICK YOU UP OR YOU DON'T HAVE TO PLAN A DAY ADVANCE.

IT ALLOWS FOR THE INDEPENDENCE THAT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE DISABILITIES OR DON'T HAVE MOBILITY DISABILITIES TAKE FOR GRANTED.

>> BUT AS THE RIDERSHIP BOOM CONTINUES, USERS AND ADVOCATES SAY TAP IS PLAGUED BY LONG WAIT TIMES VERBALLY ABUSIVE DRIVERS AND UNRELIABLE RISE.

>> WAS?

>> CAN DO?

THANK YOU.

THAT IS TRUTH.

>> THIS IS JOSE MARTINEZ WAS BLIND.

HAILING A TAP RIGHT FROM HIS HOME IN GAGE PARK.

HE'S RIGHT.

CAME IN 6 MINUTES.

SOMETHING MARTINEZ SAYS IT'S SURPRISING.

>> THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN I WOULD GET A DRIVER.

IT WAS ALL GOOD.

OTHER TIMES WHEN I DID NOT GET A DRIVER.

I'D BE STUCK WAITING FOR ONE FOR ME.

IT'S A MATTER OF TIMING AND CONVENIENCE.

BUT FOR OTHERS, IT IS THEIR LIFELINE.

>> TEP RIDERS PAY A ONE-WAY FLAT FEE OF $2 FOR A RIDE AND PACE CASE.

THE DIFFERENCE UP TO $30 ADVOCATES BLAME THE FLAWS AND TAP ON AN AUDITING PROCESS THAT ALLOWS PACE TO TAKE 45 DAYS TO PAY DRIVERS.

BASE.

OFFICIALS SAY THIS PROCESS HELPS IDENTIFY ANY DISCREPANCIES THAT NEED TO BE RESOLVED.

HOWEVER, TAB DRIVERS SAY PAYMENTS CAN TAKE MUCH LONGER THAN 45 DAYS.

DRIVER SULAIMON QUAD RATES AS HE SUBMITTED RECEIPTS AUGUST.

AND AS OF LATE NOVEMBER, STILL HAD NOT BEEN PAID.

NOBODY LIKES EVERYBODY WANTS TO WANTS TO BE WAY USE.

THIS MIGHT WANT >> WE HAVE BROUGHT THE THE PAYMENT PACE A COUPLE OF TIMES VARY HAVE >> THAT THEY NEED TO DO THING.

THEY'VE GOT DOWN TO 45 DAYS.

AND THAT'S SECOND.

>> ADVOCATES SAY PAYMENT DELAYS ENCOURAGE DRIVERS TO IGNORE RIDERS WITH DISABILITIES.

AND LANE SAYS SOME DRIVERS HAVE EVEN TAKING OUT THEIR FRUSTRATION ON HER.

WAS AS ARMY >> LITERALLY.

>> I DON'T I'M NOT THE LAST HOLE CREATE THAT THE SYSTEM.

>> AND WHAT YOU'RE GETTING SHORTCHANGED.

SO YOU JUST HAVE TO TAKE THE ABUSE.

YOU WANTING SO WE'RE GOING.

>> DRIVERS FACING DELAYED PAYMENTS OFF AND CHASE MORE CONSISTENT BUSINESS AT O'HARE, CREATING A CLUSTER OF TAXIS AROUND THE AIRPORT AND DOWNTOWN.

RIGHT.

AS IN OTHER PARTS OF CHICAGO LAKE LANE WHO LIVES IN WASHINGTON PARK ARE OFTEN UNABLE TO EVEN CATCH A RIDE.

>> THEY DON'T WANT TO STOP AIRPORT WHERE THEY'RE GIVING ALL THIS MONEY TO COME.

PICK LAVAL ON THE SOUTH SIDE CHICAGO.

>> THERE ARE TRYING TO THAT.

SO WHAT?

>> YOU DON'T GET >> AS SPACE WORKS TO EXPAND TENT ADVOCATES AND RIDERS SAY PAYING DRIVERS FASTER IS A WAY TO SUPERCHARGE BOTH SERVICE AND THE IMPACT OF THE PROGRAM.

IT REALLY IS.

>> A GOOD THING.

>> AND THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO PROVE IT BECAUSE IT USABLE IT WOULDN'T BE SO FRUSTRATING THAT THERE THESE PROBLEMS IF IT WAS NOT USEFUL, IF IT WASN'T REALLY HELPFUL.

>> I FEEL LIKE ARE AS A WHOLE PERSON.

AND THIS AND THAT MY IN THE WAY WE'RE TREATED.

THROUGH ALL OF THESE TRANSPORTATION IS.

HEARTBREAK.

>> FOR WTW AND NORTHWESTERN'S MEDILL SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM.

I'M AVA THOMPSON GREENWELL.

>> OFFICIALS SAY THEY PLAN TO EXPAND TAP WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RIDESHARE ACCESS PROGRAM OR