An Alternative for People with Disabilities
Every Veterans Day I join the parade up Fifth Avenue in my electric wheelchair.
I lost the ability to walk because of my exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam and I see younger veterans from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in their wheelchairs. We’re on the avenue for about an hour and comfortable because the street is smoother than the sidewalks. After the parade I stayed on the street all the way home thanks to Time Square’s open pedestrian way, crosstown bike lanes on lightly traveled streets and down Ninth Ave bike lane at full throttle (5mph); I’m like a slow bike hugging the curb. On other days, I take advantage of the new walkway expansion on Eighth Ave, then Broadway walkway passing by Macy’s and continue on to Union Square down a very generous protected Broadway. Uptown? No problem, with the expansion of the Ninth Ave walkway, I can go to Central Park more efficiently! For people with disabilities on wheelchairs, the expansion of street protected walkways and wide bike lanes gives me a sense of independence to my travel. Of course when I’m on the sidewalk, I’m slow like any pedestrian and yield to the walker,
Happy Veteran’s Day, Martin