Some glitches in free rides initiative

Misunderstandings on how to apply for a free rides program for disabled riders has resulted in a number of applications being rejected.

A state law goes into effect today allowing low-income individuals with disabilities to use public transit without paying.

About 32,500 applications started arriving at the end of September and 22,000 have been processed, Regional Transportation Authority planners said at a Thursday meeting. They said about 60 percent of the applications were approved while the remainder were rejected, mainly because people weren't enrolled in a "circuit breaker" first.

To qualify for what's called a "circuit permit," people must be Illinois residents and be enrolled in the Circuit Breaker program. Circuit Breaker was created to help seniors and those with disabilities pay for medications and property taxes.

To qualify for Circuit Breaker, the applicant's income must be between $22,218 and $36,740, depending on how many people are in a household.

Applicants who are rejected because of failure to enroll in Circuit Breaker can reapply after they enroll.

The average wait for a permit is about four weeks, officials said. The agency has hired eight temporary workers to help with the backlog.

"It's not something we anticipated," RTA Executive Director Steve Schlickman said.

The free-ride program for low-income disabled riders was signed into law Aug. 26 and follows on the heels of a new policy letting seniors ride free regardless of income that was enacted March 17.

Free rides for disabled customers will cost between $5 million and $10 million in lost revenue to the Chicago Transit Authority, Pace and Metra, Schlickman estimated.

For information on how to apply for Circuit Breaker, call (800) 252-8966 or contact illinois.gov/transit. For help with applying for the RTA permit, call (312) 913-5414 or contact rtachicago.com/peoplewithdisabilitiesridefree.