What a spectacular trip Trish and I had visiting Washington DC just after Christmas.  While DC boasts a fully accessible transit system and fully accessible public buildings, restaurants and hotels, we were skeptical and decided to put it to the test.

Not only did DC deliver, however, I came back to New York confident that if I wanted, I could do the trip on my own—although having a friend to enjoy the experience (and open all the non-automated doors) is always better.

That being said there were a few glitches.

Traveling to the new Penn Station (aka Moynihan) for me using the NYC subway is easy. I take the Nos. 2 or 3 trains at 96th and Broadway to 34th Street/Penn Station—three stops. Penn Station is going through a massive renovation and all the elevators have been upgraded with a few new ones added. When they are all working, it can’t be easier or faster to get to Amtrak.

Trish and I met at the ticketed waiting area (inside the Moynihan) where a team of porters (aka Red Caps) assist passengers to the trains. Using overnight bags we didn’t need help with our luggage, but I assumed I would need help getting the scooter onto the train and indeed, I did.

A large part of the Amtrak fleet is so old, the trains do not easily accommodate every size wheelchair or mobility scooter people use today. The Pride Victory 10 scooter that I use barely fits through the doors on the older trains. 

In NYC the platforms are even to the trains, but you still need a plate as the gap is a bit wide. The porter cheefully secured a plate, and I was able to drive the scooter onto the train. But once on the train I quickly realized my tri-wheel couldn’t do the turn into the train car. There simply isn’t enough space. Smaller scooters might not have the same issue.

After several attempts at trying to manuever it, I gave up, got off, put it in neutral and let the porter and conductor move it on manually. They had to lift it up and then turn it. Once inside the car, however, there was plenty of room in the designated wheelchair space.  While you can stay seated in your chair or scooter, I opted to sit in an assigned seat where there is plenty of room with a foldable table and several outlets for charging.

When we got to Washington, two conductors maneuvered the scooter to the door and then I walked it off.  From there it was easy to enter the Metro System (right inside Union station) for our short trip to the hotel (more about that later).

For the return trip to NYC a Red Cap at Union Station got me and Trish to the train, but this time there was no platform. The porter needed to use a manual lift, which would raise the scooter and presumably me on it to the height of the train door. (Three of these lifts were on the platform at different locations). 

Clearly the lift isn’t used often.  It was covered in pigeon poop!

I didn’t want to get any bird droppings on my clothes nor did I want it on my scooter.  While I appreciate these lifts are not used often, I was angry that this is what our nation’s only rail system offers people with mobility issues.  

Then they expected me to drive the scooter onto the lift and turn it to fit the narrow end where I would ride it onto the train. Impossible to do, and I’m pretty good at parking my scooter in very tight places including NYC buses.

Rather than let me back it onto the lift the way I knew I could get it to work, they insisted I parallel park it on the lift and no matter how many attempts, I could not get it to work.  Eventually, I got off the scooter, again put it in neutral and climbed the stairs into the rail car.  With that they lifted the scooter onto the lift and then maneuvered it through the doors to get to the designated wheelchair space. 

After that the ride went smoothly.

Returning to New York we waited for all the other passengers to exit and then two conductors got the scooter through the narrow doors out onto the platform.

From there it was an elevator ride up into the station and then another elevator ride to the Eighth Avenue subway entrance where Trish exited. I rode on to the Seventh Avenue subway entrance and was home in about 20 minutes. It couldn’t have been eaiser.

Addendum: I wrote Amtrak about my experiences with the lift and to my surprise received both a phone call and email from a woman in customer relations. She apologized, explained that people higher up took my letter very seriously and are taking measures to change what they can. Then she offered me a $50 gift certificate to be used toward my next trip on Amtrak, which as it happens is coming up when I travel to Boston on February 6. Thank you Ms. Sheri and thank you Amtrak.