Lawsuit: Broken Elevators, Feces Limit BART Access For Disabled

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A new lawsuit accuses a San Francisco Bay Area metro system of discriminating against disabled people by failing to maintain escalators and elevators that allow them to access trains.

The lawsuit filed in San Francisco on Wednesday by disability rights groups and two disabled people alleges elevators at Bay Area Rapid Transit stations are regularly soiled with feces or urine or broken and escalators are routinely out of service. The lawsuit says the result is that people with disabilities are unable to access BART in violation of federal and state disability laws.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court seeks a court order requiring BART to quickly address problems that limit access to the disabled and submit to an independent monitor to ensure compliance.

BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost said BART was working on a response.