Late one evening in Baltimore, a woman who uses a wheelchair waited for a paratransit ride that never came. She had booked an 8:30 p.m. pickup with the Maryland Transit Administration’s MobilityLink service, but at 8:55 came a crushing update: Her ride wouldn’t arrive until 2:37 a.m. — over five hours after her event had ended. Desperate to get home, she left her wheelchair behind at the venue and found another way back, retrieving it the next day. This nightmare scenario exposes a fundamental crisis in Baltimore’s transportation system, as detailed in a 2023 letter from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Decades after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law, our city’s infrastructure remains profoundly inaccessible to many residents. Baltimore’s own data confirms the scope of the problem. A 2019 city review revealed only 1.3% of city curb ramps were ADA-compliant, and roughly 66% of sidewalks were too damaged or narrow for wheelchair use. On the transit side, in 2023, a DOJ investigation found that Maryland’s paratransit service (MobilityLink) violates the ADA due to significant capacity shortfalls and late pickups. Nearly 15% of MobilityLink dropoffs occurred after the rider’s scheduled appointment time, causing people to miss critical medical appointments.

These barriers aren’t just inconvenient — they jeopardize health and economic opportunity. Each year, an estimated 5.8 million Americans delay or miss medical care because they lack transportation — a burden that falls especially hard on people with disabilities, according to a 2020 study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

The toll on employment is just as stark: Roughly 40% of people with disabilities have reported turning down a job or interview due to transportation barriers, according to a report, according to a 2024 study published in Disabilities. When accessible transportation is lacking, it shuts people out of health care, jobs, and community life.

Facing legal pressure, Baltimore is finally starting to act. In late 2024, the city reached a settlement in a class-action ADA lawsuit that requires spending about $44 million over four years on sidewalk improvements. This plan will install roughly 3,000 new curb ramps and fix 500,000 square feet of sidewalks to meet ADA standards. It’s a welcome down payment on accessibility — but only a first step. By the city’s own estimate, fully fixing all sidewalks and curb ramps could cost around $650 million, according to the Baltimore City Department of Transportation, meaning decades of sustained investment will be needed. City officials must treat this settlement as the beginning, not the end, of their obligation. Accessibility should become a permanent line item in the budget, with annual progress reports.

Infrastructure fixes are only half the battle; the other half is ensuring transit operations are accessible. MTA needs to hire more drivers and put more vehicles on the road to improve on-time performance. It should also modernize scheduling — no one should have to endure long hold times or schedule trips a day in advance. Some cities are now piloting on-demand paratransit to give riders more flexibility; Baltimore should do the same. Crucially, riders with disabilities must have a seat at the table during these reforms. Establishing a rider advisory committee can help ensure that changes truly address user needs and that metrics like on-time pickups and trip denials are publicly reported.

Some may balk at the expense or think these efforts only help a small group. That view is shortsighted: Investing in accessibility benefits everyone. It’s the classic “curb-cut effect”: a curb ramp designed for wheelchair users also helps parents pushing strollers, seniors with walkers, travelers with luggage — everyone. And meeting ADA requirements isn’t optional — it’s the law. Baltimore has already been sued over its sidewalks and now faces federal action over paratransit. Continuing to ignore accessibility would risk more lawsuits and penalties, while addressing them now will reduce liability and allow more Baltimoreans with disabilities to contribute to our economy and civic life.

Baltimore’s leaders — in city and state government — now have a chance to transform this legal mandate into a lasting legacy of inclusion. It’s been 35 years since the ADA became law — it’s long past time to fulfill its promise. With sustained commitment, we can ensure no one has to risk life or dignity just to get around Baltimore. The $44 million is a start — now we have to follow through. The freedom to move around the city is a basic right — and it’s one our disabled neighbors have been denied for far too long. It’s time to change that.

Jiwon Jang is a master’s student studying health science in environmental health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.