While the bench in front of the Castro Valley BART station may not reflect the community of Castro Valley, I am more concerned about the function of this bench. The bench does not serve the purpose for which it was intended.

In an article and a letter in The Castro Valley Forum, it states the bench was a gift from East Bay Paratransit, for use by paratransit users, people with disabilities.

I beg to differ!

This bench is 25+ feet away from where the East Bay Paratransit bus stop is actually located. The East Bay Paratransit stop is located at the blue pick up/drop off curb – marked blue for patrons that own a blue disability placard.

No Paratransit bus can get near this accessible disability blue curb drop off area, as there is a typically a line of illegally parked cars with the drivers sitting in wait to pick up their able bodied family and friends – rarely do these drivers have a blue disability placard.

Also note the blue curb has an awkward island that no person who uses a wheelchair, scooter and or mobility device can access or safely navigate on or around.

Maybe we should consider a GoFundMe to design, secure a truly accessible Paratransit blue curb pick up/ drop off area at Castro Valley BART? A pretty bench with a few mislabeled tiles on it might be problematic for some, but the big problem is the non-compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the unsafe access for people with disablities and paratransit travelers, who daily have to dodge the illegally stationed cars blocking their access to this poorly designed, blue disability curb area at Castro Valley BART.

How about a new CV bench in an accessible CV BART?