N.Y. transit risks US aid with handicapped ruling

The Metropolitan Transit Authority has voted not tocomply with federal laws requiring transit systems to provide special access for the handicapped, because compliance would cost too much and be too cumbersome. If no compromise is reached, New York could lose all federal transportation aid, which this year came to $435 million. Federal officials are also concerned that the action could serve as a precedent in Chicago, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Boston, all of which have subways.