Before passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), many fixed route bus systems were not interested in paratransit services and in buying buses accessible to people using wheelchairs. The ADA requires new transit buses be accessible to people using wheelchairs (by lift or ramp) and have at least two spaces to secure wheelchairs in each bus. Paratransit service grew in the United States following the Americans with Disabilities Act which required complementary paratransit be provided alongside most public transit services in the United States which receive funding from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). ADA complementary paratransit service is for people who are unable to ride buses by virtue of a disabling condition. (Wikipedia)
ADA Paratransit services are minimally required to:
• Accept reservations during normal business hours and comparable hours any day before services are operated.
• Provide travel to and from locations ¾ of a mile from the geographic boundaries and hours of operations of the fixed route system, although some providers deliver services well beyond these requirements.
• Schedule rides on a next calendar-day basis (24-hour prior reservation is not the legal requirement).
• Schedule rides with a negotiated (meaning more than one option) pick-up time within a one-hour before or one-hour after window of the originally desired time.
• Arrive within an approximate 15-minute window before or after the scheduled pick-up time. This 30-minute window may have a different time allotment, depending on the policy of the provider. For instance, policy may allow a 10-minute before and 20-minute after widow for the scheduled pick-up.
• Provide trips that take no longer than 1-1/2 times of the same trip time on the fixed route system, during the same timeframe and day of the week.
• Provide “origin-to-destination” service to those who cannot use the fixed-route system due to a disability.
• Collect a fare not to exceed twice the fare amount of a similar trip time and length taken on the fixed route system.
- Attendants ride free.
- Service animal are allowable.
- Companions pay same fare on paratransit.
Subscription service is not a legally required service. Some providers have subscription services availiable to riders who want to reserve rides on a regular basis. An example would be to reserve weekday rides to and from work. It is common for this service to have a waiting list.
Each paratransit provider has it’s own eligibility process. (Visit the Provider List page to find the eligibility process in your area.) However, once someone has successfully completed the eligibility process, the provider is prohibited from:
• Trip denials
• Having wait lists
• Prioritizing trips based on trip purpose
This is a summary of ADA Paratransit guidelines, and by no means entails a full accounting of the regulations governing paratransit services. Please feel free to contact us if you need specific technical assistance.
| Attachment | Size |
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| PEAC Before Reserving a Ride.pdf | 150.46 KB |