General Information

Demand & Response is a shared ride curb to curb service for individuals who are either non-disabled or disabled and/or do not have an origin and destination within 3/4 of a mile along the Fixed Routes. With no destination restrictions we can take you anywhere you want to go within our service area. We can take you shopping, to work, visiting friends and family, to medical appointments, or anywhere you need to go.

When the bus arrives, the passenger must meet the bus at the curb as we provide curb-to-curb transportation, therefore the driver will not leave the bus to retrieve or return passengers to the doorway. All buses are wheelchair accessible and the driver will lower the lift to assist those who could not otherwise board the bus. If needed, the driver will help maneuver the wheelchair onto the lift. We cannot provide transportation if the combined weight of the customer and the mobility aid exceeds 800 pounds. Clients must be able to board/unboard the bus without the driver's assistance, otherwise a Personal Care Attendant (PCA) is required.

To receive our Demand & Response handbook and application call 979-778-0607 or 1-800-272-0039, or you can download the handbook from the bottom of this page. The application must be signed by your physician for your Personal Care Attendant (PCA) to ride with you free of charge. The District does not provide personal care attendants.

Service Area

Demand & Response is provided in the Cities of Cleveland, Lufkin and Nacogdoches and in the Counties of Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Houston, Leon, Madison, Montgomery, Polk, Robertson, San Jacinto, Trinity, Walker, and Washington.

Days & Hours

General hours of operation for demand & response are 5:00 am to 7:00 pm based on your location, Monday through Friday excluding holidays. Office hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. 

We are closed for the following holidays:

New Years Day • Monday, January 2, 2017

Martin Luther King • Monday, January 16, 2017

Good Friday • Friday, April 14, 2017

Memorial Day • Monday, May 29, 2017

Independence Day • Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Labor Day • Monday, September 4, 2017

Thanksgiving • Thursday & Friday, November 23 & 24, 2017

Christmas • Monday, December 25, 2017

To Schedule Your Trip

For days and hours of service in your county, or to schedule your trip, call our Dispatch Office at 1(800)272-0039 or (979)778-4480 or Relay Texas TDD at 1(800)735-2989. Normally, a 24 hour advance notice is required.  Appointments can be made up to seven days in advance up to next day service. Demand & Response reservations will only be taken from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Appointments are taken on a space available basis. Some same-day trips may be provided on a space-available basis. If we are unable to schedule your trip at the requested time, dispatch will attempt to find an alternative time that will work for you.

Scheduling your trip - Please be prepared to give the scheduler the following information:

• Your name, phone number, and complete pick-up address;
• The date you would like transportation;
• The time you want to arrive at your destination;
• The complete address of your destination, including suite and/or building, doctor's name, phone number, etc.;
• Your return time and return address;
• If a Personal Care Attendant or companion will accompany you. Your application for service must be signed by your physician for your PCA to ride free of charge;
• If you will be using a wheelchair, scooter, or other mobility device.

Pick up Time

Within the Same County - When you schedule your ride, you will be given a confirmation of your appointment from the scheduler. You will receive a phone call between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm the day before your scheduled appointment with another confirmation and an approximate pick up window the bus will arrive to pick you up. Pick up time at origin will be between 15 and 55 minutes prior to your appointment time, plus the time of travel, OR a time agreed upon with your scheduler. For example:  if you live an hour from your doctor and your appointment is at 9:00 am, your pick up time will be close to 1 hour 55 minutes prior to your appointment, or 7:00 am. If you agree to be picked up earlier in order to make an appointment, your pick up time will be as agreed upon with your scheduler, and once again confirmed in your call the evening before. *Please make sure the scheduler has all updated information, including an updated telephone number.

Pick up for return trips are provided between 5 and 55 minutes after the dispatch office has received notification of a desired pick up or scheduled return, or between 5 and 55 minutes of the currently scheduled return.

Passengers must be ready to depart at the start of their pick up window. Drivers will wait for five (5) minutes after they arrive within a passenger’s scheduled pick up window. If the passenger is not at the bus within the five (5) minutes the driver must depart to serve other passengers, and you will be recorded as a no-show.

County to County - Trip times will vary based on distance and scheduling loads. The scheduler will confirm your appointment. You will receive a phone call between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm the day before your scheduled appointment with another confirmation, and an approximate pick up window the bus will arrive to pick you up. The pick up time could be several hours before your actual appointment time.

Fares, Tickets & Passes

The one-way fare must be paid each time you board the bus. Since the same bus may not be providing the return trip, advance payments and round-trip payments are not permitted. Drivers accept cash, tickets, and passes, but do not accept checks. Please have exact fare ready. Drivers do not carry, handle cash, or make change. Children 2 or under must sit in parents lap to ride free of charge. Children 3 & above are charged full fare.

* Tickets are not available for same day, additional trips, or crossing more than one county line. Full payment may be made with cash or a combination of a ticket and cash.

Tickets may be purchased by credit card over the phone (979)778-0607 ext. 0, by mail, or at The District offices located at: 1759 N. Earl Rudder Freeway, Bryan, Texas 77803 or

302 S. First Street, Lufkin, Texas, 75904.

If paying with cash at an office, please have the exact amount as we do not have cash on hand to make change. Checks and money orders should be made payable to The District. We also accept Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, and Discover credit cards. Do not send cash for mail purchases. If you have any questions regarding fares or ticket purchases, please contact The District office at (979)778-0607 or (800)272-0039.

All ticket sales are final - No exchanges or refunds. Lost, destroyed, or unused tickets and passes will not be replaced or refunded. Customer Service: 1-979-778-0607 ext 7008.

General Time Schedules - Some restrictions may apply based on time and space availability.

Call dispatch at 1-800-272-0039 or 979-778-4480 for further information.

On Line Services

Through our online service located at www.btd.org/pass-web/ clients can make trips, cancel trips, check on times and update your information.

Medicaid Transportation

The District provides free transportation to eligible, pre-certified Medicaid clients, within the Brazos Valley Region. This service is paid for by the Texas Department of Health and is provided to Medicaid approved appointments only. All Medicaid appointments are made through the Medicaid office. Clients using Medicaid as a form of payment must call Austin Medical Transportation (1-877-633-8747) prior to contacting The District. Medicaid will send The District a fax confirming all trips for which they will be responsible for payment.

Cancellations

If you need to cancel your appointment, please call dispatch as soon as possible. The earlier you cancel a trip appointment, the greater the chance another passenger will be able to use the time that was allotted for your trip. To cancel an appointment call, dispatch at (800)272-0039 or (979)778-4480. Cancellations must be received at least three (3) hours prior to appointment time, or it will be marked as a late cancellation. All trip cancellations must be made through the dispatch office. Drivers may NOT accept cancellations. Cancellations made to dispatch through the driver will not be accepted and will be considered a no-show requiring passenger payment of a no-show charge.

No Shows & Late Cancellations

A no-show occurs when the bus arrives within the pickup window and the passenger is not ready, declines to ride, or is not at the location of the scheduled pickup. A no show will also be counted if a cancellation is not received by dispatch three hours prior to appointment time.

Drivers will wait for five (5) minutes after they arrive within a passenger’s scheduled pick-up window. If the passenger is not at the bus within the five (5) minutes, the driver must depart to serve other passengers and the passenger will be recorded as a no-show.

If a customer is a no show at the pick up appointment, the return trip will automatically be cancelled unless we hear from the customer.  

If you miss the bus because you were not ready when the bus arrived and you were marked as a no-show you can try and schedule another trip. If space is available, another bus will be dispatched to your location. You will be required to pay the no-show fare along with the new trip fare.

Demand & Response No-Show penalties:

When a customer is a no-show for a scheduled trip dispatch will call the customer and also mail a letter informing the customer of the no-show. The customer must pay for the no-show and the penalty before they will be permitted to book/take another trip. All trips currently scheduled will be cancelled until the no-show and penalty has been paid.

Penalty for 1^st no-show: $10.00 plus fare amount of trip

Penalty for 2^nd no-show: $15.00 plus fare amount of trip (if NOT within a forty-five (45) day period)

All penalties after the 2^nd no-show (but do not meet the 2 no-shows within forty-five (45) days): $20.00 plus fare amount of trip

Penalty for 2^nd no-show within forty-five (45) days of the 1^st no-show: $20.00 plus fare amount of trip and thirty (30) day suspension from riding the bus. After two no-shows within forty-five (45) days the customer will be required to pre-pay for all future trips by credit or debit card. Customers that do not have a credit/debit card may mail in a money order for their pre-payment, or bring their payment in cash or money order to our office. Once payment has been received dispatch will be notified and the trip can be booked. No refunds will be given on pre-paid trips.

Note: The first suspension for no-shows or late cancellations is thirty (30) days, the second suspension will be forty-five (45) days, and the third suspension will be sixty (60) days. After the third suspension for no-shows, permanent loss of ridership privileges may occur.

General Policies

Smoking, eating, or drinking is not permitted on any District vehicle.

Only personal assistance animals are permitted in any District vehicle.

Loud or abusive behavior or language including profanity/racial or vulgar comments will be cause for immediate removal from the vehicle and possible loss of ridership privileges.

Passengers may only bring carry on items that will fit comfortably on their lap and will not protrude into the next seat. Drivers cannot help load or unload items and passengers may not leave personal items on the bus. 

Drivers are restricted from entering any home or facility.

The District reserves the right to restrict certain items on all buses.

Drivers are required to transport customers to the pre-scheduled destination indicated on the driver's manifest. Drivers are not allowed to make any destination changes.

Riding The District’s vehicles under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs is prohibited.

Audio/music players are not permitted to be played aloud while on any vehicle of The District.

The District is not responsible for personal items left on the bus. Passengers may call The District at (800)272-0039 or (979)778-4480 to find out about any personal items they may have left on the vehicle. If recovered, The District will hold personal items for sixty (60) days prior to disposal.

If possible The District will enter gated communities. A supervisor will determine if it is safe for the bus to enter and exit the community without having to maneuver vehicles that may be parked. If the bus can enter the gated community, you will need to obtain a letter from the community stating that it is ok for the bus to enter the property, and it must be sent/faxed to our main office location in Bryan, to have on file.

Suspension of Service

The following infractions will result in a temporary to permanent suspension of The District services. Unless noted below the suspension will result in thirty (30) days for the first occurrence, sixty (60) days for the second occurrence, ninety (90) days for the third occurrence. The fourth occurrence will result in permanent suspension from riding any District bus.

• Violation of the no-show late cancellation policies. This varies on the number of no-shows. See the No Show and Late Cancellations on the previous page.

• Loud and/or abusive behavior or language including profanity/racial or vulgar remarks directed at other passenger, or any staff member of The District.

• Making threats to harm the driver or other passengers on board will result in a ninety (90) day suspension from riding any District bus.

• Making threats to kill the driver, BTD staff, or other passengers will result in permanent suspension of any District vehicle.

• Dangerous/Disruptive Behavior and/or Physical Abuse. Defined as any action that could cause direct or indirect physical harm to the driver, vehicle, other passengers, any person, or District employee. Under the Patriot Act of 2001 violent acts against mass transportation workers, passengers, vehicles and facilities are federal crimes. This will result in permanent suspension of any District vehicle.

• Smoking while in a Brazos Transit District vehicle.

• Deliberate fare evasion.

• Refusing to exit the vehicle.

• Disturbing the driver while on route.