General Information
ADA Paratransit
- A shared ride curb to curb service offered for those who cannot
access the Fixed Routes due to a disability, and have an origin and
destination within 3/4 of a mile of the Fixed Routes. Trips may be
made for any purpose. Appointments can be made up to seven (7) days
in advance and up to next day service. Appointments for next day
service will be taken until 5:00 pm. The time requested by an ADA
client may be negotiated by one hour on either side of the requested
time. One other individual and a PCA (must have application on file)
may ride with the ADA eligible client as long as they have the same
origin and destination, the client and the other individual must
pay, and if we have an application on file the PCA rides free.
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.
If an ADA paratransit client needs help from the door
of the pick-up location to the door of the drop-off location let the
dispatcher know when scheduling the appointment. Our drivers are
able to do this so long as they can see the bus at all times. The
drivers do not go past the threshold of the door. You will need to
make prior arrangements to have someone meet you at your destination
to help you inside. You also have the option of riding with a
Personal Care Attendant (PCA) who will ride with you free as long as
we have an application on file.
We are not a taxi service or an emergency medical
service. You will be sharing the bus with other passengers, and the
bus may make a number of stops picking up other clients. Because
your trip may not follow the most direct route to your destination,
it may take longer than expected.
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, as long as the trip origin
and destination are within 3/4 mile of the fixed routes.
Service Area
ADA Paratransit is provided in the cities of
Bryan/College Station, Cleveland, Lufkin, Nacogdoches & The Woodlands. The trip
origin and destination must be within 3/4 mile of the Fixed Routes.
To determine if you live near the Fixed Routes you can type in your
address at
http://www.btd.org/maps/find_fixed_route.asp
Days & Hours
Hours of operation for ADA paratransit are 5:00 am to
7:00 pm, 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
Eligibility & Application for ADA
Paratransit Service - (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990)
Section 37.123
All
of our vehicles are wheelchair accessible so anyone may ride on the
fixed route system for a more economical trip. We have fixed routes
in Bryan/College Station, Cleveland, Lufkin, Nacogdoches and The Woodlands. To
find the closest fixed route to you, you can call dispatch at
(800)272-0039 or visit us on the web at http://www.btd.org/maps/find_fixed_route.asp
and type in your address and city. The Fixed Routes are half fare of
ADA paratransit, and Seniors and Disabled individuals are offered
Senior and Disabled passes to use on the Fixed Routes. For example
ADA paratransit is $3.00 each way and with the senior or disabled
card the fare would be $0.75 each way on the fixed routes.
Paratransit service is offered for persons with
disabilities who cannot access the fixed routes due to a physical or
mental impairment, and have an origin and destination within 3/4 of
a mile of the fixed routes. If you are approved as an ADA client
this will only pertain to the trips taken within the ADA service
area, otherwise you will be classified as a Demand & Response
client.
The application will be reviewed by the Director of
Administration and the Director of Quality Assurance who will visit
the location on the application to determine if it is possible to
get to the fixed route safely with no barriers. The application must
state exactly why you cannot ride the fixed routes. Incomplete
applications will be returned so that they can be completed.
Simply having a disability does not qualify you for
ADA paratransit. Individuals may be ADA paratransit eligible on the
basis of a temporary or permanent disability. Determination of
whether, as a practical matter, the individual can independently use
the regular fixed route transit service. The process is to ensure
that only persons who meet the regulatory criteria are regarded as
eligible for ADA Paratransit.
The District has established a process for
determining ADA paratransit eligibility. Eligibility is to be
strictly limited to certain categories of individuals:
-
Any person
with a disability who is unable to board, ride or disembark from
an accessible vehicle without the assistance of another person
(except for the operator of a lift or other boarding device)
-
Any person
with a disability who could ride an accessible vehicle but the
route is not accessible due to a physical barrier, for example
no curb cuts for clients in wheelchairs, railroad tracks,
temporary construction.
-
Any person
with a disability who has a specific impairment related
condition that prevents the person from traveling
to or from a boarding/disembarking location.
Applicants may be granted full ADA Paratransit or
Conditional ADA Paratransit. An example of conditional ADA
Paratransit are trip-specific conditions that prevent an individual
from using the fixed-route system for all trips. For example, a
wheelchair user may be able to use the fixed route system for
regular travel between home and work, but may require paratransit
service when traveling to areas where a lack of pedestrian
infrastructure prevents him or her from reaching a bus stop. This
individual would therefore be eligible for paratransit service for
trips to and from those areas.
Determination of eligibility will be made within
twenty-one (21) business days from receipt of the completed
application. If you need assistance in completing your application,
please call (979)778-0607 or (800)272-0039. During the application
process, Demand & Response service will be provided to the
applicant. If eligibility is unable to be determined, The District
staff will contact the professional listed on the Application for
Service. If the application has not been processed by the 21st day
of receipt, applicants are treated as ADA eligible and provided
service starting on the 22nd day, until a decision is made to deny
the application.
Applicants that are denied ADA Paratransit service
will be mailed a letter detailing the reason of the eligibility
criteria of the denial and the letter will also state how to appeal
the decision.
Demand & Response transportation will be provided
pending the determination of the appeal, but if the decision takes
longer than thirty (30) days after completing the appeals process,
paratransit service will be provided from the thirty first (31) day
until a decision to deny the appeal is issued. A written
notification of the appeal determination, with the reason for it,
will be mailed.
Applicants are required to submit in writing to The
District their intent to appeal within fifteen (15) days. The letter
of intent does not need to include the full justification.
The individual should send the written letter of
intent to appeal to: The District, Customer Service Department -
1759 N. Earl Rudder Freeway - Bryan, Texas, 77803.
Upon receipt of the appeal, the Customer Service
Department will contact the individual within five (5) business days
to schedule an appointment for the opportunity to be heard and/or to
present information. The person hearing the appeal will not be the
person who made the original decision to deny eligibility. Within
five (5) business days of this hearing, the complainant will be
notified in writing by The District as to the result of the hearing.
Individuals dissatisfied with the results of the
appeals hearing may appeal the decision of the hearing to the CEO of
The District within five (5) business days. Appeals to the CEO
should be filed in writing to 1759 N. Earl Rudder Freeway, Bryan,
Texas 77803 or by calling (979)778-0607 ext. 0 or (800)272-0039.
Within five (5) business days of this hearing, the complainant will
be notified in writing by The District as to the result of the
hearing.
The District will provide transportation for all
appeals related hearings. Reservations for these trips are made
according to normal procedures.
Visitors presenting ADA eligibility documentation
from another jurisdiction will be provided twenty-one (21) days of
service within a three hundred sixty-five (365) day period. Visitors
requiring more than twenty-one (21) days of service within a year
will need to apply for eligibility in order to receive additional
trips. Visitors who do not have ADA eligibility documentation will
be required to show proof of residency, and if the disability is not
apparent, proof of disability.
The Application for Paratransit Service has a section
on the bottom that must be completed by your physician. Applications
may also be downloaded at the bottom of this page.
Scheduling Your Trip
Reservations are taken from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm,
Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. To place reservations on
Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, or after hours, please leave a message
with the answering service. A dispatcher will call you back to
confirm your trip.
If a client accepts an offer of a trip that is outside the one-hour window, the trip must be tracked as a
denial. If only one leg of a round trip can be reserved, and the
rider declines the trip, it is tracked as two denials. If the rider
refuses an alternate time that is within the one-hour window, it is
not a denial for the purposes of ADA compliance.
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 if a PCA is
required;
-
If you will be using a wheelchair, scooter, or
other mobility device.
Confirming Your Reservation -
When you call and request a trip, the reservationist will confirm
your trip with you. Before ending the call, make sure that all
personal information: address and telephone number are correct, and
review the times and addresses of your trips with the reservationist
to insure all information is correct.
Pick Up Time
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 30 minutes prior to your appointment
time OR a time agreed upon with your scheduler. For Example: your
appointment is at 10AM, your scheduler and your reminder call state
that the bus will be there at 9:45. You will need to be ready for
the imminent arrival of your bus starting at 9:30. *Please make sure
the scheduler has all updated information, including an updated
telephone number.
Pick up for return trips are provided between 5 and
30 minutes after the dispatch office has
received notification of a desired pick up or
scheduled return, or between 5 and 15 minutes of
the agreed upon time with your scheduler. For
Example: Your scheduler has your estimated pick up time for your
return ride at 3:15. You will need to be ready for the bus starting
at 3:15, and could be as late as 3:30.
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.
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.
FARES |
|
ADA Paratransit One-way |
$3.00 |
Additional Trips |
$2.50* |
TICKETS & PASSES |
|
Round Trip Ticket. |
$6.00 |
Ticket Book (20 Round Trips) |
$120.00 |
MultiRide Pass (21 Round Trips) |
$115.00 |
* Tickets are not available for additional
trips 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.
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.
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 two (2) 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.
No-Shows
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 two (2)
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 client is a no show at the pick-up appointment,
the bus will arrive for the return trip. If the client is not at the
location of the return trip that will also be counted as a no-show.
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.
Clients establishing a pattern of no-shows will be
suspended from the bus for one week. The suspension policy for no
shows considers the number of a rider’s no shows as a proportion of
his/her total trips during a period of time, rather than consider
only the absolute number of no
shows during that period. Trips missed due to driver
error or trips missed that are beyond the clients control do not
count towards the no-show. For each no-show the client is called and
informed that they were marked as a no-show and given the
opportunity to state the reason of the no-show.
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.
-
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.
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