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General InformationADA 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 AreaADA 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 & HoursHours 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 37.123All 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:
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 TripReservations 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:
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 TimeWhen 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 & PassesThe 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 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 ServicesThrough our online service located at www.btd.org/pass-web/ clients can make trips, cancel trips, check on times and update your information.
CancellationsIf 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-ShowsA 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 PoliciesSmoking, 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 ServiceThe 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.
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