Paratransit
ADA Paratransit Service
The ADA requires all public transit operators to provide an equivalent service to eligible individuals whose disabilities prevent them from using accessible, lift-equipped public transit. This service, called “paratransit”, is required by the ADA to be “complementary” to fixed-route public transit service. By complimentary, the ADA means that paratransit operates at similar times and in similar areas as public transportation.
Connect Douglas Paratransit Service is a part of the public transportation system of Douglas County. It is neither a personal taxi nor a social service agency. It is a shared-ride, curb-to-curb transportation service for customers who are not able to use the regular bus service (also called “fixed route”) for some or all their trips because of a disability or other limitations. Paratransit service is provided within a one-mile radius of existing fixed routes and is comparable to the fixed route system in service times and area. Riders call a dispatch office to schedule Paratransit trips.
Eligibility for ADA Complimentary Paratransit Service is based on whether the passenger can functionally access or ride the fixed route bus (whether your disability prevents you from independently doing the tasks needed to use the fixed route service). Eligibility is not a medical determination; it is a functional ability analysis. To become an approved Paratransit rider, you must submit a completed Paratransit Eligibility Application. Click here to download the ADA Paratransit Application.
Operating Hours
ADA Paratransit operates during all days and hours that Fixed-Route Bus Service operates. Monday through Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Holidays
The County does not operate fixed route or Paratransit bus services on the following holidays:
- New Years’ Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
Paratransit Advisory Committee
The Connect Douglas Americans with Disabilities Plan requires a mechanism to obtain feedback and suggestions about its paratransit service. This is a federal requirement. To meet this requirement, Connect Douglas appoints a Paratransit Advisory Board which meets regularly. This board is as its name implies: advisory. It can make recommendations and suggestions to Connect Douglas staff about the paratransit service regarding its performance and how it is being operated, but it has no authority to set policy or direct the operations of the service. Any recommendations to be sent forward to Connect Douglas or the Board of Commissioners requires a simple majority. To conduct voting business, the advisory board must have five members present.