(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 type in your address and city here. 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 $2.00 each way and with the senior or disabled card the fare would be $0.50 each way on the fixed routes.
ADA 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 ADA Coordinator 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.
Brazos Transit 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 ADA 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 ADA 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, Brazos Transit 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, ADA 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 Brazos Transit 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:
Brazos Transit District
Customer Service Department
2117 Nuches Ln.
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 Brazos Transit 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 Brazos Transit District within five (5) business days. Appeals to the CEO should be filed in writing to 2117 Nuches Ln., 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 Brazos Transit District as to the result of the hearing.
Brazos Transit 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 ADA Paratransit Service has a section on the bottom that must be completed by your physician.