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ADA Paratransit
About
CityLink provides door-to-door transit service for persons with disabilities who are certified "ADA paratransit eligible". This paratransit service is an advance reservation, shared-ride, demand-response service. It is provided during the same time periods as fixed-route bus service, i.e, Monday through Friday from 6:15 am until 6:15 pm and on Saturday from 6:30 am until 6:15 pm, except holidays. Drivers are trained to assist passengers in boarding and disembarking from the vehicles.
Qualifications
The ADA paratransit service is for persons whose physical or mental disability prevents them from accessing the fixed-route bus service. Determination of eligibility includes evaluation of the individual's functional ability to access a fixed-route system. Eligibility guidelines are found in CFR 49 Section 37.
Scheduling
Trips must be scheduled at least a day in advance and subscription booking is allowed, but limited. Trips are scheduled through the CityLink ADA Paratransit department:
- By calling 676-6287 ext. 2
- By registering with CityLink Ecolane Self-Service Portal.
Services
ADA paratransit service is provided throughout the City. For fare purposes, a primary service area has been established. The primary service area is that part of the City within 3/4 miles of a bus route. For one-way trips that begin and end in the primary service area, the fare is $2. For one-way trips that begin and/or end outside the primary service area, the fare is $3.
Applying
For an application or additional information regarding the paratransit service, call 676-6287 ext. 2 Monday through Friday between 8 am and 4 pm.
No Show
A no-show occurs when a rider fails to appear to board the vehicle for a scheduled trip.
This presumes the vehicle arrives at the scheduled pickup location within the pickup window and the driver waits at least 5 minutes.
Pickup Window
The pickup window is defined as 15 minutes before the scheduled pickup time to 15 minutes after the scheduled pickup time. Riders must be ready to board a vehicle that arrives within the pickup window. The driver will wait for a maximum of 5 minutes after arrival for the rider to appear.
Late Cancellation
A late cancellation is defined as either:
- A cancellation made at the door
- A cancellation made less than 1 hour before the scheduled pickup time
- Refusal to board a vehicle that has arrived within the pickup window
No Show Due to Operator Error or Circumstances beyond a Rider's Control
CityLink does not count as no-shows or late cancellation any missed trips due to our error, such as:
- Drivers arriving and departing before the pickup window begins
- Drivers arriving late (after the end of the pickup window)
- Drivers arriving within the pickup window, but departing without waiting the required 5 minutes
- Pickups scheduled at a location other than that which is requested by rider
- Trips placed on the schedule in error
CityLink does not count as no-shows or late cancellations situations beyond a rider's control that prevent the rider from notifying us that the trip cannot be taken, such as:
- An appointment that runs unexpectedly late without sufficient notice
- Family Emergency
- Medical Emergency
- Sudden illness or change in condition
Riders should contact the CityLink ADA Paratransit operations center as soon as possible for no-shows or late cancellations due to circumstances beyond their control.
Policy for Handling Subsequent Trips Following No Shows
When a rider is a no-show for one trip, all subsequent trips on that day remain on the schedule unless the rider specifically cancels the trips. To avoid multiple no-shows on the same day, riders are strongly encouraged to cancel any subsequent trips they no longer need that day.
Suspension Policies for a Pattern or Practice of Excessive No Shows or Late Cancellations
CityLink verifies all no-shows and late cancellations to ensure accuracy before recording them in a rider's account. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, section 37.125(h) states that "The entity may establish an administrative process to suspend, for a reasonable period of time, the provision of complementary Paratransit service to ADA eligible individuals who establish a pattern or practice of missing scheduled trips." CityLink has established the following points-based process to enforce its late cancellation and no show policy.
Points System
Based on the definitions in the Cancellations and No Shows section above, points are assessed for each occurrence of the following infractions:
- Advanced Cancellation: 0 points - Thank you!
- Same Day Cancellation: 0 points - If the trip is canceled more than 1 hour prior to scheduled pickup
- Late Cancellation: 1 point - If canceled at least 30 minutes prior to scheduled trip
- No Show: 1 point per trip. If a rider has 2 trips and fails to cancel any of the trips, they can accumulate 2 No Shows in a day.
It is important to note that trips missed by the individual for reasons out of his or her control are not assessed points and are not used as a basis for determining if a pattern or practice of No Shows or Late Cancellations exists.
Violations
No-Shows and Late Cancellations are recorded daily and accumulated each calendar month for purposes of enforcing the no show policy. CityLink reviews total points assessed during each calendar month and calculates penalties as follows:
- 6 points in a 30 day period: 1st Violation = Warning Letter
- 6 points in a 30 day period: 2nd Violation = 7 Day Suspension
- 6 points in a 30 day period: 3rd Violation = 14 Day Suspension
- 6 points in a 30 day period: 4th Violation and subsequent violations = 21 Day Suspension
To account for frequent ridership, penalties are not assessed if total No-Shows and Late Cancellations for the period are less than 10% of the rider's total trips.
Riders in violation of the Late Cancellation and No Show Policy will receive written notice of the violation including details of the pending suspension of service.
Suspension
Riders will be given 15 days from the date of the notice to appeal the decision (see Appeals process) or to arrange for alternative transportation options during the suspension. Following the suspension period, riders will automatically be cleared to resume service.
Subscription Services
Subscription service will not be automatically reinstated following a suspension.
Please call 325-676-6287 option 2 to re-apply for subscription service, which is not guaranteed.
Policy for Disputing Specific No-Shows or Late Cancellations
Riders wishing to dispute specific no-shows or late cancellations must do so within 15 business days of receiving suspension letters. Riders should contact the CityLink ADA Paratransit operations center at 325-676-6287 option 2, Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4 pm to explain the circumstance and request the removal of the no-show or late cancellation.
Process for Appealing Proposed Suspensions
All suspension appeals follow CityLink's appeal process:
- Riders wishing to appeal suspensions under this policy have the right to file an appeal request which must be in writing by letter to:
CityLink General Manager
1189 S 2nd Street
Abilene, TX 79602
Email CityLink General Manager - Riders must submit written appeal requests within 15 business days of the date of suspension letter.
- Riders who miss the appeal request deadline will be suspended from CityLink ADA Paratransit Service on the date indicated in the suspension notice.
Apply Online
Please fill out our online form to apply for Paratransit service. Once complete, please have a medical professional (doctor, nurse, licensed therapist, social worker, or O&M specialist) fill out the questionnaire concerning the applicant to verify their eligibility and need to use this service.
- Application for Paratransit Service - Client Application
- Application for Paratransit Service - Medical Professional Questionnaire
Download Application
If you wish to download and print out the form instead, please use the following links.