OUTREACH PARATRANSIT SERVICE

CHANGES EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 2009

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) requires VTA to provide paratransit service at a level that is comparable to its bus and light rail service. The service is for eligible individuals with functional disabilities who are unable to use VTA’s fully accessible bus and rail service for some or all of their trips. VTA contracts with OUTREACH, a non-profit organization, to provide ADA paratransit service.

VTA and OUTREACH collaborated to develop a set of proposals for the paratransit service to align it with the fixed route bus and rail services per the ADA. Six public meetings were held, information was posted on VTA’s website and about 15,000 letters were sent to all OUTREACH customers describing the proposals. Paratransit customers take over 1 million trips annually, however, the vast majority of riders take standard pre-scheduled trips and only 2 to 3% use premium services. Based on this information and the comments submitted by OUTREACH customers, the VTA Board of Directors adopted the changes.

The following changes to paratransit services, fares, and scheduling options will be effective October 1, 2009. For more information about eligibility for or use of paratransit, please contact OUTREACH at (408) 436-2865 or visit www.outreach1.org 

 
Second Vehicle Sent
Second Vehicle paratransit service is provided as a premium service option only when a scheduled return ride is missed by the customer and they are stranded. Second vehicles are not sent to pick up a customer if a trip is missed with a scheduled pick-up at the customer's residence. Second vehicles may take up to 2 hours to pick-up customers.

Open Return Trip

Open Return Trips allow customers to make reservations without a specific time for the return trip. On the day of service, customers can call when they are ready for their return trips. The following conditions apply:

• Provided on a space available basis only • One open return can be scheduled per day
• Trip must be performed by 8pm
• Pick-up will occur within a 90-minute pick-up window after request for trip
• Customers cannot schedule a fixed pick-up and an open return for same trip
• Not available for pickup at residence or for subscription trips

Same Day Service

Same-Day paratransit service is a premium service option provided on a space-available basis by calling the OUTREACH Day of Service Department between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Please allow up to 3 hours for pick-up.

Outside the Service Area

As required by federal Americans with Disability Act regulations, VTA’s paratransit service area is defined as a ¾-mile corridor around all of VTA’s bus routes and light rail system. Extended Service Area Trips are an additional 1 mile beyond the VTA paratransit service area. The fare for this premium service is four times the regular one-way trip fare ($16.00). Customers who live or travel outside the service area are still eligible for paratransit service, however they now need to come into the paratransit service area and pay the base paratransit fare to use the service.

Service Hours

VTA’s paratransit service is provided within the service area boundary of VTA bus routes and light rail only during the same hours of the day and days per week that bus and light rail trains are running on those routes. This approach provides equity between the bus/rail service network and the paratransit service.

Advanced Trip Scheduling

The ADA requires one-day advance reservations. The advance reservation period will change from 14 days to 3 days in two phases. Phase 1 will start on October 1, 2009 and the reservation period will be 7 days. OUTREACH will initiate a new automated booking system and customers will be able to book trips to their "favorite" pre-selected places (e.g. work, home, doctor, church, shopping, etc.). Customers will also be able to confirm or cancel trips through the automated system. The reservation period will be reduced from 7 days to 3 days effective July 1, 2010 as the second phase of this transition. Customers or other parties may continue to send trip reservation requests in by fax, mail or email. Live reservation agents will continue to take calls.