Source: http://nationalrtap.org/transitmanager/Administration-Compliance/ADA
Timestamp: 2019-04-26 14:42:45
Document Index: 726776139

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 37', 'art 38', 'arts 37', 'arts 37', 'art 38', 'art 37', 'art 37']

ADA | Transit Manager Toolkit
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 “set the foundation for guaranteeing equal opportunity for people with disabilities in employment; public transportation; public accommodations, such as stores, shopping malls, restaurants and hotels; government services; and telecommunications” (ADA Essentials for Transit Board Members).
The following section will discuss requirements for public transportation entities and their private contractors that provide public transportation services. Fixed routes, general public demand response services, deviated or flexible routes, and complementary paratransit services all are subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Note that these are highlighted aspects of the ADA regulations as they pertain to public transportation entities and not an exhaustive list of all compliance requirements. ADA regulations are also issued by other federal agencies such as the Departments of Justice, Education, Health and Human Services, Labor, Interior, and Housing and Urban Development. There will be occasions where different agencies overlap, and in one case, explained later, where the regulations conflict.
Transit managers should be aware that compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act covers virtually every aspect of transit operations, from transit system employees, to service on the street, to vehicle purchasing, to transit facility design. Daily operations are impacted by the need to deliver consistent, high quality service to members of the riding public regardless of their disabilities or abilities.
The information presented in this section is based on the U.S. Department of Transportation regulations: 49 CFR Part 37- Transportation Services for Individuals with Disabilities (ADA) and 49 CFR Part 38- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Specifications for Transportation Vehicles. Changes to the U.S. DOT Americans with Disabilities Act regulations effective in October 2011 are also cited.
ADA regulations are complex and contain information applicable to more than bus modes of transportation. Much of this information will not apply to your transit operations. However, we suggest that you download both Parts 37 and 38 and keep them as references, flagging or highlighting the parts that pertain specifically to public transit bus operations.
Some requirements apply to all providers regardless of the type of service. These include nondiscrimination, vehicle accessibility, provision of service, and “other” vehicle requirements. Other requirements only apply to operators of fixed route or demand response service – these sections are labeled accordingly.
Requirements specific to fixed route service can also be found in this section of the regulations, but they will be addressed later in this toolkit.
Special considerations regarding service animals
You must allow service animals to accompany individuals with disabilities in vehicles and facilities. The U.S. Department of Justice recently amended its definition of a service animal to include only dogs and miniature horses. The U.S. Department of Transportation continues to define a service animal as “any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to, guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals with impaired hearing to intruders or sounds, providing animal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items.” This is the definition with which the operators of public transit service must comply.
Easter Seals Project ACTION has many resources available that give information about service animals and interacting with passengers who travel with service animals. Please see their Resource Library results.
Special considerations regarding “non-standard” mobility devices
Effective October 19, 2011, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a revision to some aspects of Parts 37 and 38 of its ADA regulations. A one pager issued by the U.S. DOT clarifies some of the main points. As stated in the one pager, these are:
Notably, there is no requirement to procure vehicles or lifts that can accommodate wheelchairs exceeding the weight and dimensions found in the previous definition of “common wheelchair.” 49 CFR Part 38 continues to require that vehicle lifts accommodate a minimum of 600 pounds, and that vehicles accommodate wheelchairs measuring 30” x 48.” However, when transit providers procure vehicles and/or lifts that have the capacity to transport larger and/or heavier chairs, transit providers must carry a wheelchair and occupant if the lift and vehicle can physically accommodate them, unless doing so is inconsistent with legitimate safety requirements.
For more information, please see the Federal Register Notice containing the final revision to the regulations, as well as National RTAP's 2015 technical brief on Oversized Wheeled Mobility Devices.
Service options and requirements
While many requirements apply to all agencies providing public transportation service, there are some requirements that are specific to the service you provide. If your system includes fixed route service, you are required to provide complementary paratransit service to your customers who are unable to use the fixed route system. To find information about complementary paratransit service requirements, please see the ADA Complementary Paratransit section below. If you provide demand responsive service, you are required to provide equivalent service for your passengers with disabilities (see the Equivalent Service Standards section below).
If your system includes deviated (or flexible) fixed route service, and you deviate for everyone, you should see the Equivalent Service Standards section of this page to ensure that you are providing equivalent service for your passengers with disabilities. If you run deviated service that only deviates for passengers with disabilities, and not all riders, you must follow the complementary paratransit service criteria (see the ADA Complementary Paratransit Requirements section below for this information).
Operating fixed route systems
FTA’s ADA regulations use the terms “designated public transportation” and “specified public transportation,” which draw distinctions between types of entities that provide service and between different modes of service. The definition of a fixed route system includes both those terms, so they are explained below.
Designated public transportation is provided to the general public on a regular and continuing basis by a public entity (excluding public school transportation) by bus or rail, or another mode (but not by aircraft, or intercity or commuter rail). **Intercity and commuter rail services are excluded from this definition because the ADA addresses those types of services separately. Public school transportation is excluded because accessibility requirements for that type of service are covered in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Specified public transportation is the same type of service provided to the public by a private entity, but intercity or commuter rail is also included.
Both designated and specified public transportation may include fixed route and/or demand responsive service. A fixed route system is defined in FTA’s ADA regulations as a system of transporting individuals, other than by aircraft, on which a vehicle is operated along a prescribed route according to a fixed schedule.
Both designated public transportation and specified public transportation that is operated in that manner are included. **Air service is excluded from the definitions of designated and specified public transportation service because accessibility requirements are covered under the Air Carrier Access Act of 1986.
DREDF Topic Guide on Route Identification
This obligation can be met by requiring bus operators to announce stops or by using an automated stop announcement system onboard the vehicle. It is recommended that the disability community and bus drivers be consulted when deciding what stops to announce to ensure the effectiveness of the system.
DREDF Topic Guide on Stop Announcements
If your transit system provides fixed route service, you are also required to provide ADA complementary paratransit. This section will provide more information.
Public transit agencies that run fixed route services must also provide ADA complementary paratransit services for those who are unable to use accessible fixed route services. (ADA complementary paratransit requirements do not apply to commuter bus, commuter rail, or intercity rail service, however.) This includes the inability to access vehicles, transit stops, or facilities, or to independently navigate through the system. Paratransit services are characterized by vehicles that operate flexible routes or demand response service and provide origin-to-destination service.
ADA paratransit service criteria
ADA complementary paratransit service must be comparable to the fixed route service in a number of areas. Paratransit service criteria include the following (Section 37.131):
Geographic area of service – transit systems that run fixed routes must also provide ADA complementary paratransit service within ¾ mile on either side of the fixed route; this is considered to be the maximum distance a rider would travel to reach a bus or train stop.
Response time –the paratransit ride may not be provided more than an hour before or after the requested time.
Fare- the one-way paratransit fare may be no more than twice the full fixed route fare for a similar trip. A rider’s personal care attendant may not be charged a fare. However, at least one additional accompanying individual must be permitted to board and will be required to pay the same fare as the rider (additional companions may accompany the ADA-eligible customer, if space is available).
Hours and days of service—ADA paratransit service must be provided on the same days and during the same hours as fixed route service.
Trip purpose—there may be no restrictions or priorities based on trip purpose. Service must be provided regardless of the nature of the trip.
Capacity constraints—see discussion below.
You cannot have capacity constraints in ADA complementary paratransit service. Under the ADA, capacity constraints are defined as any operational patterns or practices that significantly limit the availability of service to ADA paratransit eligible individuals (Section 37.131 f). Capacity constraints include:
Limits on the number of trips an individual may make, or trip waiting lists.
Denying trips.
Long telephone hold times for trip reservations.
Substantial numbers of excessively long trips.
Substantial numbers of significantly untimely pickups.
Due to high demand for ADA paratransit service and limited resources, this tends to be where most transit systems have difficulty in complying with the complementary paratransit regulations. As you will read in the section below, rigorously managing demand through the eligibility process is a way to combat capacity constraint issues.
Eligibility and managing demand
ADA regulations require transit providers to conduct an eligibility determination process that strictly limits eligibility for complementary paratransit service to individuals who are not able to use accessible fixed route services due to a disability. It is important to establish exactly when an individual’s functional ability enables him/her to use the fixed route system and when he/she requires paratransit service.
Establishing and following an accurate ADA paratransit eligibility process is critical both to protecting individuals’ civil rights under the ADA and to managing demand so that paratransit service is available for those who need it. Transit managers are encouraged to read Sections 37.123-127 of Part 37 carefully and to consult the Easter Seals Project Action (ESPA) and Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) resources on ADA paratransit eligibility that are listed at the end of this section. Key points about ADA eligibility criteria and the eligibility determination process are discussed below.
There are three eligibility categories and three types of eligibility.
Visitors who are certified eligible for ADA paratransit services in their home areas are eligible for paratransit services in your area for up to 21 days. If they do not have an ID card stating their eligibility in another system, you can require that they instead show proof of residency and ask about their disability, if the disability is not apparent. Visitors do not have to show an ID card to be eligible for your services.
The source of these descriptions is the DREDF Topic Guide on Eligibility for ADA Paratransit. For more details, please see the full guide.
Careful determination of eligibility for ADA complementary paratransit service is a legal requirement and can be an effective way to manage demand for the service. Appropriate use of conditional eligibility can be particularly effective.
A transit provider may apply the conditions of an individual’s eligibility to each trip request he/she makes. This practice is referred to as “trip-by-trip eligibility” or “trip eligibility.” Trip-by-trip eligibility, if implemented properly, helps to manage demand by identifying trips that can be made reasonably on the fixed route system, while preserving the individual’s eligibility for paratransit service when his/her functional ability makes it necessary. An example of this is when a person who uses a wheelchair may be able to reach the transit stop and use the accessible fixed route service on his/her own during the mild weather. However, he/she may not be able to reach the transit stop when the sidewalks are covered in snow or ice. On those occasions, he/she is eligible to use the ADA complementary paratransit service, but on days when the path to the transit stop is clear and accessible, the individual should use the accessible fixed route service. Reservationists should be aware of the exact type of service the individual is eligible for when fielding requests.
To assist both the reservationist and the rider, conditions for the paratransit eligibility should be clearly defined. In our example above, it is better to state the exact conditions when the rider is unable to travel to the transit stop (when there is ice/snow on the sidewalks) rather than simply saying he/she is eligible “during the winter months” or “during bad weather.” There are many days during the winter when there is no snow/ice on the ground, and the description “bad weather” is too vague. Clearly defining conditional eligibility is the most effective way to manage demand and ensure that riders who need paratransit are being served. The Topic Guide on Eligibility for ADA Paratransit offers practical guidance on incorporating conditional eligibility into daily operations.
While many transit systems use paper forms to collect rider information to determine eligibility, increasingly systems are moving to more personal, hands-on approaches. These approaches include phone or in-person interviews, functional assessments, and combinations of the above.
If a rider makes the request, you must provide all information about the process, materials necessary to apply for eligibility and notices and determinations concerning eligibility in accessible formats.
If, by a date 21 days following the submission of a complete application, you have not made a determination of eligibility, you must treat the applicant as eligible and provide service until and unless you deny the application.
You must put your determination concerning the eligibility in writing. If the determination is that the individual is ineligible, the determination must state the reasons for the finding.
Because this is a civil rights issue, there must be a system in place by which a rider can appeal any decisions that are made concerning eligibility. Eligibility appeals must be handled by someone who did not make the original decision.
For more information about the eligibility process, please see the DREDF Topic Guide on Eligibility for ADA Paratransit.
You can also find information on this topic in the Easter Seals Project ACTION document "Determining ADA Paratransit Eligibility: An Approach, Guidance, and Training Materials."
Other ADA paratransit operational requirements
Under Section 37.129, you are required to provide complementary paratransit service that is “origin-to-destination.” As a transit provider, you can establish whether you will provide door-to-door or curb-to-curb service as your basic mode of paratransit service, but there may be times when you must offer service beyond this base level when required due to a passenger’s disability. FTA, in its Disability Law Guidance document, gives the following examples of when “origin-to-destination” service might be necessary:
The nature of a particular individual’s disability or adverse weather conditions may prevent him/her from negotiating the distance from the door of his/her home to the curb.
A physical barrier (e.g., sidewalk construction) may prevent a passenger from traveling between the curb and the door of his/her destination point.
Providing this level of service may require more time from the driver than on a base-level service stop, and because of this the FTA has deemed it reasonable that transit providers ask for advance notice from any passenger in need of this assistance when the reason for the additional assistance is known in advance of the trip.
For more information, please see the "Origin-to-Destination Service" page of the FTA website.
You are permitted to temporarily suspend service to individuals who are repeated no-shows. A no-show does not count, however, if the ride was missed due to circumstances outside of the rider’s control. You should consult the DREDF Topic Guide on No-Shows in ADA Paratransit in order to establish what qualifies as a no-show and what situations are qualified to be beyond a rider’s control.
DREDF Topic Guide on No-Shows in ADA Paratransit
Operating general public demand response
According to ADA regulations, a demand response system is any system of transporting individuals which is not a fixed route system (49 CFR Part 37). General public demand response service is found in many rural and tribal areas. If your organization runs a general public demand response system, it is not required that you also provide ADA complementary paratransit service. Your system may operate non-accessible vans and buses as long as you provide equivalent service for people with disabilities in accessible vehicles. Unlike paratransit, you can have capacity constraints when operating general public demand response service as long as those capacity constraints effect all riders, those with and without disabilities, equally.
Equivalent service standard
Operating deviated (or flexible) fixed route service
For the purpose of ADA regulations, transit systems are considered to be either fixed route or demand responsive (Section 37.3). Accurately categorizing a system is important because it will determine the requirements that systems will be required to follow. While some systems are clearly one or the other, systems that provide deviated route service can be harder to categorize. According to DOT regulations, deviated-route service is considered to be demand responsive service, and because of that it must follow the requirements for equivalent level of service for its riders with disabilities.
However, FTA has informally made a distinction between service that allows anyone to request route deviations and service that only allows riders with disabilities to request the deviations. If the system only provides route deviations to customers with disabilities, this service is then regarded as complementary paratransit service, and is held to the paratransit service criteria that are listed above. If the system with deviated-route service provides complementary paratransit service for its riders with disabilities, it must implement an eligibility determination (and appeal) process for those who would like to use the service. If the system’s service allows all riders to request route deviations, the system is considered demand responsive and must follow the equivalent service requirements (which are listed in the section above) when serving riders with disabilities.
To read about the distinction between deviated-route service that is considered to be demand responsive and deviated-route service that is considered to be ADA paratransit, please see the FTA Triennial Review Workshop Materials.
If you have not already done so, it is a good idea to develop a set of service policies so that passengers know exactly what they can expect from the transit system. These policies are applicable to ALL passengers regardless of ability. Policies should cover:
Curb-to-curb; door-to-door; assistance with packages.
Deviations off route described in miles or blocks or time.
Escorts, companions, and personal care attendants.
Pets (not service animals).
Car seats and strollers.
No restrictions or priorities based on trip purpose.
Making reservations: same day and/or in advance.
Unsafe or disruptive passenger behavior.
No-shows and cancellations.
Well-articulated policies demonstrate that all passengers are being treated equitably. They should be available in alternative formats upon request.
DOT ADA 10/19/2011 Final Rule--Summary of Major Points (10-19-11)
DOT Disability Law Guidance, "Origin-to-Destination Service," on the FTA website
DOT Reasonable Modification of Policies and Practices Final Rule (3-13-15)
DREDF Topic Guides on ADA Transportation
Easter Seals Project ACTION, “ADA Essentials for Transit Board Members: Fundamentals of the Americans with Disabilities Act”
Easter Seals Project ACTION, “Determining Paratransit Eligibility: An Approach, Guidance, and Training Materials”
FTA Triennial Review Workshop Materials
FTA website, "Americans with Disabilities Act" page
National RTAP, Oversized Wheeled Mobility Devices Technical Brief, 2015