What is ADA Transportation?
The ADA Paratransit Service program:
- Operates in compliance with Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regulations
- Is a shared ride service
- Is an origin to destination service for ADA eligible customers
- Provides a service that is comparable in time to the regular fixed route bus including wait times and transfers
- Operates on the same days of the week and hours of the day in the same areas as the regular WRTA fixed route bus
- Is for people who cannot use the regular WRTA bus for some or all of their trips
The ADA Paratransit Service program is not:
- A personal taxi service; you should expect to be traveling with other riders who are going in the same general direction as yourself
- Available everywhere and at all times
What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Complementary Paratransit Transportation?
ADA transportation is for people whose disabilities prevent them from using the regular accessible WRTA fixed route bus for some or all of their trips. The WRTA determines eligibility based on functional considerations and helps determine which individuals can most benefit from ADA paratransit service and which individuals can be best served by the regular accessible WRTA fixed route bus. You must apply for ADA Complementary Paratransit service and be determined eligible under the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The ADA service area is available within a ¾ mile area surrounding each of the WRTA's fixed routes. What does that mean to you? Picture a regular WRTA fixed route bus, and imagine a bubble that stretches to ¾ of a mile in all directions around that bus on the road – within that bubble is the ADA service area. The entire City of Worcester falls within the ADA service area. ADA service is available whenever the regular WRTA fixed route bus is on the road, generally Monday through Sunday, with service hours varying by day of the week and by route. View WRTA bus schedules.
You do not have to live in the ADA service area to access the ADA paratransit services that the WRTA offers. However, you must be picked up or dropped off at an address located within the ADA service area to access the service, and both ends of your trip must also fall within the ADA service area to be considered an ADA trip.
ADA Complementary Paratransit Service is a "complement" to the regular bus, which means that a trip on the paratransit service will typically take the same amount of time that it would take to make the trip on the regular WRTA bus, including waiting times and transferring from bus to bus.
If you're planning to move to a new address, please contact us first to find out if your new address is located within the ADA service area, so that your paratransit transportation can continue seamlessly.
Which government agency is responsible for overseeing compliance with the ADA Act?
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Office of Civil Rights is responsible for civil rights compliance and monitoring to ensure non-discriminatory provision of transit services. For more information, please visit the FTA website.
