Accessible Services for our Riders
The Americans With Disabilities Act
Accessible Fixed Route Bus Service
Lift and Securement Use
Accommodating Other Mobility Devices and Life Support Equipment
Kneelers
Color Coded/Numbered Window Signs
Training
Priority Seating
Announcements On Vehicles
Large Print And Braille Schedules-Fares
TTA Center
Complaints
Maintenance Of Accessible Features
ADA Complimentary Paratransit Service
The following report summarizes the accessibility programs and policies that the Tri-State Transit Authority (TTA) provides on the fixed route transit system in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
1. THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law on July 26, 1990 by then President George Bush. Experts generally agreed that the legislation represented the most significant Civil Rights legislation enacted since the Civil Rights Act o f 1964. The new law prohibits segregation and discrimination based upon disability as it relates to employment, public services, transportation, public accommodations and telecommunications. The stated national goals of the ADA are to guarantee that persons with disabilities have equality of opportunity, a chance to fully participate in society, are able to live independently and can be economically self-sufficient.
The ADA has five sections or "Titles." An important part of Title II addresses transportation provided by public systems. In general the law charges public transit systems like the TTA to provide individuals with disabilities the opportunity to use public transportation services if the individuals are capable of using the system. It also ensures that public entities like the TTA do not provide transit services which discriminate against persons with disabilities. There are specific actions in the law that assist public transit agencies in their efforts to assure non-discrimination in mass transit service. For instance:
1.When TTA buys new buses to be used in fixed route service, the new vehicles will be accessible to persons with disabilities. At the very least, the new buses will be equipped with wheelchair lifts.
2.TTA offers paratransit services to individuals with disabilities who are unable to use the fixed route system. The paratransit service is similar to that which is provided on the fixed routes.
3.New TTA transit facilities are accessible.
4.When TTA makes alterations to facilities they will include features to make them accessible.
2. ACCESSIBLE FIXED ROUTE BUS SERVICE
Tri-State Transit Authority (TTA) has 40 transit vehicles in the active fleet, including 8 paratransit vans. All of TTA's vehicles are financed in part with Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funding. Twelve buses and the 8 vans are accessible.
Accessible buses with wheelchair lifts currently operate on all TTA routes.
Accessible bus service is currently available during all hours of operation on the five routes noted above. The service is provided at reasonable intervals that make it practical to use the accessible service. In general, TTA service starts at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday and at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday. The last bus trip from the central service point at TTA Center departs Monday through Saturday at 5:15 p.m. There is no bus service on Sunday. Accessible bus routes operate on no more than one-hour headways.
In accordance with the ADA, TTA will provide service to all common wheelchairs and their users. A common wheelchair is a wheelchair that does not exceed 30 inches in width and 48 inches in length measured two inches above the ground, and does not weigh more than 600 pounds when occupied. Wheelchairs are defined to include three-wheeled and four-wheeled mobility aids. Three-wheeled scooters and other non-traditional designs will be transported if they can be safely secured. Although use of the securement system on TTA buses is strongly recommended as a safety consideration, it is not the sole cause for denying service.
When transporting users of three-wheeled wheelchairs or other mobility devices, TTA can request that the customer transfer into a regular bus seat. The rider, in this case, has the final decision given their particular disability.
Customers who cannot enter the bus by using the steps but who do not use a wheelchair, will be offered the option of boarding by way of the wheelchair lift. The customer must be able to "ride" the lift without assistance from the bus operator.
3a. BOARDING THE LIFT BUS
1.Please be at your bus stop at least 5 minutes before the time your bus is scheduled to arrive. Look for the international symbol of accessibility to make sure that the bus is lift-equipped.
2.When the bus arrives, please wait approximately five feet or a reasonable safe distance away from the door so that the lift can be deployed.
3.When the lift is fully deployed, move your wheelchair onto the platform BACKWARDS, unless otherwise authorized. LOCK YOUR BRAKES. IF YOU ARE USING A MOTORIZED WHEELCHAIR, SHUT OFF THE POWER TO THE CONTROL.
4.When the lift platform is level with the bus floor, back on to the bus, deposit the correct fare in the farebox and report the location for your departure from the bus to the Bus Operator.
5.If you are using a motorized wheelchair and need the Bus Operator to assist you, please disengage your clutch and travel to a vacant tie-down location. Use caution moving between customers who may be seated or standing in the aisle.
3b. SECURING YOUR WHEELCHAIR:
To use the belt securement system, maneuver your wheelchair or other conveyance into the tie down area. The TTA Bus Operator will assist you in securing your wheelchair or other conveyance. The tie-down consists of 3 belts: 2 belts to secure the rear wheels of a wheelchair, 3 straps to secure the rest of a wheelchair and 1 belt which functions as a seat belt/shoulder harness to be fastened around you and your wheelchair or other conveyance.
3c. EXITING THE BUS:
1.Once the bus has stopped, the Operator will release the seat belt and the belt tie downs and move to the door where the lift is located.
2.Wait until the lift platform is level with the bus floor. Move FORWARD on the platform. If you are using a motorized wheelchair and need the Operator to assist, leave the clutch disengaged. When all the wheels of your wheelchair or other conveyance are on the platform, LOCK YOUR BRAKES. IF YOU ARE USING A MOTORIZED WHEELCHAIR, SHUT OFF POWER TO THE CONTROL.
3.When the platform has reached the ground and the end safety gate has dropped, release your brakes and move off of the platform. If you are using a motorized wheelchair, reengage your clutch and turn your power on.
No time limit is currently established for boarding and alighting persons with disabilities. TTA simply requests of its able and disabled customers alike to board and alight as promptly as possible in consideration of the customers already on the bus and the customers waiting for the bus down the road.
3d. TRAVELING COMPANION POLICY
If you require assistance in boarding the lift platform from outside the bus, TTA recommends you be accompanied by a traveling companion. No fare will be charged for the first travel companion who accompanies a disabled rider. Any other persons who travel with the disabled customer will be charged the fare they would pay if they were riding alone.
3e. LIFT DEPLOYMENT
It is TTA policy that persons with disabilities be permitted to board or alight at any customary boarding location along the route unless the lift cannot be deployed or the lift would be damaged if deployed or if temporary conditions preclude the use of the lift. Temporary conditions are not those that are the result of TTA action(s). Temporary conditions may not always preclude the boarding or alighting by able customers.
4. ACCOMMODATING OTHER MOBILITY DEVICES AND LIFE SUPPORT EQUIPMENT
In accordance with ADA regulations, all customers will be permitted to travel with service animals trained to assist them. Service animals include guide dogs and other animals that provide aid to persons with mobility impairments.
Persons will also be permitted to travel with respirators, portable oxygen and other life support equipment. Travel with this equipment will only be restricted if it violates laws directed to the transportation of hazardous materials.
In general, the transport of common types of portable life support equipment is not prohibited. Cylinders of oxygen used by customers for health reasons, for example, are not subject to the Hazardous Materials Regulations.
All TTA buses have a kneeling feature. The kneeler lowers the right front corner of the bus closer to the sidewalk or street to make it easier for customers who have difficulty stepping onto and off of the first stair of the entryway.
If you have any difficulty reaching the first step, just ask the Bus Operator to kneel the bus for you. Usually, TTA Bus Operators will automatically kneel a bus every time they stop to pick up or discharge a customer.
There is one time when TTA Bus Operators do not kneel the buses. If the temperature falls below 32 degrees (freezing), the kneelers will not come back up after they go down.
6. COLOR CODED/NUMBERED WINDOW SIGNS
TTA bus routes are numbered and color coded to assist our customers in identifying the bus they need to ride. A colored square with the route number in the center is clearly posted in the front right (curb side) window of each TTA bus.
TTA Bus Operators have received Passenger Assistance Techniques awareness safety training. They have also been thoroughly acquainted with the use of the accessibility features of the buses.
Priority seating areas for senior citizens and riders with disabilities are set aside at the front of every TTA bus.
TTA buses are equipped with signals to alert the driver that a customer desires to alight at the next stopping location. TTA Bus Operators are also trained to anticipate the destination of their customers on board the bus who have requested a stop location when they board the bus. Accessible TTA buses are equipped with public address systems which can be used to announce stops at major transfer points, intervals along the routes and stops as requested by the passengers.
10. LARGE PRINT AND BRAILLE SCHEDULES - FARES
Large print and braille schedules will be made available to disabled customers upon request. Please call TTA's customer information line, 529-RIDE (7433). TTD is also 529-RIDE (7433).
The fare for a trip charged a disabled person using an accessible bus is no higher than the fare charged other users. Disabled and older customers are automatically eligible for TTA's Half-Fare Program. All you need to do is show your Medicare card to the Bus Operator when you board the bus.
For more fare, route and schedule information, you may also visit TTA Center located on the corner of 13th Street and 4th Avenue. TTA Center is a fully accessible facility which is staffed during all operating hours and offers a waiting area, vending machines and rest room facilities. TTA Center is open on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. It is closed on Sundays and major holidays.
Customers should feel welcome to register any complaints about regular route and paratransit service with the TTA and with TTA's paratransit service providers. The paratransit eligibility determination complaint process is written and followed by both paratransit contractors. The policy contains an appeal and final ruling process.
Other complaints can be registered by phone, my mail or in person. The telephone number to report a complaint is 529-6094. The mailing address of the TTA is as follows:
Tri-State Transit Authority 1120 Virginia Avenue, West Post Office Box 7965 Huntington, West Virginia 25779-7965
Complaints can be registered in person at TTA Center or at the headquarters office located at 1120 Virginia Avenue, West. All complaints are investigated.
13. MAINTENANCE OF ACCESSIBLE FEATURES
The maintenance of lift equipment is a top priority at TTA. The mechanics are thoroughly trained on the maintenance of all accessible bus features before the buses are put into service. As part of the overall maintenance program, procedures have been es tablished to ensure the proper operating condition of all equipment. These procedures are used to ensure that the lifts are put back in service without delay. TTA also keeps a spare accessible bus on hand to put into service in the event that another ac cessible vehicle is disabled for any reason. Every effort is made to repair lifts before service the next day. Spare repair parts are maintained in inventory to aid in the timely repair of accessibility features.
14. ADA COMPLEMENTARY PARATRANSIT SERVICE
The ADA charges public entities operating fixed route transportation service with also to providing paratransit as a complement to their fixed route service. Paratransit service is intended for customers who cannot use accessible fixed route transportat ion. Paratransit service is comparable to the fixed route system in the area it covers and in the level of service it provides. Paratransit service is provided during the same days and hours as fixed route service with comparable fares. Paratransit ser vice is provided to locations within 3/4 of a mile of any TTA bus route. If you are unable to travel on TTA lift equipped buses, please call 529-7461 or TTD 523-7036 for information about curb-to-curb van service.