Rider’s Guide to G San Francisco U I Paratransit D E 1 This Guide is available in accessible formats and alternative languages. Please contact SF Paratransit at (415) 351-7000 (415) 351-7000 Table of Contents 3 San Francisco Paratransit 3 Services 5 Eligibility 6 Application Process 13 Hours & Location 18 Input & Feedback 20 Paratransit Rules and Policies At A Glance 29 Responsibilities 37 More Information 37 Benefits of Using Muni’s Fixed Route System and BART 46 Quick Reference Numbers GUIDE 1 Welcome to San Francisco Paratransit R i SF Paratransit is a van and taxi d program for people unable to e independently use public transit r ’ because of a disability or disabling s health condition. Since 1990, the G Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) u has required all public transit agencies i d to provide paratransit services to e qualified disabled people. San t Francisco Municipal Transportation o Agency (SFMTA) has provided paratransit services since 1978, before it S a was required by the ADA. SFMTA n contracts with a “Paratransit Broker” to manage the service. The Paratransit F r Broker contracts with van and taxi a companies to provide transportation. n c i We Provide Three Main Types Of s Service: c o SF Access P SF Access is a pre-scheduled, ADA- a compliant van service providing door- r a to-door transportation to ADA eligible t riders. SF Access is a shared-ride r a service. You must make reservations n from one to seven days before the s i day of your trip, and service will t be scheduled within one hour of your requested pickup time. For additional information on SF Access, see Rider’s Guide 2. 3 Taxi Services Paratransit taxi is general-public, curb-to- curb taxi service provided to ADA-eligible riders. This is not an ADA service, but many riders find that it better meets their transportation needs. For additional information on the taxi program, please see Riders Guide 3. Group Van Service Group Van is a pre-scheduled van service providing door-to-door transportation to groups of ADA-eligible riders attending participating agency programs such as Adult Day Health Care, senior centers, or sheltered work sites. We Also Provide Two Other Services For Seniors And People With Disabilities Shop-a-Round Service Shop-a-Round is a convenient, low-cost van shuttle that makes it easier to go grocery shopping. The service offers 4 GUIDE 1 personalized assistance not available on Muni to people with disabilities and seniors, age 65 or older. Shop-a-Round taxi service is also available on a R limited basis. i d Van Gogh Shuttle e r The Van Gogh Shuttle provides ’ transportation to social outings, s cultural activities and public events. G Each trip is arranged through a trip u i coordinator and must be requested at d least seven (7) days in advance of the e event. Each group must have at least t seven (7) eligible individuals who will o be travelling together. S For more information about Shop-a- a Round service or the Van Gogh Shuttle n program, please call 1-415-351-7094. F r Paratransit Eligibility a n To be eligible for ADA paratransit c i services, you must be unable to use s Muni’s accessible buses, trains, or c streetcars some or all of the time, o without the aid of another person.You P are eligible to use ADA paratransit a services if you fall into one of the r following categories: a t r 1: You are unable to use the a fixed route system n s You are unable to independently i board, ride, or disembark from t an accessible Muni bus, train, streetcar or BART train some or all of the time. 5 2: The fixed-route system is not accessible You are functionally able to independently navigate, board, ride, and disembark from an accessible Muni or BART vehicle, but there are no accessible vehicles on the route providing service to a particular destination. Riders in this category must use accessible Muni or BART routes/vehicles whenever they are available. 3: You are not able to get to or from the system You have a specific impairment-related condition that prevents you from traveling to or from a bus stop or rail station, some or all of the time. How Do I Apply For Paratransit? If you feel you are unable to independently use Muni or BART some or all of the time due to a disability, you 6 GUIDE 1 may request an application for ADA Paratransit service. • Call SF Paratransit at 1-415- 351-7050; or TTY at 1-415-351- 3942. R i • Pick up an application at the SF d Paratransit Office, 68 12th Street. e r ’ • Download the application from s www.sfparatransit.com. G If you need an application in an u accessible format or in a foreign i d language, or if you need a referral for e help in completing your application, t please call 1-415-351-7050, and let us o know. S What happens after I’ve submitted a my application for eligibility? n For an application to be considered F complete, you must answer all r a questions. We will not review any n incomplete applications;they are c i returned to the applicant. s Once you have submitted a completed c application, we will evaluate the o information you have provided. In P some cases, no other information will a r be needed to make an assessment. a t In most cases, we will conduct a r second-level assessment. This may a n be a telephone interview with you, s professional medical verification, i or an in-person interview. The in- t person interview may include a functional test to determine your ability to take a public 7 transit trip: for example, can you walk to a bus stop? Can you read signs? If you need transportation to a certification appointment, our staff will assist you with arrangements and provide transportation at no cost to you. How long does it take to find out if I am eligible? Your properly completed application will be processed within 21 days. If requested, you must make yourself available for a second-level assessment, and your medical professional must return the medical verification form within seven days of receipt. If your eligibility determination takes longer than 21 days, you will be entitled to “presumptive eligibility”. This allows you to use the paratransit system until we make a final decision. You may not be entitled to presumptive eligibility if, through delay or inactions on your or your medical professional’s part, we are unable to complete the processing of your application. If I am determined eligible, will I be able to take all my trips on paratransit? You may take all your trips on paratransit only if you are determined fully eligible. If you are determined conditionally eligible, you can use paratransit only for certain trips. Conditional eligibility means that you are able to use Muni for some of your 8 GUIDE 1 trips, but that due to your disability you are not able to use Muni for other trips. Some examples include: • A person may not be able to R get to a particular destination i d because it requires climbing up a e steep hill from the bus stop and a r ’ disability prevents him/her from s climbing the hill. This person would G be eligible for paratransit to that u particular destination. i d • Some kidney dialysis patients are e able to take Muni to their dialysis t appointments, but they require o paratransit to get home, due to weakness after the treatment. S a The simple rule to remember if you n are determined conditionally eligible: F If I am able to take the trip on r Muni, then I must take the trip on a n Muni. c i Once you are determined eligible, we s will send you an eligibility letter. Any c restrictions for conditional use will be o noted in this letter and will be a part P of your record. If you are determined a to be conditionally eligible, SF r a Paratransit staff can help you t determine which trips you are r a eligible to take on paratransit and n which trips you must take on Muni s i or BART. t 9 If I am certified ADA paratransit eligible, how long will my eligibility last? Eligibility is typically good for three years. In some cases, eligibility may be based on a temporary condition, such as a broken hip, and therefore limited to a temporary period. The term of your eligibility will be listed on the registration letter you receive. After your eligibility expires, you will need to reapply if you feel you are still eligible. It is your responsibility to notify us if your disability or health-related condition changes. If your condition improves so that it affects your eligibility status, and you do not notify us, we could suspend or revoke your eligibility until you reapply or come in to our offices for re-evaluation. If this occurs, you would be entitled to the appeals process (see below). If I am denied ADA eligibility or disagree with my eligibility determination, can I appeal? If you are denied eligibility, we will automatically provide you with an appeal request form. You may also appeal if you disagree with our conditional or temporary eligibility determination. This form will need to be completed and returned within 60 days of our eligibility determination.