Paratransit Reservation Information

Origin: Destination: Date: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 2008 Time: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 : 00 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 am pm Departure Time Arrival Time

Reservations can be made seven days a week between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., except on Thanksgiving and Christmas when reservations can be made from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. by calling Customer Service at 702-228‑4800 or 702-676‑1834 (TDD) for hearing impaired. Reservations may be made from one day to three days in advance of the day of travel. Please note - there are special reservation policies for travel including travel within the supplemental zone and non-ADA eligible customers.

Please have the following available:

• Your name
• Day and date of your trip
• Exact street address, building or facility name including the apartment, building, or suite numbers for both pick-up and drop-off locations
• If you have it, a phone number for your destination and gate code.
  
• What type of mobility aide(s) you will be using
• Number of people traveling (Will you be taking a companion or Personal Care Attendant?)
• The time you wish to be picked up and in the case of a work, school or medical appointment the time you need to be at your destination.
  
  

Please note trips may originate from any location within the Paratransit service area. Rides may be one‑way, round trip or multiple rides.

Once a ride has been scheduled, additional people cannot be added. The RTC’s Customer Service Representative will do their best to accommodate the times you desire; however, alternate times may be offered. The RTC may negotiate the times of your trip by one hour. For example, if you would like to be picked up at 10 a.m. and that time is not available, we may offer you a trip as early as 9 a.m. or as late as 11 a.m. The interval between pick-up times on the same day is recommended to be at least one hour. For example, if your scheduled pick-up time is 10 a.m., it is recommended that you do not schedule your next ride until 11 a.m. This will help to ensure you have arrived at your first destination with enough time to travel on your second or return ride.

Shared Rides
RTC Paratransit Service is a shared public transportation service. Whenever possible, the RTC will schedule rides with multiple passengers and this may lengthen trip times.

Cancellations & No Shows
To cancel a scheduled trip, call Paratransit Reservations at 702-228-4800 or 702-676‑1834 (TDD). Trips must be canceled no later than 5 p.m. the day prior to the scheduled pickup. This call can be made 24 hours a day.

A patron who demonstrates a pattern of missing scheduled trips creates problems for all transit patrons since scheduled but not taken trips lower the capacity of the RTC Paratransit service. The term for this practice is "No Show" and is further defined for RTC Paratransit Service as a person who cancels a reserved Paratransit trip too late for the trip to be reassigned to another patron or who fails to be at the pick-up point when the RTC Paratransit vehicle arrives.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) allows paratransit systems to institute "No Show" policies, including suspension of paratransit privileges for repeated "No Shows." The ADA makes a distinction between "No Shows" and validly canceled trips. If the rider gives notice by 5:00 p.m. the day prior to the scheduled ride, the trip is canceled without penalty and the Paratransit scheduling system may be able to reschedule the ride to another patron.

The RTC has a No Show policy based upon the fact that once the reservation process is closed for the day, any cancellation is considered a "No Show" to the system since it takes away the ability to serve a greater number of passengers. While all "No Shows" negatively affect system productivity to some degree, there is a tiered impact on the RTC as to when the "No Show" occurs. The RTC defines "No Show" within five categories depending on the time that the notification is received and assigns points for each event as shown below.

Time of Cancellation & Points Assessed
Limited Notice - Any ride canceled between the hours of 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. the day prior to the scheduled pick up. One point assessed.

Early Notice - Any ride canceled after 7 p.m. the day prior to the scheduled pick up until four hours prior to the pick-up time. Two points assessed.

Late Notice - Any ride canceled from within four hours to 30 minutes prior to the beginning of the pick-up window (five minutes before to 25 minutes after the pick-up time). Three points assessed.

Notice at Door - Any ride canceled by notice from the customer to the driver within the 30-minute pick-up window (five minutes before to 25 minutes after the pick-up time). Five points assessed.

No Notice - Any ride canceled by telephone from 30 minutes prior to the beginning of the pick-up window (five minutes before to 25 minutes after the pick-up time). Five points assessed.

In the event you are a no show for a ride, the return ride or any additional ride(s) scheduled for that day will not be automatically canceled. Cancellations made after 5 p.m. the day before the scheduled pick-up are assessed points which, in addition to NO SHOWS, are used to determine suspension of service. Riders are notified by mail if a cancellation of one of their rides results in points being assessed or if their ride is considered a NO SHOW. Both cancellations and no shows may result in a suspension of service as outlined below.

Anyone affected by this policy is entitled to request an appeal. The RTC complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, available for review at fta.dot.gov.

Responsible Rider Program
The function of the "No Show" policy is to provide administrative procedures for dealing with individuals who establish a pattern of missing scheduled trips and to assist Paratransit patrons in understanding the importance of proper utilization of the limited resources of paratransit service. The RTC recognizes patrons who properly utilize the Paratransit system through the Responsible Rider program, which began in July 2002.  The program rewards patrons who have a minimum of six one-way trips in a six-month period and have an exemplary paratransit-system riding record.  The program awards are shown below.