Beaver County Transit Authority (BCTA) will not discriminate against an individual with a disability in connection with the provision of transportation service. Any individual who believes they have been discriminated against may file a complaint:Phone: 724-728-4255 extension 2390, Email: execadmin@bcta.com Mail: Executive Administrative Assistant 200 West Washington Street, Rochester, PA 15074
BCTA shall provide ADA complementary Paratransit Service to origins and destinations within corridors with a width of three-fourths of a mile on each side of each fixed route for those individuals who cannot access and/or utilize the fixed-route bus.
Information can be provided over the telephone, on the website, and on Twitter, and is also available in print (large print if requested), audio (on a USB drive if requested), Braille (if requested), and online (information can be downloaded). Beaver County Transit Authority utilizes the Pennsylvania Relay System.
The Beaver County Transit Authority shall provide complementary paratransit service in accordance with ADA regulations. In general, the regulations provide that an individual is eligible for paratransit services under any of the following three (3) circumstances: Category 1
Any individual with a disability who is unable, as the result of a physical or mental impairment (including a vision impairment), and without the assistance of another individual (except the operator of a wheelchair lift or other boarding assistance device), to board, ride, or disembark from any vehicle on the system which is readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.
[37.123 (e) (1)]
Category 2
Any individual with a disability who needs the assistance of a wheelchair lift or other boarding assistance device and is able, with such assistance, to board, ride, and disembark from any vehicle which is readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities if the individual wants to travel on a route of the system during the hours of operation of the system at a time, or within a reasonable period of such time, when such a vehicle is not being used to provide designated public transportation on the route.
[37.123 (e) (2)]
Category 3
Any individual with a disability who has a specific impairment-related condition which prevents such individual from traveling to a boarding location or from a disembarking location on such system.
[ 37.123 (e) (3)]
Eligibility Evaluation
All new and renewing applicants for eligibility can request an application to be mailed to them, download the application from the BCTA website under the ADA tab and mail it in or apply in person. The address for in-person applications and for mailing applications is: Beaver County Transit Authority (BCTA)Expressway Travel Center131 Pleasant DriveAliquippa, PA, 15001 You will receive further instructions once the completed application is received and evaluated.Beaver County Transit Authority will provide the transportation for the rider, at no cost, to come to the Expressway Travel Center to apply for, or renew, an Eligibility Evaluation form.
Beaver County Transit Authority shall honor the ADA eligibility determination of other jurisdictions for visitors to the Beaver County Area. Visitors will be considered eligible for the complementary paratransit service for a period of twenty-one (21) days without separately establishing ADA eligibility under Beaver County Transit Authority procedures. A visitor must present, either by fax or mail, adequate documentation of an ADA eligibility determination in another jurisdiction in order to receive a temporary visitor’s identification card. Upon receiving an ADA identification card, the individual can then call for a reservation. Visitors who wish to utilize Beaver County Transit Authority complementary paratransit services and who have not received an ADA eligibility determination from another jurisdiction may receive a temporary visitors’ identification card by certifying that they are unable to use fixed-route service. Beaver County Transit Authority may require such additional verification of a visitor’s disability, as deemed appropriate under the circumstances. This verification can be faxed or mailed for purposes of eligibility. A temporary visitor’s identification card shall be valid for use on the paratransit system for a period not to exceed twenty-one (21) days.The visitor will pay the same paratransit fare as the disabled rider.
The days and hours of service shall be from 4:52 a.m. to 11:09 p.m., Monday through Friday, and Saturdays from 6:30 a.m. to 7:43 p.m. Service shall not be provided on Sundays and the following six National Holidays:
It should be noted that the evening time of 11:09 p.m. for weekday service and the 7:43 p.m. on Saturday shall be for the last drop-off of an individual before the vehicle returns to the DART garage and is not to be considered a pick-up time.
DART is a door-to-door service. All requests to schedule an ADA trip must be made one (1) day in advance by close of business. Trips can be reserved, however, up to fourteen (14) calendar days in advance of a pick-up. Reservations for scheduling a trip will be accepted from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during weekdays and Sundays. Even though no transit service is provided on Sundays and six different holidays, you can call the DART office and leave a voicemail to reserve a trip. A Beaver County Transit Authority representative will return your call to confirm the date and time of your requested trip. The pick-up time for an individual shall be scheduled as close to the requested time as possible. In no case will the trip be scheduled more than one hour before or after the individual’s desired departure time. Once scheduled, drivers will seek to make the pick-up within 15 minutes before or after the scheduled pick-up time.
One other person besides a personal care attendant shall be allowed to accompany an ADA paratransit eligible user on the vehicle. If there is more than one companion, they may ride on a space-available basis.
The fare of the DART service for ADA eligible users will not be greater than twice the Beaver County Transit Authority fixed route fare. A personal care attendants will ride without charge. An accompanying companion will pay the same fare as the disabled rider.
A cancellation must be called into the DART office one (1) hour before the scheduled pick-up time. Beaver County Transit Authority encourages riders to call in the day before their scheduled pick-up time in order to allow another person to use the system. Rides not canceled or canceled later than one hour before the scheduled time are considered “No Shows” and are subject to the Beaver County Transit Authority “No Show” policy. Under ADA, Beaver County Transit Authority may not automatically cancel your return trip. Each leg of a trip must be treated separately. Without an indication from the rider that the return trip is not needed, it will remain on the schedule. So it is very important that you tell the reservationist that you are canceling one or both legs of the scheduled trip. If you fail to cancel your trip, you will be recorded as a “No Show”.
Beaver County Transit Authority will not suspend service on any trips missed by a rider for reasons beyond his or her control, including trips missed due to transit agency error or lateness. Sanctions could be imposed only for a “pattern or practice” of missed trips. A pattern or practice involves intentional, repeated, or regular actions, not isolated, accidental, or singular incidents. If a no-show was beyond a rider’s control, contact the DART office at 1-800-262-0343 or 724-375-2895. When a rider is not ready, not present, or chooses not to go and the driver has waited 5 minutes past the scheduled pick-up time, it is considered a “No Show.” For those riders who accumulate “No Shows”, the following policy applies:
Before any suspension of service due to “No Shows”, Beaver County Transit Authority must notify the individual rider in writing, citing specifically the full reason for the proposed suspension and its length, including the exact “No Show” dates, times, pick-up locations and destinations on which the proposed suspension is based. An appeal with respect to the denial, restrictions, suspension, or revocation of eligibility must be delivered to the ADA Paratransit Administrator, 131 Pleasant Dr. Aliquippa, PA 15001, no later than sixty (60) days from the date of the determination.
If there is a Beaver County rule or policy that, due to your disability, makes it difficult or prevents you from using the service, you may call or write to Beaver County Transit Authority to discuss your situation. When at all possible, requests should be made in advance and will be considered on a case-by-case basis as long as they are reasonable and do not create a direct threat to others or a fundamental change to basic Beaver County Transit Authority service.
Whether we’re doing an exceptional job, or need to improve something, Beaver County Transit Authority wants to know about it! If you would like to lodge a complaint, comment on our services, or commend a Beaver County Transit Authority employee for a job well done, please submit the information to the Executive Administrative Assistant at 724-728-4255 extension 2390, email execadmin@bcta.com or mail: Executive Administrative Assistant 200 West Washington StreetRochester, PA 15074 Beaver County Transit Authority strives to investigate all complaints within three business days. All comments and commendations are forwarded to the appropriate staff member for further action as required.
An individual may appeal a complaint determination by mailing or submitting in person a written appeal to the ADA Paratransit Administrator, at BCTA, 131 Pleasant Drive, Aliquippa, PA 15001, requesting that the determination be reviewed by the Appeals Board. The appeal must: (1) specify the basis upon which the individual disputes the determination; and (2) sign and date the written appeal. The Appeals Board shall afford the appellant the opportunity to be heard and present information and arguments, which are relevant to the determination which is the subject of the appeal. The Appeals Board will consider the appeal and issue a written decision within 30 days after the filing of the appeal. If a decision is not made within 30 days of completing the appeals process, transportation is provided until and unless a decision to deny the appeal is issued.
An individual The state regulations require that when an ADA paratransit application is mailed out, it must be accompanied by voter registration information. If you would like to register to vote you can complete the form that will accompany your application. If you are not interested in registering to vote, you can complete the declination form. If you need assistance with any voter registration information or the paratransit application, we encourage you to call.
