Riders GuideDear Access Customer; ACCESS is a transportation service for citizens in Johnson County. All of our vehicles are wheel chair accessible. ACCESS provides the reservations, scheduling and operation of this service. Drivers are thoroughly trained in safety and passenger assistance. The Transportation Access Committee, a group of local volunteers, assists with financial planning and policies regarding the operation of ACCESS. The purpose of the Transportation Access Committee is to determine, plan for, implement, maintain and evaluate the necessary resources for the transportation needs of all Johnson County residents. All meetings are open to the public. If you would like to attend please contact ACCESS at 317-738-5523 for further information. WELCOME We would like to welcome you to ACCESS Johnson County Public Transit. ACCESS serves the needs of anyone who needs transportation. Throughout this guide, you will find helpful, customer-friendly information regarding: . Reservations . Companions . Trip Information . Cancellations . Guidelines All of us at ACCESS Johnson County Public Transit sincerely hope this ACCESS RIDERS’ GUIDE answers any questions you may have. This guide is offered in other accessible formats for the convenience of all our passengers. Should you require additional information, please do not hesitate to call ACCESS at 317-738-5523. Thank you for riding ACCESS Johnson County Public Transit! *OPERATING HOURS: Zone to Zone (Demand Response) *6:15 A.M. TO 7:30 P.M. MONDAY – FRIDAY *Office Hours 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. (closed from 12:00-12:30 for lunch) *Subject to change WHO DO I CALL? Trip Requests / Cancellations / Complaints – 317-738-5523 or call Indiana Relay (for the hearing impaired) HOURS TO CALL FOR RIDES Monday – Friday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM + Closed for lunch from 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM After hours leave message on voice mail at 317-738-5523. During business hours voice mail is checked frequently Monday – Friday. It is very important that you leave a message when calling ACCESS. PLEASE REMEMBER . ACCESS is a curb-to-curb service. . ACCESS is a shared ride service. . No assistance will be provided beyond the curb. If you require further assistance, you should be accompanied by a personal care attendant. . You may ride from any origin in the ACCESS service area for any legal purpose as long as a reservation has been made. ALL TRANSPORTATION REQUESTS MUST BE MADE AT LEAST 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE. Make your request as early as possible, up to 14 days in advance, but no later than 24 hours before you wish to ride. The cut off time for a reservation for the next day is 12:00 pm. Eligible ADA riders can call for a ride for the next day up until 4:00 pm. Trip requests requested without a 24 hour notice will try to be accommodated, however there is no guarantee. Transportation requests for subscription trips for the following weeks schedule needs to be in by Friday at 12:00 pm. EMERGENCY NUMBER Please call 317- 738-5523 and follow the prompts for cancellations or if there is an immediate problem with your scheduled transportation. SERVICE AREA ACCESS’ ZONE to ZONE (demand response) service is available throughout Johnson County. Out of county currently is limited to Stop 11 Road. The outlet mall in Edinburgh is charged as in county. LOST ITEMS ACCESS is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items. To check on a lost item, please feel free to call 317-738-5523. EMERGENCIES There may be times that Johnson County declares a county wide emergency or if Johnson County Government Offices close. In these cases ACCESS will not operate on that day. ACCESS reserves the right not to operate on certain roads if it is felt to be unsafe for passengers as well as drivers. OTHER ITEMS 1)Transit Rules:
2) All Passengers are asked to:
PASSENGER ASSISTANCE Boarding: Assistance is provided from the curb to the vehicle. Drivers are not permitted to leave their vehicle unsecured or to enter a building or residence. If you require additional assistance you should b accompanied by a personal care attendant or make appropriate arrangements in advance. Access drivers are trained to assist you with boarding and exiting the vehicle. Assistance include, but is not limited to; offering a steadying arm, maneuvering wheelchairs onto the lift, operating the lift, and securing the mobility devices / seat bes. You may request to board by standing on the lift. SEAT BELTS: All drivers and passengers are required to use the seat belts provided in Access vehicles. Drivers will provide assistance as necessary. The driver will not move the vehicle until all passengers are properly secured. MOBILITY DEVICES: Drivers are to secure all mobility aids such as wheelchairs and scooters. Passengers must allow their devices to be secured and must also use the passenger restraints belts provided. Proper securement is required for transport. For your safety, please make sure your mobility device is maintained to manufacturer’s specifications. FARES Please call ACCESS at 317-738-5523 for your fare schedules. Fares may be “paid” by either presenting an ACCESS ticket or by cash. If the fare is to be paid in cash, the fare must be paid in exact cash as the driver does not carry cash and cannot make change. Fares will be collected by driver before departure. ACCESS cannot be responsible for lost tickets. Tickets can be purchased from any driver, and are sold at a discount. PLEASE NOTE: No added charge for passengers with disabilities. All fares are the same for everyone that rides. ZIPLINE – Fixed Routes – NO Deviations **$1.00 per ride Or $2.00 Day Pass (unlimited rides for one day on all fixed routes) Or Discounted Multi Ride Ticket *$10.00 ticket get $1 free Or $25.00 Monthly Pass (unlimited rides on all ZIPLINES all month) Only good for the month it is bought in. ie March 1 – March 31. Zip Connect / Connector Flex Rides (one mile either side of fixed route or a deviation on a Flexible Fixed Route Service ) **$2.00 per ride Or $4.00 Day pass (unlimited rides on all flexible fixed or fixed routes for one day) Or Discounted Multi Ride Ticket *$10.00 ticket get $1 free Or $50.00 Monthly Pass (unlimited rides on all ZIP Connect or ZIPLINE all month) Only good for the month it is bought in. ie March 1 – March 31 Zone to Zone Demand Response In Johnson County **$4.00 per zone ride with free transfer onto any fixed route Or Discounted Multi Ride Ticket *$10.00 ticket get $1 free Out of Johnson County One mile into Marion County to Stop 11 **additional $1.00 per ride Or Discounted Multi Ride Ticket *$10.00 ticket get $1 free **Please Note: If crossing into another zone on any demand response system and unable to transfer onto fixed route it will cost an additional $1.00 per zone per trip. Same Day Service Same day service can be requested fares would automatically double if able to accommodate the request. Note * can put name and phone number on back of used ticket put in farebox it will be put into monthly drawing. We will draw one each $100 worth of tickets each month. Day and Monthly Passes are not eligible for drawing. HOLIDAYS ACCESS is closed the following holidays: (Watch for updated holiday closings) New Year’s Day Memorial Day Independence Day Thanksgiving Day and Friday Christmas Day (usually closed for a week to ten days until first business day after New Year’s Day) PASSENGER COMMENTS We are committed to providing courteous and efficient transportation services. We can only resolve problems if we know about them, so please call us as soon as possible. . Should you have questions or complaints about service, please call ACCESS at 317-738-5523 (317-738-3951 TDD for the hearing impaired). Please leave a message if voice mail picks up. . If a complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction after three working days, please Call 317-738-5500. SPECIAL REQUESTS
-vehicles -routes -with certain passengers
HOW TO GET A RIDE Call ACCESS at 317-738-5523 (Indiana Relay for the hearing impaired) between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM Monday through Friday (closed for lunch from 12:00-12:30). Please leave a message if voice mail picks up during regular business hours. Voice mail is checked frequently throughout the day. ALL TRANSPORTATION REQUESTS MUST BE MADE AT LEAST 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE. Make your request as early as possible, up to 10 days in advance, but no later than 24 hours before you wish to ride. The cut off time for a reservation for the next day is 12:00 pm. Eligible ADA riders can call for a ride for the next day up until 4:00 pm. Trip requests requested without a 24 hour notice will try to be accommodated, however there is no guarantee. Transportation requests for subscription trips for the following weeks schedule needs to be in by Friday at 12:00 pm. We will try to accommodate, however there is no guarantee if there is no advance notice of trip.. To serve the greatest number of passengers, ACCESS can only accept two round trip requests per phone call. If you wish to schedule repeat service (work, church, etc.) you may schedule subscription trips. Subscription trips are ongoing and/or regularly scheduled trips to the same destinations. These may be scheduled up to a month in advance with one phone call. Under American Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations, only 50% of our trips can be subscription. First come first served. REMEMBER: the sooner you call the better your chance of getting a ride when you need one! When calling for a ride, we urge you to schedule a time for your return trip. Waiting until the last minute to schedule your return trip could result in a long wait. When requesting a ride, please be ready to provide: . your name . your pick-up address . your telephone number . the time of your scheduled appointment . where you will be going (include phone number if possible) . the time you want to be picked up for your return trip . whether you use a wheelchair or other mobility device . dimensions of wheelchair . whether anyone else will be riding with you If there are no openings for the time requested you may be offered an alternate time, as close as possible to the original time requested. If there are no openings for the day and time requested, please feel free to call ACCESS at a later time to ask if there have been any cancellations. HOW – TO – RIDE HOW DO I RIDE ACCESS Riding ACCESS is just like riding any other public community transportation system, there is a scheduled arrival time and you must be ready when the vehicle arrives. The driver is only permitted to wait 5 minutes. There may be additional stops before reaching your destination. PLEASE REMEMBER: . ACCESS is a Curb to Curb service. . You may ride from any origin in the ACCESS service area for any legal purpose as long as a reservation has been made. . No assistance can be provided beyond the curb. Due to the safety of our passengers, drivers cannot leave the vehicle. If you require further assistance you should be accompanied by a personal care attendant or traveling companion. This must be arranged in advance when you schedule your trip. . The driver is required to collect the fare or a ticket from you and any companions before departure. Please have exact change ready, or your trip ticket ready. . Prior to departure:
HOW TO CHANGE A RIDE NOTE: changes to a ride request should be made the day before your trip. There is no guarantee that changes after this time can be accommodated. Drivers cannot change your schedule for you. To cancel a ride, please call 317-738-5523 (Indiana Relayfor the hearing impaired). If you follow the prompts this will call a pager, or After hours please call pager number 317-562-7241 to cancel a ride. Cancellations should be made as soon as possible, but no later than 2 hours before your scheduled pick up time. This policy allows for illness or other events beyond your control that require last minute changes in plans without penalty. However, if your trip request is not canceled before the driver is dispatched, you must unfortunately be charged for the unnecessary trip. Passengers repeatedly canceling without a 2 hour notice may risk losing future trip scheduling privileges. Please be courteous to our other passengers and cancel as soon as possible so someone who is waiting for a trip can be scheduled in your place. NO-SHOW PASSENGER NOTIFICATION In line with the ADA paratransit regulations, Access will categorize cancellations and no shows so that the reasons for a pattern or practice of missing scheduled trips can be identified. The categories are as follow:
NO SHOW – NO CALL – NO RIDE A “no show” is if a driver shows up for your scheduled ride and you don’t! So that our passengers reach their destinations on time, drivers are only permitted to wait 5 minutes after your scheduled pickup time. Passengers who miss their ride or fail to call to cancel their trip will be required to pay for the “no show”. Any other scheduled trips will be canceled unless we get a call from you. Please call 317-738-5523 to cancel a trip so as not to be a “no show”. Please leave a message if voice mail picks up. Voice mail is checked frequently throughout the day. After business hours call 317-738-5523 (calls a pager) and follow the prompts to cancel or in case of emergency. Please leave a message and a phone number in case we need to call you back. In the event of a No Show where the reason is Unknown. Access will make a reasonable attempt to try to contact the client for further details. CONSEQUENCES OF NO SHOWS or LATE and FREQUENT CANCELLATIONS Frequent no shows (5 or more and at least 10% of the total trips scheduled in a given month), late cancellations or frequent (7 or more and at least 20% of the total trips scheduled in a given month) that are within Rider Control or Unknown will be monitored on a rolling 12-month basis, and may result in suspension, as per below. Passengers with 1 "no show" will be required to pay for this unnecessary trip before any future rides can be provided. CONSEQUENCES OF LATE CANCELLATIONS OR NO SHOWS 1) 1st Occurrence - Written Warning 2) 2nd Occurrence - 2 Week Suspension 3) 3rd Occurrence - 1 Month Suspension 4) 4th Occurrence - 3 Month Suspension/Subscription Termination Clients may opt to pay for their outstanding No Shows and / or Cancellations to avoid suspension, trips that were due to be funded by a 3rd party will be charged to the client at the standard fare. Drivers will not accept payment for no shows or cancellations. Payments must be mailed to the address below. Access Johnson County Public Transit ATTN: Fares PO Box 216 Franklin, IN 46131 In reference to issues of confidentiality, we abide by the Notice of Privacy Practices for Protected Health Information. GETTING THERE ON TIME It is ACCESS’ goal to provide the greatest number of passengers with prompt, efficient, friendly service. The following are ways you may help us serve you: . In order to ensure the vehicle will be on time for other passengers, the driver cannot make unscheduled stops. . If other passengers need to get on or off the vehicle before your stop, it may be necessary for you to temporarily change seats. . Please do not change seats unless instructed to do so by the driver. . A passenger may not refuse to ride with other passengers. If there is an ongoing problem with another passenger please call (317)738-5523. Because you will probably share a vehicle with other passengers, we suggest that when you schedule your trip:
. The vehicle can wait only 5 minutes past your return pick up time. . Please be ready at least 20 minutes before your vehicle is scheduled to arrive. All passengers boarding at that stop should meet the vehicle when it arrives. . If an ACCESS vehicle hasn’t arrived after 20 minutes from your scheduled pick-up, please call 317-738-5523. . Due to traffic and weather conditions, cancellations, etc., the vehicle may arrive 20 minutes before or after your scheduled pick up time. For example, if your pick-up time is scheduled for 8:00 AM, the vehicle may arrive anytime between 7:40 and 8:20 AM. If you miss the vehicle for your scheduled ride, please call ACCESS, another vehicle will be sent as soon as possible. However, it may take up to three hours for another driver or vehicle to be available. WHO CAN RIDE WITH ME?
NOTE: Personal care attendants (PCA) must have the same origin and destination as the passenger they are accompanying.
. ACCESS requires you to reserve a space for your companion or personal care attendant when scheduling your reservations. Failure to do so may result in the attendant or companions being unable to ride with you if seats are not available.
4) SERVICE ANIMALS Passengers with disabilities may bring a service animal. The animal should be on a leash and must be under the handler’s control. They should sit or lie on the floor without blocking exits. May be excluded if exhibits a direct threat to the health/safety of others. Please let ACCESS know when you schedule a trip. 5) PETS Pets may be transported with a passenger if on a leash or in a kennel style pet carrier and must be under the handler’s control. They should sit or lie on the floor without blocking exits. May be excluded if exhibits a direct threat to the health/safety of others. Please let ACCESS know when you schedule a trip. ZIP LINE (US 31 FIXED ROUTE) The ZIPLINES are weekday fixed routes, with regular stops along US 31 between Franklin, Whiteland, Greenwood, and Indianapolis (transferring to IndyGo). Transfer points are available with IndyGo at Rural King, and the Greenwood Park Mall., NO off route deviations by the bus is available. To help plan your use of this service refer to the schedules. To help plan your use of these services, please call 317-738-5523 for a map and schedule. ZIP CONNECT / FLEXIBLE FIXED ROUTES A ZIP CONNECT is a flexible fixed route that extends service up to one mile off of their route. There are 4 Zip Connect routes operating in Greenwood (East and West) and Franklin (East and West) Transfer points are available with IndyGo in Greenwood at Greenwood Park Mall, Community South, and Walmart on County Line Road. If you are unable to get to the listed bus stops please call with a 24 hour notice to get a deviation. You must call with a 24 hours in advance of your trip to make a reservation for a deviation. It is not necessary to be a ADA certified rider but by law ADA riders get priority. Otherwise: Scheduling a ZIP CONNECT is a first come first serve basis. Must call to cancel a ride 1 hour before scheduled pick up, or you may be charged a no show. Frequent cancellations will result in loss of your subscription (ongoing trip requests) since others are waiting for a ride. Limit carry ons to only what you can physically carry personally in one trip (Folding shopping carts are permitted). Passenger are responsible for their own packages. All ACCESS vehicles are wheelchair lift equipped. For help planning your trip please call 317-738-5523 or 317-738-3951 (hearing impaired). HOURS OF OPERATION Monday-Friday US 31 6:15 am – 5:15 pm FRANKLIN 7:45 am – 4:45 pm Greenwood 8:30 am – 4:30 pm Office hours 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m (closed from 12:00-12:30 for lunch) Service on all holidays except: Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas (usually closed for a week to ten days until first business day after New Year’s Day) New Year’s Day Why is riding the public transit system a good idea? . Cheaper than a gallon of gas . Protects our environment . Friendly drivers . Safe and clean vehicles . Stress free (let us worry about the road) . No finding or paying for parking What if I have an emergency at home? How can I get home if I rode to work on a ZIP LINE? No problem, ACCESS will get you there on our county-wide system at the same fare as the ZIP LINE OR ZIP CONNECT. PASSENGER CONDUCT It is ACCESS’ policy to provide the safest and most efficient service to all ACCESS passengers and to meet the requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990. ACCESS must rely on certain guidelines that ensure quality service for all ACCESS passengers. Passengers who abuse these guidelines can adversely affect the ACCESS community transportation system as a whole. For the safety and comfort of all ACCESS passengers, ACCESS has established the following policy that addresses instances when a passenger’s conduct may negatively affect others using ACCESS. . UNSAFE CONDUCT: Any act which creates the potential for injury or other risk to any passenger, driver or the general public. . ABUSIVE CONDUCT: Any disruptive or intrusive act toward any passenger, Driver, or the general public. This includes but is not limited to any acts that are Generally offensive, invading the privacy rights of others, or touching another person in a rude, insolent or angry manner . Eating, drinking, chewing tobacco, or smoking are not permitted. . Passengers may not operate any audio or visual equipment which infringes upon other customers’ comfort or safety or impairs the driver’s ability to transport passengers safely. Examples include: audio/visual devices without headsets, portable video games that have sound effects, etc. . UNINTENTIONAL MISCONDUCT: 1). Any act that would qualify as misconduct, but is the direct and immediate consequence of the passenger’s disability, such as abusive language that is the consequence of Tourette’s Syndrome. 2). If a passenger commits an act of unintentional misconduct, and he or she has had training in the appropriate behavior, that act will be treated as intentional. MISCONDUCT CONSEQUENCES OF HAZARDOUS OR ABUSIVE MISCONDUCT: is punishable by the following accelerating suspension schedule.
CONSEQUENCES OF UNINTENTIONAL MISCONDUCT
3) A passenger may be subject to any reasonable accommodation that will ensure the safety of all passengers and drivers.
Passengers must request a no show suspension appeal hearing with fourteen (14) calendar days after receipt of the late cancel and no show policy violation suspension letter. The passenger may call 317-728-5500 to request a suspension appeal hearing over the phone or in writing by contacting Access at the following address: Access Johnson County Public Transit Attn: Jennifer Moss PO Box 216 Franklin, IN 46131 The passenger will be notified by mail of the suspension/termination and the effective day of the suspension/termination. Should the passenger request a suspension appeal hearing concerning the suspension or termination of existing service, an appeal committee consisting of a three (3) person panel of individuals not involved in the original decision will be formed. This appeal procedure is unrelated to eligibility and will not be used for contesting established Access Johnson County Public Transit policies. The appeal committee will:
Public Notice of Rights Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Access Johnson County Public Transit Access Johnson County Public Transit operates its programs and services without regard to race, color, and national origin in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Any person who believes he or she has been aggrieved by any unlawful discriminatory practice under Title VI may file a complaint with Access Johnson County Public Transit. For information on Access Johnson County Public Transit’s civil rights plan and the procedures to file a complaint contact Jennifer Moss at 317-738-5500 and TTY contact 317-738-3951 [email protected] or visit our office at 3500 N Morton St. Franklin, IN 46131. For more information visit www.accessjohnsoncounty.org. A complainant may file a complaint directly with the Federal Transit Administration by filing a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights Attention: Title VI Program Coordinator East Building, 5th Floor –TCR 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590 If information is needed in another language or alternate format contact Jennifer Moss at 317-738-5500 and TTY contact 317-738-3951 [email protected] Note: Transit system should ensure the other language information is also provided in any languages spoken by LEP populations that meet the Safe Harbor threshold. TITLE VI COMPLAINT PROCEDURE (GENERAL REQUIREMENT) Any person who believes she or he has been discriminated against on the basis of race, color, or national origin by the Access Johnson County Public Transit may file a Title VI complaint by completing and submitting the agency’s Title VI Complaint Form. AJCPT investigates the complaint received no more than 180 days after the alleged incident. AJCPT will process complaints that are complete. Once the complaint is received, Access Johnson County Public Transit will review it to determine if our office has jurisdiction. The complainant will receive an acknowledgement letter informing her/him whether the complaint will be investigated by our office. Access Johnson County Public Transit has 60 days to investigate the complaint. If more information is needed to resolve the case, AJCPT may contact the complainant. The complainant has 10 business days from the date of the acknowledgement letter to send requested information to the investigator assigned to the case. If the investigator is not contacted by the complainant or does not receive the additional information within 10 business days, AJCPT can administratively close the case. A case can be administratively closed also if the complainant no longer wishes to pursue his or her case. After the investigator reviews the complaint, she/he will issue one of two letters to the complainant: a closure letter or a letter of finding (LOF). A closure letter summarizes the allegations and states that there was not a Title VI violation and that the case will be closed. An LOF summarizes the allegations and the interviews regarding the alleged incident, and explains whether any disciplinary action, additional training of the staff member, or other action will occur. If the complainant wishes to appeal the decision, she/he has 15 days after the date of the letter or the LOF to do so. A person may also file a complaint directly with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), at FTA Office of Civil Rights, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. GLOSSARY Abusive Conduct-behavior which invades the privacy rights of others, or touching another person in a rude, insolent or angry manner. Examples are profanity, screaming, hitting, sexual harassment, etc. ADA-Americans with Disabilities Act; signed into law in 1990, making it illegal to discriminate against persons with disabilities regarding employment, public services, public accommodations and telecommunication. The intent of this law is to provide equal opportunity to persons with disabilities, allowing them to fully participate in society and live independently and with economic self-sufficiency. Companion-A person accompanying the ACCESS rider. Curb to curb-The ACCESS vehicle will pick up and drop off the passenger at the curb of the address of their destination. Disability (as defined by ADA) – A person with a disability is defined as:
It should be noted that the ADA definition of disability is not the same as other definitions of disability used in other federal laws and programs such as Social Security, workers compensation, veteran’s programs, etc. TAC – Transportation Access Committee – a group of volunteer Johnson County residents who meet each month in an advisory capacity to ACCESS. The group assists in procedures regarding the operation of ACCESS service. All meetings are open to the public. No Show-If a driver shows up for your scheduled ride and you don’t. PCA-Personal Care Attendant – an individual who accompanies a person with disabilities who requires more assistance than being helped on or off the vehicle. A PCA rides at no charge. Service Animal-Any guide dog, signal dog, service dog or other animal individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. Service Area–ACCESS is available all throughout Johnson County. Out of county currently is limited to Southport Meijer’s, and Stop 11 Road. The outlet mall in Edinburgh is charged as in county. Subscription rides-riders may reserve rides for a particular time every week or every day, rather than calling each day. Subscription service may not absorb more than fifty percent of the number of trips available at a given time of day, unless there is non-subscription capacity left over (no denials). Unintentional Misconduct-poor behavior that is the immediate consequence of the passenger’s disability. MANY THANKS Thank you to the following sponsors that are only a few of many that helps to make this public transportation service available to Johnson County citizens.
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