Thanks to the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), public transportation has become more accessible for seniors and citizens with disabilities. Pierce Transit strives to make public transportation more accessible by offering the following:

  • Automatic stop announcements for all major street intersections and transfer points.
  • Lift equipped busses, kneeling busses or accessible ramps to assist riders using wheelchairs or anyone having difficulty boarding or exiting the bus.
  • Driver assistance with boarding and securing wheelchairs.
  • Priority seating at the front of each bus for seniors and individuals with disabilities.
  • Reduced fares for people with disabilities and people age 65 and older by obtaining a Regional Reduced Fare Permit.

Customers with “conditional eligibility” will be able to use paratransit services only for specified trips in which they meet ADA paratransit eligibility standards. This means, if you are able to use the regular bus service to complete a trip, you will not be eligible to use the paratransit services for that trip.

Many individuals with disabilities successfully use the regular fixed-route transit system if they can get to it. There are many reasons a person might be prevented from getting to the bus.

  • They may not be able to walk the distance to the bus stop
  • There may be terrain barriers, such as hills, curbs, uneven surfaces, or snowy conditions.
  • They are cognitively unable to navigate the bus system that involves multiple transfers

In this case, SHUTTLE can assist the individual for that portion of the trip by providing transportation to the nearest transit center where the trip can be completed on the regular fixed route bus. When SHUTTLE assists you to a transit center, you don’t pay for the SHUTTLE portion of the trip (and you pay a reduced fare on the bus)

Pierce Transit will determine on a trip-by-trip basis if the individual will use the bus, SHUTTLE or a combination of the two when traveling to or from a specific address.

How does using the fixed-route bus benefit you?

  • Promotes Independence – Freedom to travel on your own time
  • Self Sufficiency – No need to make reservations
  • Timely – Schedules are repeated throughout the day. You can minimize your wait time knowing exactly when the bus will come. If you miss your bus, you know when the next one is coming.
  • Social Outlet – Meet people and make new connections
  • Less Expensive – Pay a reduced fare and transfer to another bus within 2 hours for free*
  • Real-Time Updates – Get updates on exactly where your bus is and when it will arrive

*must have a valid RRFP-Regional Reduced Fare Permit