Accessible Transit Tips for Smoother Rides
If you’ve never used public transportation such as buses before, you might feel nervous or unsure where to start. Here are a few tips that might help.
Plan ahead
Be sure to plan your trips in advance and check out the accessibility features of the ride, details of timing, routes and stops, ticketing information, reservation requirements, and other details.
Use real-time transportation apps
The rideRTC app, Google Maps, and other helpful apps can give you up-to-date information about the availability of accessible rides, adapted equipment, ramps, elevators, traffic delays, and more. Just turn on the accessibility features in the app settings.
Look for the blue wheelchair symbol
This is the international symbol for accessibility, indicating that the area or vehicle has been improved for those with disabilities. Such improvements may include wheelchair access, ramps, automatic doors, and more. Look for buses labeled with this symbol to be sure the bus is accessible to those with wheelchairs or other mobility concerns.
Buses have several accessibility features
Accessible buses may contain low floors to make them easier to board, priority seating up front for those with disabilities, audio and visual announcements, wheelchair securement areas to keep chairs stable during the ride, and even the ability to “kneel,” or lower to the curb to make boarding easier for you or a service animal.
Note that state and federal laws state that you must be allowed to bring a service animal onboard a bus or other public transport vehicle. A service animal is one that has been trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability; no one is allowed to ask you what the animal is trained to do, and they can’t penalize you or charge you any fees for bringing your animal on a bus, unless the animal damages it in some way.
Advocate for yourself
If you need help boarding the bus, alert the driver when it arrives. Don’t hesitate to advocate for yourself if you need assistance with boarding.
