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About ADA Paratransit Advisory Committee

The Paratransit Advisory Committee serves in an advisory capacity of advocates for transit. This is an advisory body comprised of individuals and agencies whereas our mission is to provide accessible accommodation for persons with disabilities.

Meeting Information:ADA Paratransit Advisory Committee Meetings are held on the third Thursday of  each month. All sessions begin at 2:30 PM and end at 3:30PM. During monthly meetings, attendees review transit information, upcoming projects, ask questions and discuss comments and complaints with Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA) staff members. Written comments or complaints may be submitted during meetings or through emails to ada@bjcta.org. Click here to submit comments online.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR FOR INDIVIDUALS REQUIRING SPECIAL ASSISTANCE / REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS, CONTACT:


The Civil Rights Compliance officer / ADA Officer


Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority


ada@bjcta.org


205-521-0101

REQUEST FOR SPECIAL ASSISTANCE SHOULD BE RECEIVED AT LEAST THREE (3) BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR TO MEETINGS

  • Chair: Ms. Tammy Fitts
Information about ADA

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA) and other public transit agencies throughout the country to provide complementary Paratransit service or equivalent public transportation to individuals who do not have the functional ability to ride public transit and/or who cannot board, ride, or get to an accessible fixed route bus because of their disability.  This service must be comparable to the level of service that is provided to individuals without disabilities who utilizes an agency’s fixed route service.


The ADA is a civil rights law.  The ADA clearly requires nondiscriminatory access to fixed-route service, with complementary Paratransit service acting as a “safety net” for people who cannot use the fixed route service.  Under the ADA, complementary Paratransit service is not intended to be a comprehensive transportation system for individuals with disabilities.  In other words, the ADA does not attempt to meet all of the transportation needs of people with disabilities.  Instead, the ADA is intended simply to provide individuals with the same public transit opportunities as persons who can access the fixed route system. An individual is eligible if he or she has a permanent, temporary, or intermittent disability.


The Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA) ADA Paratransit Policy and Procedures Manual is designed to inform Paratransit eligible riders about BJCTA’s transportation service called “MAX Paratransit”.  For additional information or to request a copy, please contact the ADA Officer at (205) 961-5614 ext. 1029, during the hours of 8:00am-5:00pm, Monday through Friday. This manual includes policies and procedures, rules and regulations, and guidelines for use of the MAX Paratransit system, along with answers to many questions about the program. The Policy and Procedures Manual is available in other accessible formats upon request by persons with disabilities by calling (205) 961-5614 ext. 1029.

ADA Paratransit Advisory Committee’s Duties and Responsibilities

The ADA Paratransit Advisory Committee shall have the following functions and responsibilities:


A. Providing input to the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA) through the ADA Compliance Office relative to complaints and requests by persons with disabilities or designee, in accordance with approved procedures.


B. Assisting the ADA Compliance Office in addressing needs of persons with disabilities by making recommendations with regards to inclusive programs, facilities, and/or services.


C. Recommending ideas relative to serving and accommodating persons with disabilities to ensure compliance and inclusion. This is inclusive of funded agencies that impact the lives and mobility of individuals with disabilities such as public transportation, infrastructure requirements, and access to programs and other services where public funds are used to support.


D. Identifying areas for collaboration and partnership between government and public /private entities for the delivery of services and making recommendations to BJCTA in connection with these areas.

Disability: Definition

The ADA Paratransit Advisory Committee adopts the term “A disability” as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as it may be amended or replaced from time to time, which states:


The ADA defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. This includes people who have a record of such an impairment, even if they do not currently have a disability. It also includes individuals who do not have a disability but are regarded as having a disability. The ADA also makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person based on that person’s association with a person with a disability.

Paratransit Eligibility Criteria

The ADA defines eligibility for complementary Paratransit service in 49 CFR Section 37.123 of the federal regulations. Eligibility is limited to people who fall within one of the following three categories into which eligible persons are placed according to their degree of disability.


CATEGORY 1 – Inability to Navigate System Independently


Category 1 consists of those individuals with a disability who are not independently able to board, ride, or disembark any vehicle on the system which is readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. Even with assistance provided by the bus operator and the vehicle’s accessibility equipment, this individual would not be able to utilize the regular fixed route system.  Examples of persons included in this category may be those with mental and physical impairments, including a vision impairment, who cannot navigate (recognize destinations or understand transfers) the bus system. {49 CFR Section 37.123 (e)(1)}


CATEGORY 2 – Lack of Accessible Vehicles, Stations, or Bus Stops 


Category 2 consists of 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, or disembark from any vehicle which is readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities if the individual wants to travel on a route on 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 .  Persons included in this category would be those with cognitive impairments who cannot navigate the system.  Additionally, those patrons who must use a wheelchair and cannot reach the bus stop due to lack of curb cuts or sidewalks are also eligible for this category. {49 CFR Section 37.123(e)(2)}


CATEGORY 3 – Specific Impairment-Related Condition 


Category 3 consists of individuals with a disability who have a specific impairment-related condition which prevents such individual from traveling to a boarding location or from a disembarking location on such system. {49 CFR Section 37.123(e)(3}

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