Accessible Services
Customer Service Representative
Porterville Transit has an accessible service advisor who is available to present information on transit services for seniors and persons with disabilities. The advisor can visit community facilities or programs and conduct group information exchange sessions. If you are interested, please call (559) 791-7810.
Accessible Bus Service
One of Porterville Transit's top priorities is to provide mobility and access for all of our customers. All buses are equipped with lifts or ramps to make boarding easier for persons who use wheelchairs or mobility devices or for anyone who may have difficulty negotiating steps. Operators are always available to provide boarding assistance.
Porterville Transit Buses have priority seating available near the front of the vehicle as an added convenience for individuals with limited abilities. Operator announcements, large print, visual display boards for persons with hearing impairments, and tactile signage for persons with visual impairments provide information throughout Porterville Transit services.
With these bus features, access by individuals with disabilities has been greatly improved.
Paratransit Service
If an individual's disability prevents independent access to, and use of Porterville Transit's accessible bus services, then Porterville Transit offers specialized accessible paratransit services to those eligible, as specified in the Americans with Disabilities Act. (Appendix 49 CFR37.123)
Porterville Transit's Paratransit service is operated under Dial-A-COLT, a division operated by Sierra Management. This service is provided with federal, state, and local funds.
Eligibility
Service is provided to persons whose temporary or permanent disabilities prevent their independent use of bus facilities and vehicles.
Paratransit service may also be used by eligible customers for connection with bus services. This applies to persons who are able to use bus services, but whose disabilities prevent independent travel to or from bus stops.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) establishes the criteria for paratransit eligibility. Specifically, eligibility is based upon your functional ability to use the bus system, some or all of the time. Eligibility is not based on your age or inability to drive an automobile. Please note that having a medical condition or a disability does not automatically qualify you for ADA eligibility. The City of Porterville or Sierra Management will conduct in-person interviews to determine eligibility based on ADA paratransit eligibility standards (Appendix 49 CFR37.123) summarized below;
Category 1 - Any person with a disability who is unable to board, ride, or disembark from an accessible vehicle without the assistance of another person (except for the operator of a lift or other boarding device.)
Category 2 - Any person with a disability
who could ride an accessible vehicle but the equipment or location does not meet
ADA standards.
Category 3 - Any person with a disability who has a specific impairment-related condition that prevents the person from traveling to or from a boarding and disembarking location.
Paratransit services are provided to eligible individuals who may have either or temporary or permanent disability.
Guide dogs or other service animals may accompany customers at no additional charge.
Enrollment
Please contact the City of Porterville at (559) 782-7448 to request an application. An informational brochure and application will be sent to you, or you may visit the City of Porterville, City Manager's Office for an application. Please complete and return to the City of Porterville or mailed to:
City of Porterville
City Manager's Office
291 N. Main
Porterville, Ca. 93257
Application Process: Please fill out the application to the best of your ability; correct NAME, ADDRESS and PHONE number of your physician is required, any incorrect information may cause possible delays in processing your application.
The City of Porterville will then contact your physician and provide them with appropriate paperwork to complete the application.
Appeal Process
Applicants who are denied eligibility will be notified in writing within 21 days of completion of their eligibility certification evaluation. Applicants have 60 days from the date of written denial to request an appeal. An administrative review and in-person functional assessment may be conducted for each appeal by the third party not affiliated with the eligibility certification team. Appeal decisions will be final.
Service Area
Paratransit service is provided to eligible persons within the City of Porterville. Dial-A-COLT will inform you whether your pick-up or destination point is within the service area.
Service Days and Hours
Accessible COLT vans currently operate:
| Monday thru Friday |
7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. |
| Saturday |
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Sunday |
Closed |
Porterville COLT does not operate on New Year's Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, or Christmas Day. All other holidays on which Porterville COLT operates, are on a "Saturday" schedule.
Call Dial-A-COLT for additional information on the service hours.
Fares
The fare for a regular one-way paratransit trip maybe established at twice the one-way adult cash fare of Porterville Transit's fixed-route bus service.
| General |
$3.00 |
| Seniors/Disabled/Medicare Card Holders |
$1.50 |
A personal care attendant is someone who must travel with the customer, specifically for the purpose of helping the customer meet his or her travel needs. A customer's eligibility to travel with a personal care attendant is determined at the time of enrollment. A companion is simply a friend or family member who accompanies the customer on the trip.
Reservations and Customer Service
All trip requests, except same-day service, must be made in advance.* Trip requests may be made a minimum of one day in advance and a maximum of 14 days in advance by calling Dial-A-COLT.
Reservation lines are open:
| Monday thru Friday |
6:15 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. |
| Saturday |
8:15 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. |
| Sunday |
Closed |
* Before making reservations for a trip, the application process must be completed and customers must be certified as eligible for paratransit service.
