ADA Paratransit Services
The North Central Regional Transit District (NCRTD) Blue Bus provides ADA complementary paratransit and ADA Flex services for eligible riders with disabilities who are unable to use fixed-route transit.
ADA-certified riders may use eligible ADA services at no cost.
MyBlue ADA Paratransit Service
MyBlue ADA paratransit service is available for eligible trips within 0.75 miles of the following routes:
- Route 100 Riverside
- Route 110 Westside
- Route 150 Chimayo, between Española and Cordova
- Route 340 Chile Line Red
To receive complementary ADA paratransit service, the rider must be certified as ADA paratransit eligible through the NCRTD application process. Both the trip origin and destination must be within 0.75 miles of an eligible route corridor, and the trip must take place during the route’s days and hours of service.
ADA-certified riders may also use general public MyBlue service. However, not every MyBlue trip will receive ADA paratransit status or priority. ADA complementary paratransit service is not currently provided in the Edgewood or La Cienega MyBlue zones.
ADA Flex Service
ADA Flex service allows eligible riders to receive origin-to-destination transportation in areas outside the MyBlue zones. Select regional fixed-route buses may deviate up to 0.75 miles from their regular route on paved or graveled roads.
ADA-certified riders may use Flex service at no cost. Depending on roadway conditions, Flex service may be provided curb-to-curb or door-to-door.
ADA Flex service is available on the following regional routes:
- 150 Chimayo, east of the Village of Cordova
- 160 Santa Clara
- 170 Jicarilla, currently operating on a modified schedule
- 180 El Rito, currently not in service
- 190 Chama
- 200 Santa Fe
- 220 Tesuque
- 230 San Ildefonso
- 255 Mountain Trail
- 275 Turquoise Trail
- 280 Eldorado
- 290 Edgewood
- 300 Taos
- 305 Taos Express
- 310 Red River
- 320 Questa
- 330 Peñasco
- 341 TSV Green
- 360 Tres Piedras
- 370 Carson
- 400 Los Alamos, currently not in service
- 810 Mora
To use ADA Flex service, riders must complete the ADA paratransit application process and be certified by NCRTD as ADA paratransit eligible.
Eligibility
To receive ADA complementary paratransit service, individuals must be certified as ADA paratransit eligible under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
An individual may be eligible if a disability prevents them from:
- Boarding, riding or getting off an accessible fixed-route vehicle without the assistance of another person, except for assistance provided by the operator of a wheelchair lift or other boarding device.
- Traveling to or from a boarding or disembarking location because of a specific impairment-related condition.
NCRTD considers an individual’s ability to travel to and from a bus stop, board and use the vehicle, recognize the destination and navigate transfers when determining eligibility.
Applying for ADA Paratransit
To apply for ADA paratransit service, applicants must:
- Complete the ADA Paratransit Application.
- Have the Professional Verification Form completed and signed by a qualified licensed professional.
- Sign the application.
- Participate in an interview with an NCRTD representative.
Applications may be submitted to an NCRTD office in Española or Taos. Transportation to and from an in-person eligibility interview may be requested at no cost.
NCRTD will normally make an eligibility determination within 21 days of receiving a complete application. If additional information is needed, NCRTD may request clarification from the applicant or the professional who completed the verification form.
Once approved, ADA certification is generally valid for three years. Riders with temporary disabilities may receive certification for a shorter period. Riders must recertify every three years or when their physical address changes.
Hours and Days of Service
MyBlue operates in most service zones from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, unless otherwise specified on the Blue Bus website. No Saturday or Sunday service is provided.
Service is not offered on the following holidays:
- New Year’s Day
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Española and Taos MyBlue Zones will operate on this holiday on a modified schedule
- Memorial Day
- Juneteenth, Española and Taos MyBlue Zones will operate on this holiday on a modified schedule
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Indigenous Peoples Day, Española and Taos MyBlue Zones will operate on this holiday on a modified schedule
- Veterans Day, Española and Taos MyBlue Zones will operate on this holiday on a modified schedule
- Thanksgiving Day
- Day after Thanksgiving, Española and Taos MyBlue Zones will operate on this holiday on a modified schedule
- Christmas Eve, Española and Taos MyBlue Zones will operate on this holiday on a modified schedule
- Christmas Day
Reservations
ADA-certified riders requesting complementary ADA paratransit service should call 866-206-0754, ext. 1, the day before the desired trip.
ADA paratransit trip requests receive priority over general public MyBlue reservations. ADA-certified riders may also reserve MyBlue trips through the MyBlue mobile application.
For general MyBlue reservations, requests may be made at least one hour in advance, on a first-come, first-served basis. Phone reservations are accepted from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
When making a reservation by phone, riders should be prepared to provide:
- Name
- Phone number
- Pickup address
- Destination address
- Desired pickup time
- Desired drop-off time, if applicable
- Number of passengers
- Whether a wheelchair or other mobility device will be used
- Whether the rider will travel with a personal care attendant, companion or service animal
- Pickup Information
Riders should be ready to board 15 minutes before their scheduled pickup time.
Vehicles may arrive up to 15 minutes before or 15 minutes after the scheduled pickup time. This 30-minute period is the rider’s pickup time period.
Operators will wait up to five minutes after arriving at the boarding location during the pickup time period. If a rider is not present and ready to board, the trip may be recorded as a no-show. The operator will not return for a second pickup attempt, except for passengers who have been delayed during a medical appointment.
NCRTD cannot guarantee arrival times and is not responsible for missed appointments or late arrivals.
Cancellations and No-Shows
If you are unable to make your scheduled trip, please notify NCRTD or cancel your booking through the MyBlue mobile application at least two hours before the scheduled pickup time.
Late cancellations made within two hours of the scheduled pickup time may be recorded as a partial no-show.
A rider may be suspended for seven days when, within a 30-day period:
- Three or more no-shows are recorded, and
- No-shows represent at least 10% of the rider’s scheduled trips.
Circumstances outside a passenger’s control, such as illness, family emergencies, mobility aid failure, canceled or delayed appointments and adverse weather, will not be counted against the passenger.
Personal Care Attendants and Companions
A personal care attendant may ride with an ADA-eligible passenger at no cost. The personal care attendant must board and exit at the same locations as the passenger.
Passengers are guaranteed a seat for at least one companion. Additional companions may be accommodated when space is available. Companions must board and exit at the same locations as the passenger. There is no fare for companions.
Wheelchairs and Mobility Devices
NCRTD will accommodate wheelchairs unless the wheelchair is too wide or heavy to be accommodated by the vehicle’s lift or ramp or would block the aisle.
Wheelchairs and other mobility devices must be secured using the vehicle’s available securement equipment.
Fares
There is no fare for ADA-certified passengers using eligible ADA services.
Personal care attendants and companions also ride free. ADA-certified passengers may use Flex service at no cost.
Visitors and Out-of-Area Riders
Visitors who are ADA paratransit eligible in another jurisdiction may use NCRTD ADA paratransit service by providing documentation of their ADA eligibility. If documentation is not available, NCRTD may request documentation of residency and disability. NCRTD may also accept a visitor’s self-certification that they are unable to use fixed-route transit.
ADA paratransit service is available to visitors for any combination of 21 days during a 365-day period, beginning with the visitor’s first use of the service.
Appeals
Applicants or passengers who are denied ADA paratransit eligibility or who receive a notice of service suspension or termination may appeal the decision.
Appeals must be submitted in writing to NCRTD within 60 days of the action being appealed. The appeal process allows the individual to be heard in person and to receive necessary support, such as an interpreter or another representative.
NCRTD will notify the appellant in writing of its decision within 30 days.
Inclement Weather
If service is canceled because of inclement weather, NCRTD will attempt to contact scheduled passengers using the telephone number provided during the reservation process or through the passenger’s MyBlue account.
Contact Us
For questions about ADA paratransit eligibility, applications, reservations or service, contact the Blue Bus:
866-206-0754, ext. 1