ADA Paratransit

No Show

A no-show occurs when a rider fails to appear to board the vehicle for a scheduled trip.

This presumes the vehicle arrives at the scheduled pickup location within the pickup window and the driver waits at least 5 minutes.

Pickup Window

The pickup window is defined as 15 minutes before the scheduled pickup time to 15 minutes after the scheduled pickup time. Riders must be ready to board a vehicle that arrives within the pickup window. The driver will wait for a maximum of 5 minutes after arrival for the rider to appear.

Late Cancellation

A late cancellation is defined as either:

• A cancellation made at the door
• A cancellation made less than 1 hour before the scheduled pickup time
• Refusal to board a vehicle that has arrived within the pickup window

No Show Due to Operator Error or Circumstances beyond a Rider's Control

CityLink does not count as no-shows or late cancellation any missed trips due to our error, such as:

• Drivers arriving and departing before the pickup window begins
• Drivers arriving late (after the end of the pickup window)
• Drivers arriving within the pickup window, but departing without waiting the required 5 minutes
• Pickups scheduled at a location other than that which is requested by rider
• Trips placed on the schedule in error

CityLink does not count as no-shows or late cancellations situations beyond a rider's control that prevent the rider from notifying us that the trip cannot be taken, such as:

• An appointment that runs unexpectedly late without sufficient notice
• Family Emergency
• Medical Emergency
• Sudden illness or change in condition

Riders should contact the CityLink ADA Paratransit operations center as soon as possible for no-shows or late cancellations due to circumstances beyond their control.

Policy for Handling Subsequent Trips Following No Shows

When a rider is a no-show for one trip, all subsequent trips on that day remain on the schedule unless the rider specifically cancels the trips. To avoid multiple no-shows on the same day, riders are strongly encouraged to cancel any subsequent trips they no longer need that day.

Suspension Policies for a Pattern or Practice of Excessive No Shows or Late Cancellations

CityLink verifies all no-shows and late cancellations to ensure accuracy before recording them in a rider's account. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, section 37.125(h) states that "The entity may establish an administrative process to suspend, for a reasonable period of time, the provision of complementary Paratransit service to ADA eligible individuals who establish a pattern or practice of missing scheduled trips." CityLink has established the following points-based process to enforce its late cancellation and no show policy.

Points System

Based on the definitions in the Cancellations and No Shows section above, points are assessed for each occurrence of the following infractions:

1. Advanced Cancellation: 0 points - Thank you!
2. Same Day Cancellation: 0 points - If the trip is canceled more than 1 hour prior to scheduled pickup
3. Late Cancellation: 1 point - If canceled at least 30 minutes prior to scheduled trip
4. No Show: 1 point per trip. If a rider has 2 trips and fails to cancel any of the trips, they can accumulate 2 No Shows in a day.

It is important to note that trips missed by the individual for reasons out of his or her control are not assessed points and are not used as a basis for determining if a pattern or practice of No Shows or Late Cancellations exists.

Violations

No-Shows and Late Cancellations are recorded daily and accumulated each calendar month for purposes of enforcing the no show policy. CityLink reviews total points assessed during each calendar month and calculates penalties as follows:

• 6 points in a 30 day period: 1st Violation = Warning Letter
• 6 points in a 30 day period: 2nd Violation = 7 Day Suspension
• 6 points in a 30 day period: 3rd Violation = 14 Day Suspension
• 6 points in a 30 day period: 4th Violation and subsequent violations = 21 Day Suspension

To account for frequent ridership, penalties are not assessed if total No-Shows and Late Cancellations for the period are less than 10% of the rider's total trips.

Riders in violation of the Late Cancellation and No Show Policy will receive written notice of the violation including details of the pending suspension of service.

Suspension

Riders will be given 15 days from the date of the notice to appeal the decision (see Appeals process) or to arrange for alternative transportation options during the suspension. Following the suspension period, riders will automatically be cleared to resume service.

Subscription Services

Subscription service will not be automatically reinstated following a suspension.

Please call 325-676-6287 option 2 to re-apply for subscription service, which is not guaranteed.

Policy for Disputing Specific No-Shows or Late Cancellations

Riders wishing to dispute specific no-shows or late cancellations must do so within 15 business days of receiving suspension letters. Riders should contact the CityLink ADA Paratransit operations center at 325-676-6287 option 2, Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4 pm to explain the circumstance and request the removal of the no-show or late cancellation.

Process for Appealing Proposed Suspensions

All suspension appeals follow CityLink's appeal process:

1. Riders wishing to appeal suspensions under this policy have the right to file an appeal request which must be in writing by letter to:
   CityLink General Manager
   1189 S 2nd Street
   Abilene, TX 79602
   Email CityLink General Manager
   
2. Riders must submit written appeal requests within 15 business days of the date of suspension letter.
3. Riders who miss the appeal request deadline will be suspended from CityLink ADA Paratransit Service on the date indicated in the suspension notice.