TheRide’s New Paratransit Vendor Begins Providing Services

Beginning May 1, RideCorp, a subsidiary of Blue Cab Inc., will begin providing paratransit services for the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) A-Ride and GoldRide customers.

TheRide currently contracts to deliver A-Ride (ADA Paratransit) and GoldRide (senior service); its largest service contract.  These services are important to the community with 131,215 trips delivered in FY 2014 and 122,500 in FY 2013.  Since the Five-Year Transit Improvement Program began implementation in August, 2014, A-Ride service has seen expanded service hours during weekdays and Saturday evenings; as well as an expanded service area south of Ford Lake (including the Ypsilanti District Library, Kroger, and the Ypsilanti Township Civic Center).

Beginning May 1, A-Ride and GoldRide services will include the following:

• The 734-973-1611 reservation phone number will remain the same.
• Reservations for both lift-van and sedan trips will continue to be taken from 1 – 7 days in advance.
• The advance reservations phone line will be open an additional hour on weekdays; operating between 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• The advance reservations phone line will continue to be open on weekends between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• TheRide staff will answer calls for advance reservations for both lift-van and sedan trips.
• As required by the ADA, customers will still be able to negotiate their trip time within one hour on either side of their original requested time.
• On holidays, the service provider’s staff will answer calls and schedule trips for the day immediately following a holiday.
• TheRide staff will take customer compliments, concerns and complaints.
• TheRide staff will operate lift-van services.
• Same-day requests will continue to be taken weekdays between 6:15 a.m. to 10:15 p.m., and weekends between 7:15 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• The service provider’s staff will answer same-day sedan and will-call trip requests.
• The service provider’s staff will operate sedan services.
• Sedans will be painted white and will feature the A-Ride logo for easy identification.
• TheRide lift-buses will feature the A-Ride logo for easy identification.
• Fares for advance reserved trips will continue to be $3.
• Fares for same-day trips will continue to be $4.
• A-Ride and GoldRide customers will continue to be able to use our HolidayRide service for half fare.
• The A-Ride and GoldRide services will continue to be a shared-ride service.

Beginning Aug. 23, TheRide will be implementing more A-Ride service improvements, including extending services until 10:45 p.m. on Saturdays, and until 7:45 p.m. on Sundays.  As services continue to be increased, TheRide will receive matching state and federal funding in addition to local millage funds that cover the cost of the current, improved and expanded services.