North County Transit District Application Guide for LIFT Paratransit
Thank you for inquiring about eligibility for North County Transit District’s (NCTD) LIFT Paratransit Service. NCTD provides multiple public transportation services for people with disabilities. Eligibility for these services is based on how the disability affects your functional ability to use NCTD’s fixed-route bus and rail service. All NCTD buses and trains are accessible for people with disabilities and include features such as low floors, level boarding, lifts/ramps, audio announcements, designated priority seating areas for people with disabilities, enhanced signage, kneeling buses, and hand rails.
NCTD provides a Reduced Fare Program for eligible seniors, people with disabilities and those on Medicare (S/D/M Program). This program provides discounted fares on NCTD’s fixed-route buses and rail service and is the primary program used by most customers with disabilities in the North County region. Eligible customers can travel on accessible buses and trains at a reduced fare on daily, monthly and 30-day passes. This program is available for people with disabilities who are functionally able to use the fixed-route bus and rail systems as their primary travel option. For more information on the S/D/M Program or to obtain an application, please visit:
· www.GoNCTD.com/reduced-fare-eligibility
· NCTD Customer Service at (760) 966-6500.
NCTD also provides LIFT Paratransit Service. If you are functionally unable to use the fixed-route bus and rail service, you may be eligible for LIFT. LIFT is a shared-ride paratransit service that is available to qualified applicants whose physical or cognitive limitations prevent them from utilizing NCTD’s regular fixed-route bus and rail service. You may request LIFT trips during the same hours of the day and days of the week within a ¾-mile zone of BREEZE fixed-route bus and SPRINTER rail service. LIFT travel time is comparable to the level of service and ride time provided on NCTD’s fixed-route bus and rail service.
Under 49 CFR §37.121 NCTD is mandated to provide paratransit to individuals with disabilities that is comparable to the level of service provided to individuals without disabilities who use the fixed-route bus or rail system. LIFT ELIGIBILITY IS NOT BASED ON AGE, MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS, A REVOKED DRIVERS LICENSE, FINANCIAL STATUS, OR BEING A U.S. MILITARY VETERAN. To be eligible for LIFT, you must have a disability (i.e., physical, mental and/or visual) that prevents you from using NCTD’s fixed-route bus or rail service. People with disabilities who can independently use NCTD’s fixed-route bus or rail service may not qualify for LIFT service.
NCTD uses an independent third-party contractor, ADARide, to provide eligibility determinations for potential LIFT customers. To qualify for LIFT, you must submit an application for NCTD LIFT Paratransit Service. After receipt and review of an application an in-person functional assessment will be scheduled at the NCTD Escondido Paratransit Assessment Center, located at the Escondido Transit Center in Escondido, CA. If you are unable to get to the in-person assessment with your own transportation, NCTD will provide a ride at no cost. Photo identification will be needed to verify your identity for the in-person assessment. The assessment itself is expected to last approximately one hour; however, you should anticipate the total time for the assessment and travel time to and from the assessment facility to be approximately 2 to 3 hours.
LIFT eligibility may be granted for up to 3 years. Customers desiring to continue LIFT service after the eligibility expiration date must reapply and complete the eligibility process prior to their eligibility expiration date in order to prevent a lapse in LIFT service.
You will be notified by mail regarding your eligibility determination within twenty-one (21) calendar days after your complete application has been submitted, OR after the functional assessment is completed. If a determination is not provided to you within 21 calendar days, you will be granted presumptive eligibility until a final determination has been made. If found to be eligible for LIFT service, you will receive a LIFT identification number and a Rider's Guide describing the LIFT service and booking process in more detail. If you are denied unconditional eligibility, you have the right to appeal. Your eligibility determination letter will have more details regarding the NCTD LIFT Appeals process.
For additional information or assistance, please contact NCTD at (760) 966-6500, or review the NCTD website at www.GoNCTD.com/lift.