Passenger Eligibility

ADA certified passengers, seniors (age 65 years old and older), Medicare card holders and persons with disabilities may travel anywhere within the City of Delano and the unincorporated county areas.

General public riders may only ride when traveling outside the 3/4 of a mile of Delano Area Rapid Transit (DART) fixed routes within the City limits or anywhere in unincorporated County areas.

ADA Certification

Passengers that believe that they may be eligible for ADA certification may request an application by calling (661) 721-3333. Once the application has been filled out, return the application to City of Delano, Transportation Services Department, 1120 Glenwood Street, Delano, CA 93215. The application will be reviewed by the Transportation Services Manager. You will be notified within 21 days of your eligibility. Conditional eligibility may be granted on a case-by-case basis.

ADA certification is for passengers who are unable to ride Delano Area Rapid Transit (DART) fixed route buses or access a Delano Area Rapid Transit (DART) fixed route buses bus stop due to their disability.  Persons with ADA certification receive priority on all reservations on Delano Area Dial-A-Ride.

Type of Service

Delano Area Dial-A-Ride is a door-to-door service. Passengers will not be assisted inside their home or building. Passengers needing mobility assistance must provide their own Personal Care Attendant (PCA). Bus operators may only assist passengers to the door of a home, building or entrance of a facility as long as they are within the line of sight of their vehicle. Delano Area Dial-A-Ride vehicles cannot be left unattended.

ADA Certified Passenger Priority

ADA passengers are given first priority over all other trips. ADA eligibility is determined by completing an ADA application form. Every attempt must be made to accommodate ADA passengers no matter what the trip purpose is.

Service Area

ADA certified passengers, seniors (age 65 years old and older), Medicare card holders and persons with disabilities may travel anywhere within the City of Delano and the unincorporated county areas.

General public riders may only ride when traveling outside the 3/4 of a mile of Delano Area Rapid Transit (DART) fixed routes within the City limits or anywhere in unincorporated County areas. The boundaries for this service include County Line Road to the north, Kyte Avenue to the east, Pond Road to the south and State Route 43 to the west. 

Service is also provided to businesses at the northwest corner of County Line Road and Girard Street in Tulare County.

Service Area Map

Transfers to Other Transit Operators

Delano Area Dial-A-Ride can make transfers to:

Passengers can coordinate transfer trips when making a reservation through Delano Area Dial-A-Ride. Passengers are responsible for paying fares of the system that they are transferring to.  There may be a layover when transferring between Delano Area Dial-A-Ride and other regional transit operators.

Fares
Effective
November 1, 2007

Fares are paid for each one-way trip. Bus operators only accept cash. Passengers must pay exact fare and no change is given. Bus operators do not take fares for round trips.  Passengers who repeatedly do not pay the fare may be subject to suspension of service that may range from 30 days to 1 year, depending on the severity. Fares are subject to change.

Service Hours

Monday though Friday: 6:30 am to 5:26 pm.
Saturday: 8:57 am to 4:40 pm.

No Sunday or service on New Years Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day. Saturday service is operated on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Cesar Chavez Day, Veterans Day, Day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.

10-Ride CityPasses

10-Ride CityPasses for Delano Area Dial-A-Ride are on sale at Delano City Hall, 1015 11^th Avenue, Delano, CA 93215, Delano Municipal Airport, 1212 Airport Drive, Delano, CA 93215 or Delano Station, 1120 Glenwood Street, Delano, CA 93215. 

10-Ride CityPasses can be purchased through the mail, by mailing a check or money order (payable to the City of Delano) and the 10-Ride CityPass requested to: Delano Area Rapid Transit – City of Delano, 1120 Glenwood Street, Delano, CA 93215.

Delano Area Dial-A-Ride 10-Ride CityPass Prices – Effective November 1, 2007

Prices are subject to change.

Reservations and Scheduling a Trip

Please have the following information ready when you call:

·               Date and time for pick-up or appointment

·               Time for return pick-up

·               Complete street address, including apartment or suite number

·               Telephone number of destination

·               Whether you will travel with a Personal Care Attendant (PCA) and/or a companion

Immediate Response

Same day service is available on a space available basis.  Please call at least one hour in advance for same day trips.

Advance Scheduling

Passengers may schedule a trip 1 to 7 days in advance. Certain hours of the day on weekdays may already be heavily booked, so the dispatcher may suggest a substitute time. We recommend flexibility if your trip does not require a specific time. Reservations are required for all trips.

Canceling a Trip/Late Cancels

Canceling a trip without notice deprives others a trip. Passengers are asked to cancel as soon as possible. You may cancel anytime during the reservations hours or call after hours to leave a cancellation message, be sure to leave your name, address and the scheduled date & time of the trip that you are canceling. If you cancel within two hours of your scheduled trip, you are a Late Cancellation. Passengers who receive five (5) late cancels within a 90-day period will be suspended for seven (7) days. Passengers who make more than five late cancels on a continuous basis may be suspended from service for up to one year.

No Shows

If you do not present yourself when the bus arrives (within the five (5) minute wait time) or if you cancel your trip after the bus has arrived, you are a no-show. This deprives others a trip and wastes the time of passengers already on the bus. Passengers who receive three (3) no-shows within a 30-day period will be suspended for 14 days. Passengers who make more than three no-shows on a continuous basis may be suspended from service for up to one year.

Trip Changes

ADA certified passengers may change an existing trip during reservation hours on the day before travel. Same day ADA certified passenger changes will only be made on a space available basis.

Mobility Training

Delano Area Rapid Transit (DART) offers Mobility Training for passengers who would like to learn how to ride a fixed route bus. Training includes visiting a bus stop, riding a bus, reading transit schedules and materials and identifying bus stop locations and where the route travels. The service is free and upon successful completion of the program, the passenger will receive a 10-Ride Ticket Book for use on Delano Area Rapid Transit (DART) fixed route buses. For more information, please contact the Transportation Services Manager at (661) 721-2602 or send an E-Mail.

Five (5) Minute Wait Time

The bus will wait five (5) minutes maximum upon arrival for a pickup. The bus operator will attempt to locate you and will notify dispatch. The bus operator will not search the interior of your home, a business or medical facility. Passengers must be conspicuously located at the pickup location. The wait time will not take effect before the Be Ready Window. If the bus is late it will wait five (5) minutes maximum.

Be Ready Window

Delano Area Dial-A-Ride is a shared ride service, so we remind you, the passenger to be ready 15 minutes before or after your scheduled pickup time that the dispatcher told you. This applies to return trips as well. The bus is considered on time when it arrives within the Be Ready Window.

Mobility
Devices

Passengers that need a mobility aid to travel must notify dispatch when scheduling a trip. Passengers using a wheelchair or scooter will be secured to their chairs. The wheelchair or scooter must have locking brakes or motors. Passengers using a scooter may be asked to transfer to a seat on the bus. All mobility aids must be able to fit within the allocated space, have working brakes and cannot exceed 600 pounds (total passenger and mobility aid). If the mobility aid cannot fit the lift platform, the passenger will not be able to ride. Mobility devices with leaking batteries or fluids, faulty brakes, flat or bent wheels will not be allowed to ride.

Subscription Service

Subscription service refers to regular, repetitive trips. Subscription trips may take up to 50% of the overall service capacity. Reservations for subscription service can be made by calling (661) 721-3333 during reservation hours. Should there not be any space for subscription service; passengers will be placed on a waiting list. Passengers must notify dispatch of any exception to their ongoing subscription service. Passengers who repeatedly no show (more three (3) times) may be subject to suspension of service of up to one year depending on the severity and permanently lose their subscription service.  All new subscription riders must fill out an application.

Bicycles

Due to space limitations, bicycles are not allowed on Delano Area Dial-A-Ride.  In the future, all Delano Area Dial-A-Ride buses will have bicycle racks installed to accommodate up to two (2) bicycles on the front of the bus.

Service to Schools

Because Delano Area Dial-A-Ride is not certified as a General Public Paratransit Vehicle operation, Delano Area Dial-A-Ride is unable to drop off or pick up on school property.  Passengers traveling to schools will be dropped off or picked up at a bus stop located near the school on the public street.

Personal Care Attendants & Physical Barriers

Some passengers are unable to get around without the help of another person. Delano Area Dial-A-Ride bus operators will assist passengers from their door to the door of their destination. Bus operators will not assist the passenger inside a home or building. Bus operators are not permitted to help riders using a wheelchair up stairs, over curbs or over any other physical barrier. Passengers who need assistance to get in or out of buildings, up stairs; elevators or other obstacles must provide their own Personal Care Attendant (PCA). The bus operator at his/her discretion may determine that a rider requires assistance beyond what the passenger is able to provide. If this determination is made, all future trips will require the passenger use the services of a PCA. The PCA rides free. However, the PCA must travel with the passenger from the start to the end of the trip.

Companions

Companions that ride with ADA certified passengers must pay the same fare as the passenger that they are traveling with. Companions are carried on a space available basis. Passengers must notify the dispatcher when making a reservation that a companion will be riding along.

Child Safety Seats

All children under the age of six (6) or less than 60 pounds are required by State law, to travel in a child safety or booster seat provided by the parent or guardian as. An adult attendant at least 16 years old or older must accompany all children. Delano Area Dial-A-Ride does not provide child safety seats.

Seat Belts

Passengers are encouraged to wear seatbelts when riding in Delano Area Dial-A-Ride vehicles and remain seated while the bus is in motion.

Service Animals

Service animals are welcome at all times. Please advise the dispatcher when making your reservation that you will be bringing a service animal.

Passenger Baggage

Passengers are advised to limit their carry-on bags or packages to five (5). Each package must be no heavier than 25 pounds.

Bus Operator Assistance

Bus operators may not physically assist a passenger without first asking permission. If a passenger appears to need assistance or guidance into or out of a vehicle, the bus operator will ask the rider for permission to touch his or her arm or hand for assistance. Passenger must give active permission before being touched by a bus operator. If the passenger is not capable of giving the person permission, a PCA must ride with that passenger.

On Board Rules

Passengers may eat or drink on board, provided that they do not spill or make a mess inside the bus. No smoking, loud or profane language, loud electronic devices, flammable or hazardous materials (except oxygen), weapons, refuse, vandalism, graffiti or littering on the buses. Shoes and shirts must be worn in order to ride buses.

Passenger Personal Hygiene

Passengers who cannot regularly contain their bodily fluids are asked not to use Delano Area Dial-A-Ride until they can insure that they contain their fluids. Passengers who accidentally lose bodily fluids will not have to clean up the fluids, as Delano Area Dial-A-Ride bus operators will take care of the clean up. However, the passenger will be given the waste to dispose of properly. Delano Area Dial-A-Ride is not responsible for disposing of medical wastes and bodily fluids.  Passengers that do not smell in a pleasant manner may be asked to leave or may not be allowed to board the bus to ensure the safety and welfare for the other riders.

Passenger Weight Limit

If a passenger uses a wheelchair or scooter, the combined weight of the mobility device and the rider may not exceed 600 pounds.

Comments

Comment cards are available on board all vehicles. We look forward to hearing from you. You may also submit comments in person, via mail, telephone, email or fax to: John Andoh, Transportation Services Manager, City of Delano, 1120 Glenwood Street, Delano, CA 93215, Call to: (661) 721-2602, FAX to: (661) 721-2590 or send an E-Mail.

Bus Operator Tips and Gifts

Bus operators are not allowed to accept tips or gifts. Your verbal or written thanks are always appreciated by contacting the City of Delano Transportation Services Manager by calling (661) 721-2602 or send an E-Mail.

Appeals for Late Cancels, No-Shows, Fare Evasion and ADA Certification

An appeal can be heard if a passenger has been notified that their service that has been suspended due to late cancels, fare evasion or no-shows. An appeal can also be heard for passengers who were denied ADA certification. Appeals must be in writing or by telephone if a disability prevents a written appeal and sent to the Transit Services Manager at the address above. The appeal will be reviewed by the City of Delano Transportation Services Manager and the City of Delano Assistant City Manager. All decisions made by the City of Delano Transportation Services Manager and Assistant City Manager are final.

Appeal forms can be requested from the Transportation Services Manager by calling (661) 721-2602 or send an E-Mail