Orange County NC Website
ORANGE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ADA PARATRANSIT PLAN <br /> <br />3 <br /> <br />ADA paratransit also requires a much higher level of service than is provided under EDTAP <br />in terms of response time, days and hours of service, and capacity constraints. For this <br />reason, it is generally recommended that locally operated transit systems treat these <br />programs as two (2) distinct services. While both services may be operated using the same <br />vehicles and drivers, certification processes and community outreach should clearly <br />differentiate between the programs to ensure that EDTAP registrants do not expect the <br />same level of service as ADA paratransit registrants. <br />Orange Public Transportation Background: <br />Orange Public Transportation (OPT) is a division of the Planning and Inspections <br />Department of Orange County government that operates fixed-route, demand-response, <br />contract, and subscription services throughout Orange County, North Carolina, for both <br />general public and human service transportation needs. OPT operates under the unofficial <br />name “Orange Bus.” <br />Orange Public Transportation’s (OPT’s) service area generally involves all areas of Orange <br />County excluding the Chapel Hill Transit service area located in the southeastern portion of <br />the county (Exhibit 1). The population of this service area is roughly 56,986 persons and <br />involves both rural outlying portions of the county and more urbanized areas located along <br />the I-40/I-85 and U.S. 70 corridors extending through the central part of the county. OPT <br />provides specialized demand-response, contract and subscription service to persons <br />deemed eligible for such services within this area. One of OPT’s fixed routes connects the <br />OPT service area to the Chapel Hill Transit service area and serves a small population of <br />those making trips within the Chapel Hill Transit service area. <br />In the spring of 2015, OPT will begin providing additional fixed-route and deviated fixed- <br />route services throughout Orange County that will expand the general public fixed-route or <br />deviated fixed-route service provided by a total of approximately 6,560 service/revenue <br />hours, a 234% increase in service/revenue hours over what is currently provided. Of these <br />additional service hours, 5,000 service hours will be purely general public fixed-route <br />service. When fixed-route service is provided, complementary paratransit service is <br />federally mandated by the ADA. This document shall serve as the plan for complying with <br />ADA paratransit requirements. <br />Description of Current Fixed-Route System: <br />Currently, OPT operates two (2) general public fixed routes. One such route is the <br />Hillsborough Circulator, which serves major origins and destinations in Hillsborough with <br />hourly headways during the hours 8:00am-12:00pm and 1:00pm-5:00pm, Monday through <br />Friday. This route is operated using one (1) wheelchair accessible vehicle (with an electric <br />wheelchair lift) that is 100% accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities. No fare is <br />collected for riding the Hillsborough Circulator service. The location of the Hillsborough <br />Circulator and its schedule and stop locations are provided in Exhibit 2. <br />11 <br />ReturntoAgenda