Mobility

MTA Mobility/Paratransit Program

Mobility/Paratransit service is for citizens who are unable to use Local Bus, Metro/Subway or Light Rail service. Mobility/Paratransit service is provided by the MTA via contracts with Veolia Transportation, MV Transportation, and First Transit Inc. In addition to the information below, you can download and print the brochures below for more specific information about Mobility/Paratransit services

 What's PassWeb? Find out here!

• What is Mobility/Paratransit?

  Mobility/Paratransit is a specialized, door-to-door service for people with disabilities who are unable to ride or navigate fixed-route public transportation, including lift-equipped buses. Mobility/Paratransit service is provided within three-quarters (3/4) of a mile of any fixed-route service in Baltimore City and Baltimore & Anne Arundel counties. The term "fixed-route" refers to Local Bus, Light Rail or Metro Subway routes operated by the MTA. Mobility service is not offered within three-quarters (3/4) of a mile of Commuter Bus or MARC Train routes. Fare: The one-way cash fare on Mobility service is $1.85. For your convenience, pre-paid books of 20 Mobility tickets are sold for $37.00 at the MTA Transit Store located in the lobby of 6 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, MD, 21202. The tickets have no expiration date.

• How to Participate

  To participate in MTA's Mobility/Paratransit program, complete an application and contact the MTA Mobility Certification Office to schedule your in-person-interview. Please submit your application at that time. To begin the application process, you can download the Mobility Application Form from our forms webpage.  You can also obtain an application by calling 410-764-8181 or by visiting the Mobility Certification Office, 4201 Patterson Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21215. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

  This eligibility determination process follows guidelines set forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Eligibility is determined based on an individual's functional ability based upon an in-person interview. All areas of the application form must be completed. Only original documentation will be accepted. Please make sure the doctor’s portion of the application is filled out with your doctor’s original signature. The Certification Office will not accept any portions of mailed, faxed, or emailed versions of the application. If you require assistance in completing the form, please contact the MTA Mobility Certification Office at 410-764-8181.  An eligibility decision letter will be sent to you in the mail within 21 days of your interview date. If you meet the program's certification requirements, you will receive an identification card. You will be asked to display this card when you board a Mobility/Paratransit vehicle.

  Once you receive your identification card, you may schedule rides as described in the Reserving a Ride section of the website. It is important to notify the MTA if you have a new address, if you no longer require the use of a wheelchair, if you will not require the service for a period of time, etc. Such notification is vital to your status in the program.  Please mail any notification changes regarding your Mobility ridership to:

  Mobility Services
  CHANGE NOTIFICATION
  4201 Patterson Avenue, 2^nd Floor
  Baltimore, MD 21215

• Operating Hours

  Mobility/Paratransit service is provided during the hours and days of the week MTA fixed-route service (Local Bus, Metro Subway, Light Rail) operates. If you have questions about the service hours of specific routes, please consult the MTA website or call 410-764-8181. The Mobility/Paratransit service area consists of any Baltimore City, Baltimore County or Anne Arundel County location within three-quarters (3/4) of a mile of any MTA fixed-route service. We will be pleased to inform if your pick-up/drop-off locations fall within those parameters.

  Next Day or Future Reservations 6am - 7pm Monday -Friday
                                                  8am - 5pm Saturday - Sunday

  Late Line 6am-12am

• Reserving a Ride

  After you are certified, call 410-764-8181 to reserve a ride in the Mobility/Paratransit program. Be prepared to provide the following information:

  1. Your name as it appears on the Mobility/Paratransit application.
  2. Your complete pick-up and destination address, including zip code, name of building (if applicable) entrance location, cross street or nearest main street.
  3. The time you desire to arrive at your destination (keeping in mind that you must allow at least one-hour between pick-up and drop-off times) and the time you will be ready to be picked up for the return trip.
  4. Whether you have special requirements, such as a wheelchair, an oversized wheelchair, a scooter, whether you can transfer to a sedan or if you can only travel by van.
  5. If you plan to have a personal care attendant or traveling companion accompanying you, please see the section titled "Who May Ride with You."

  Mobility/Paratransit is a shared-ride service. Mobility/Paratransit reservation agents will make every attempt to accommodate your travel requests, but they must schedule the times that are available and fit the needs of the greatest number of people. Mobility/Paratransit is not a taxi service, and we are unable to accommodate the personal desires of each individual. We suggest keeping copies of these information requirements by your telephone. A checklist is included in the forms section. This information will assist us in furnishing the transportation you desire.

  When ride reservations are made, the number of rides you request per phone call is limited to six (6) one-way or three (3) round trips. You may call as often as you wish, but the number of rides per call must be limited. All reservations must be placed by 5:00 pm the day before your trip. Mobility does not provide same-day trip requests.

  Reservations can be made up to seven (7) days in advance. The reservation agent will be able to tell you which dates are available. To better ensure the time and date you desire, it is suggested you call as far in advance as possible. It is especially important to make holiday travel reservations several days in advance.

  Note: Due to the volume of calls, reservation agents cannot look-up addresses for you. You may request that the information on frequent destinations become a part of your permanent record.

• Who May Ride With You

  Due to space limitations, the number of people who may accompany you is limited to no more than two (2) persons. If you are pre-registered for a Personal Care Attendant (PCA), only that individual is allowed to ride free of charge; other individual(s) pay the full current one-way passenger trip price of $1.85. PCAs and companions must have the same pick-up and drop-off points as the individual they are accompanying. Anyone may be considered a PCA, including a child. A seat for your PCA and/or companion must be reserved when scheduling your trip.

  Children may be considered companions. As with the MTA's fixed-route service, a maximum of two (2) children under the age of six (6) may ride with you free of charge. Children over age (6) pay the full adult fare of $1.85.

• Cancellations/No Shows

  Failure to cancel a scheduled ride or to keep a transportation appointment could have a negative effect on the schedules of other riders by not allowing the MTA to schedule other riders in your place. Therefore, please follow these simple rules:

  1. Cancellations must be made as soon as possible before your scheduled pick-up. The MTA prefers a minimum of two-hours (2 hrs.) advanced notice. Early cancellations allow the MTA to schedule rides for other customers.
  2. When cancelling a ride, (or when making any arrangements with the MTA or contracted provider), please make every effort to obtain and record the name of the person you spoke with and the time of day when the conversation occurred. Such information will assist us in resolving problems if they occur.

• Pleasant Trip Tips

  Both the MTA and the contracted provider make every effort to provide you with efficient and dependable transportation. The objective of the Mobility/Paratransit service is to be comparable with fixed-route service. The following suggestions will help to make your trip successful:

  1. The assignment of ready (pickup) times is based upon your required appointment (arrival) time at a designated location, the distance traveled, the sharing of the ride with others, and vehicle availability. The farther the pickup location from the destination, the earlier the ready time. Such times are decided by a computerized scheduling system.
  2. Since this service is origin-to-destination, we recommend that you be ready to leave your location at least ten (10) minutes before your scheduled ready time. The vehicle will only wait five (5) minutes after your scheduled ready time. For example, if your vehicle arrives at 7:00 a.m., the driver will only wait until 7:05 a.m. If your ride arrives early, you are not obligated to board the vehicle before your scheduled time. However, you may do so if you wish.
  3. The driver has 30 minutes after your scheduled ready time to pick you up. For example, if your ready time is 7:00 a.m., the vehicle may arrive up to 7:30 a.m. until it is considered late. If the driver is not at your location within 30 minutes after your ready time, please call the MTA Mobility/Paratransit service at 410-764-8181.
  4. The driver can only assist you in boarding and exiting the vehicle. Drivers may not escort you into the building, and they may only remove packages from the vehicle. The "origin-to-destination" service is a requirement due to liability issues.
  5. Do not engage the driver in conversation while he/she is operating the vehicle. This is important for your safety as well as others.
  6. Do not verbally or physically abuse the driver. Any physical or verbal action you may take against the driver may affect your riding privilege.
  7. Keep a list of your needs (wheelchair, extra-wide wheelchair, scooter, service animal, extra seating space, etc.) by the phone, and make certain your special needs are discussed when you schedule a ride.
  8. Have your fare and the fare of your companion ready before the trip starts. The driver is required to collect fares before the trip departs. If you do not have the proper fare, the driver cannot transport you. You must have exact change; drivers do not carry change.
  9. Prior to departing your location, your seat belt and/or other restraints/tie-downs must be fastened. Make certain they are fastened so you feel secure.
  10. Eating, drinking, smoking or playing radios/cassette players without earphones is not permitted by Maryland law.
  11. Please notify the MTA of any changes in your status (if you will be in the hospital, if you are going on vacation, etc.). Such information allows the MTA to serve more customers.
  12. Contact the MTA as soon as possible when cancelling your ride. The MTA prefers a minimum of two-hours advance notice so other customers can be accommodated.

   

  Please limit the number of packages you take on the vehicle to two. Remember, Mobility/Paratransit is a shared-ride service, and excess packages will infringe upon other customers.

• Participation for Out-of-Town Visitors

  Baltimore is a great place to visit.  Visitors who are ADA Mobility/Paratransit eligible or who provide documentation of a disability that prevents them from using fixed route transit service where they live may use MTA Mobility service when visiting Baltimore, for up to 21 days per 365 day period. Call 410-764-8181, and listen for “Certification Options” to register a visitor.

  Documentation of visitor Mobility/Paratransit eligibility might include a copy of both sides of your home transit agency’s ID card issued to you, or a copy of the decision letter from your home transit agency declaring that you are ADA Paratransit eligible. This kind of documentation can be faxed to 410-764-7526 or emailed as an attachment to CERT@mta.maryland.gov.  Please send documentation as soon as you know you will need to travel using MTA Mobility during your visit. It is helpful for us to have it at least seven (7) days in advance of your anticipated trips.

  In order to provide service to you, we will need this information:

  1. Your name, birth date, home address, telephone, cell phone and business telephone.
  2. The address and telephone number for your primary pick up and drop off location here in Baltimore.
  3. Emergency contact (name and telephone) in Baltimore, if possible.
  4. Whether you will travel with a Personal Care Attendant (PCA), a companion, or both.
  5. If you use a service animal.
  6. If you use a can, walker, crutches, wheelchair, scooter, oxygen or other mobility devices.
  7. If your disability is visual, please tell us if you need the operator to call you by name when the vehicle arrives.

   If a visitor uses the service more than 21 days in a 365 day period, he or she will be asked to submit an application and complete the local MTA Mobility eligibility process.

  You will need your MTA Mobility ID number in order to reserve a ride on our system.  Please call us in advance, at 410-764-818, to obtain your number from the Certification department.

• Visiting Other Locations

  Even people from Charm City go on vacation and business trips. If you are an MTA Mobility customer who needs to use ADA Paratransit service in another city or location, we will be happy to assist you, when possible. Your MTA Mobility Paratransit eligibility entitles you to 21 days of use on any other ADA Paratransit service in the USA, each year.

  If you are moving to a new location, you will need to apply for eligibility in your new home.

  Plan well in advance. If you make contact with the transit agency in the area where you are going about 14-30 days ahead of your arrival, most agencies will have enough time to set up your file, and provide you with enough information to ride with them.

  To find an ADA Paratransit provider by searching online, try using the name of the city or country where you are going plus the phrase “transit accessible” or “paratransit.” For example, if you were headed to Hawaii, you might search for “Honolulu transit accessible.” Some transit programs have predictable names, but some have creative names. If you find the website of the transit provider, you may have to click through some menu items to find the paratransit program. Look for words like “access,” “accessibility,” “mobility,” “van,” or “lift.” If you still cannot find it, call the main contact number for the transit agency and ask.

  Call the paratransit program. Tell them when you will be visiting and that you need visitor eligibility. Ask them what information they will need to have to grant you your visitor eligibility. Usually they will need some written confirmation that you are ADA Paratransit eligible in your home town. This might be a photocopy of the latest ADA Paratransit eligibility determination letter from us. It might be a visitor eligibility confirmation sheet from us, MTA Mobility Certification, faxed or emailed to their staff. If so, be sure you get the correct fax number or email address.

  Ask us to send the information, if necessary. If you need MTA Mobility/Paratransit to fax or email visitor eligibility confirmation to another transit agency for your visit, please email us at CERT@mta.maryland.gov, fax us at 410-764-7526 or call us at 410-764-8181, “Certification” option . We will need to know your name, MTA Mobility ID number, the name of where you are going, how we should send the information (fax is most common), and the fax number or email address to use, and when you plan to arrive there. It may take us three (3) business days to send this for you. And it may take the other agency some time to process it.

  After you’ve asked us to send the information, call the other agency. You will need to confirm that they’ve received the information and set up your file. You should also ask the other agency a few important questions, such as:

   What is the fare for riding with you?

  • When is your deadline for reserving rides?
  • How do I reserve rides?
  • Do you serve the addresses where I will be visiting in your town (such as the airport, my hotel, the conference center, my relative’s home, etc.)?

  Some of this information may be online in a service guide or a rider’s guide, or at their website.

• Service Cancellations

  During severe weather, such as ice and snow, Mobility/Paratransit service may be delayed or canceled. We make every attempt to operate as long as local law enforcement and/or traffic agencies permit us to remain on the streets. During such emergencies, we will provide service for medical trips only. All other trips will be canceled.

  During emergency conditions, Mobility/Paratransit service status is announced on local radio and television stations including:

  WBAL-AM Radio-1090
  WWIN-AM Radio-1400
  92 Q FM-Radio
  95.9 FM Radio
  WBAL-TV - Channel 11
  WBFF-TV - Channel 45
  WJZ-TV - Channel 13
  WMAR-TV - Channel 2

• MTA Call-a-Ride Service or C.A.R. Service
  

  The MTA Call-a-Ride Service is an on-demand, premium taxi/sedan service that provides increased independence for people with disabilities.  The MTA Call-a-Ride Service is available to MTA-certified Mobility/Paratransit customers who meet the eligibility requirements. MTA Call-a-Ride Service is not part of MTA Mobility Service, but rather a separate and distinct MTA service provided under contract by participating area taxicab and sedan companies. MTA Mobility does not guarantee the availability of a particular type of vehicle or pick-up time. Customers deal directly with the taxi and sedan companies

  Eligibility for the MTA Call-a-Ride Service
  

  • Applicants and current participants must be certified for MTA Mobility Service. (whoops – please include 13yo phrase)
  • All applicants must be capable of boarding, riding, and exiting vehicles either independently or with the assistance of a companion. Drivers will assist with the stowing of mobility devices. A very limited number of wheelchair accessible taxis and sedans are available to eligible individuals with mobility impairments who use motorized or non-folding wheelchairs.

  How does MTA Call-a-Ride ServiceWork?

  • Contact one of the participating cab/sedan companies. Identify yourself as an MTA Call-a-Ride patron, and give your card number.
  • Let the dispatcher know the time and place you wish to be picked up, as well as your destination.
  • Up to three (3) companions may travel with you, but all of you must start and end the ride at the same location.

  Once your vehicle arrives:

  • When you get into the vehicle, present your Call-a-Ride card to the driver. The driver will use it to electronically verify your eligibility.
  • Pay the $3.00 fare to the driver.
  • Upon reaching your destination, if the meter reads over $20.00, you will pay the driver the amount over $20.00.
  • At your destination, the driver will use your card again to electronically record the payment and create a paper receipt for you.
  • Your card will be returned to you along with a receipt that you must sign to validate the trip. Customers are required to keep receipts for six months. If you cannot sign a receipt, contact MJM Customer Service to notify them of the trip within 24 hours of the trip’s end.
    

  Where can you use your MTA Call-a-Ride Card?

  When using Call-a-Ride, travel must begin and end within the established MTA Mobility/Paratransit service area, which is within ¾ mile of fixed-route Local Bus, Light Rail or Metro Subway service. You are responsible for the entire cost of a trip that starts or ends outside the MTA Mobility/Paratransit service area. You also are responsible for the difference between the final meter reading and $20.00 in addition to your $3.00 fare.

  Fare

  Customers pay $3.00 cash for each one-way ride with a meter reading of $20.00 or less. If the final meter reading is over $20.00 the customer pays the difference, in addition to the $2.00 basic Taxi Access II fare.

  There may be an occasional $1.00 or $2.00 charge, authorized by the Public Service Commission, for Baltimore City cabs going outside the city or for special dispatch fees. These fees will not affect you unless they cause your total fare to exceed $20.00. If they do, you are responsible for the amount over $20.00. For more information, please call MJM Taxi Access II Customer Service 410-664-2030.

  MTA MTA Call-a-RideService Rules

  • Never schedule rides directly with drivers.
  • You must present the Call-a-Ride card to the driver at the start of the trip.
  • You cannot have a driver wait for you on any Call-a-Ride trip.
  • You can only travel in the established MTA Mobility/Paratransit service area.
  • If you start or end a trip outside of the service area, the trip is not a qualified trip and you must pay the entire fare for that trip. Please call MJM Innovations for service area information.

• MTA Travel Training
  

  Travel training is an easy-to-learn, step-by-step, individually customized process designed to help persons with disabilities and older adults to use MTA fixed-route Local Bus, Metro Subway and Light Rail. When travel training is completed, you’ll be able to get to medical appointments, go on shopping trips, visit family and friends and enjoy the freedom of traveling using all the transportation options available to you.

  Travel training is free, voluntary, and does not affect your current or future eligibility to use Mobility services. Travel training is tailored to meet your individual needs and concerns.

  Travel Training Specialists with Your Needs in Mind

  Travel trainers customize training to your individual needs. Once you’ve finished training, you’ll know how to:

  • Plan your travel using the best route
  • Read and understand route maps and schedules
  • Get to and from bus stops
  • Travel safely
  • Use fixed route accessibility equipment
  • Pay fares and purchase passes
  • Manage your mobility equipment
  • Transfer to other buses and modes of travel
  • Identify landmarks, stations and stops

  Travel training is also available to small groups from group homes, retirement communities, schools or other facilities.

  Call 443-275-9393 or email Info@ImageMD.org to get started with Travel Training.

• Interested in Advising MTA About Important Issues?

  The Citizens Advisory Committee for Accessible Transportation (CACAT) is an advisory body, mandated by federal ADA requirements, that meets on the third Thursday of every month except August and December. Meetings take place in the 5th Floor Conference Room at 6 St. Paul Street in Baltimore. CACAT advises MTA about programs and services, both paratransit and fixed-route, affecting individuals with disabilities using MTA modes of transportation. Members of CACAT are respected as an integral part of the ongoing service improvement process. For more information, visit our website at http://mta.maryland.gov/cacat.

• MTA Mobilty Brochures
  

  We have all our Mobility Brochures in both downloadable PDF and HTML format. Please visit our Brochures & Publications page for a list of all available Mobility brochures.