Buses Feature:
- The capability to "kneel," or tilt themselves closer to the curb
- Ramps that fold out to make a bridge between the bus and the curb
- Areas where mobility devices can be secured
- Priority seating areas
Steps for Riding the Bus when Disabled
- Wait for the bus an official NICE bus stop. Please arrive about 5 minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.
- The bus driver will pull close to the curb. When the doors of the bus open at each stop, a recording will announce the route number and destination of the bus.
- Get on board. You can ask the bus driver to "kneel" or tilt the bus. If you would like to use a ramp to help you get on board, ask the bus driver to put down the ramp for you.
- Pay your fare. As a disabled rider, you may qualify for reduced or free fares. Visit the MTA's Reduced-Fares page here for more details.
- If you are not seated in a mobility device, take a seat in the priority seating area in the front of the bus. For more information on priority seating, read the section about it below.
- If you are seated in a mobility device, the bus driver will strap your mobility device to the walls to prevent it from moving when the bus is in motion. Seats in the front of the bus behind the driver will fold up to make room for this strap-in area. The bus driver will assist you before other passengers can get on board.
- You may wish to tell the driver your destination so you can be sure to get to where you're going without any problems. An automated recording will announce stops and transfer points.
- As the bus is approaching your desired stop, pull on the pull cord.
- Exit the bus. The bus driver will pull close to the curb. Just as when you got on board, the bus driver will "kneel" or tilt the bus and will put down the ramp for you if necessary. If you need help getting out of the bus, please let the bus driver know.
Priority Seating Areas
NICE buses contain an area near the front of the vehicle that is marked as priority seating for senior citizens, pregnant women, and disabled riders. If you are one of these types of riders, you have priority over other passengers to sit in this area.
If all the seats in the priority seating area are taken, ask a non-disabled passenger to offer you a seat or ask the bus driver to make the request for you. Keep in mind, however, that bus drivers can only ask a non-disabled passenger to move from a seat. They cannot force anyone to give up a seat. The reason for this policy is because a passenger may actually have a disability that's not visible, and asking anyone to prove a disability would violate their privacy.
NICE asks that any of our passengers who are not disabled, especially those in a priority seating area, to please be courteous and offer their seat to a disabled rider who might need it.
Service Animals
No pets are allowed on our vehicles, only service animals. The term “service animal” is defined as “Any guide animal, signal animal, or other animal individually trained to work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to, guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals with impaired hearing to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items.”
Features on Vehicles for Specific Types of Disabled Riders
- On buses, the capability to “kneel,” or tilt the bus closer to the curb
- On buses, ramps that fold out to make a bridge between the bus and the curb
- Priority seating areas
Features for the visually impaired
- Automatic announcements of bus stops
- Permission to bring service animals on board
NICE Bus/Able-Ride Reasonable Modification/Accommodation Policy
The Federal Department of Transportation (DOT) has recently revised the rules for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The revised rules provide for public transit organizations to make reasonable modifications and accommodations to policies, practices, and procedures to avoid discrimination, and to ensure accessibility to individuals with disabilities.
Effective July 13, 2015, transit providers are required under 49 CFR 37.5(i)(3) to make reasonable modifications in policies, practices, or procedures when the modifications are necessary to avoid discrimination on the basis of disability or to provide program accessibility to their services. The process to be used in considering requests for reasonable modifications is described in 49 CFR 37.169.
-Information on the reasonable modification process must be readily available to the public, and must be accessible.
Individuals with disabilities may request that NICE Bus/Able-Ride make a reasonable accommodation in order for that individual to fully use transit services. All requests should be made in advance by filling out and submitting a Reasonable Accommodation Request form to NICE Bus/Able-Ride. Please see information below to obtain and file a request.
NICE Bus/Able-Ride will accommodate requests provided that:
Basic process requirements that must be met are:
-Advance notice can be required, with flexibility exercised to handle requests that are practical on the spot.
-Individuals requesting modifications are not required to use the term “reasonable modification”
Procedure
Passengers can request reasonable modifications for all modes (fixed route, general public demand response, and ADA paratransit). Passengers making requests are not required to use the term “reasonable modification.”
Requests should be made at least the day before but NICE/Able Ride will be flexible in the case of on the spot requests. The Safety Director and or Operational Supervisor will review all requests and provide the determination. For on-the-spot requests, the driver should contact reservations or dispatch. Documentation will be maintained regarding the request and the resulting action taken.
To discuss a reasonable modification call Able-Ride: (516)228.4000 TTY(516)228.4002 or 711 Please remember that your Safety is our main concern.
There are several ways to obtain and submit a Reasonable Modification/Accommodation request form. Download the form here (PDF).
To request a Reasonable Modification/Accommodation in Spanish, Download en Espanol form here (PDF)
To request a Reasonable Modification/Accommodation in another language, please contact Latoya Pippins at latoya.pippins@transdev.com or call 516-296-4157.
Send an email to our reasonable requests coordinator at latoya.pippins@transdev.com or call 516.296.4157.
- Fundamental nature of the service, program or activity is not altered, or
- It does not cause a direct threat to the health or safety of others, or
- It does not result in an undue financial and administrative burden, or
- The requestor would not be able to fully use the service provided by NICE Bus/Able-Ride without the modification
ADA Complaint Procedure & Form
Any person who believes that he/she has been discriminated against or denied full participation in transportation on the basis of disability by NICE Bus may file an ADA complaint.
ADA complaints may be submitted to the ADA Complaint Officer as follows:
By Mail:
Latoya Pippins
ADA Complaint Officer
NICE Bus / Able-Ride
700 Commercial Ave
Garden City, NY 11530
By E-mail:
latoya.pippins@transdev.com
By Phone:
516.296.4157
NICE Bus investigates all ADA complaints received within 90 days of the alleged incident. ADA complaints may be submitted to NICE Bus via completed online ADA Complaint Form, e-mail, phone, or US mail. The online complaint form can be accessed via the link provided below, or you may contact NICE Bus at (516)296.4157 and request that a copy be mailed to you. Forms should be submitted to the attention of the ADA Complaint Officer at the address listed above.
Upon receipt of an ADA complaint, NICE Bus will review the submitted information and send the complainant an acknowledgement letter informing them whether or not the complaint will be investigated as an ADA complaint.
NICE Bus may require up to 30 calendar days to investigate a complaint. If additional information is required in order to resolve the complaint, NICE Bus may contact the complainant. The complainant will have 10 business days from the date of the letter to submit the requested information to the NICE Bus official investigating the complaint. If the NICE Bus investigator is not contacted by the complainant or does not receive the additional information within 10 business days, NICE Bus has the right to administratively close the case. A case can also be administratively closed if the complainant no longer wishes to pursue their case.
Once the investigator has reviewed a complaint, they will issue one of two letters to the complainant: 1) a closure letter or 2) a letter of finding (LOF). A closure letter summarizes the allegations stating that no ADA violation occurred and that the case will be closed. A LOF summarizes the allegations and the interviews concerning the alleged incident, and explains what, if any, corrective action, additional training of staff members, or other action will occur. If the complainant wishes to appeal NICE Bus decision, they will have 10 business days from the date of the letter to do so.
All ADA hard copies of complaints will be kept on file for at least one year. List of all ADA complaints will be kept on file for 5 years.
Complaints may also be filed directly with the Federal Transit Administration at:
Federal Transit Administration Headquarters
Complaint Team
1200 New Jersey Avenue S. E.
Washington D.C. 20590
202-366-4043
Click here for a printable version of the ADA Complaint Form
Haga clic aquí for Derechos Civiles (Título VI) Procedimiento de Quejas para el Público en Español
Note: Complaints must include contact information.
No one may intimidate, threaten, coerce, or engage in other discriminatory conduct against anyone because he or she has filed a complaint to secure rights protected by the nondiscrimination statutes NICE Bus enforces. Any individual alleging such harassment or intimidation may file a complaint with NICE Bus and/or the Federal Transit Administration and an investigation will be conducted.