General Information
San Francisco Paratransit is a van and taxi program for people unable to independently
use public transit because of a disability or disabling health condition. Since
1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has required
all public transit
agencies to provide paratransit services to qualified disabled people.
San Francisco
Municipal Railway (Muni) has provided paratransit services for more than 25 years.
Muni contracts with a “Paratransit Broker” to manage the service. The Paratransit
Broker contracts with van and taxi companies to provide transportation.
What Types of Paratransit Services are Provided in San Francisco?
We provide three main types of service:
ADA Access and Lift-Van
ADA Access (for ambulatory persons) and Lift-Van (for persons who
use wheelchairs), are pre-scheduled, ADA-compliant van services providing door-to-door
transportation. ADA Access and Lift-Van are both shared-ride services. You must
make reservations from one to seven days before the day of your trip, and service
is provided within one hour of your requested pick-up time. For additional information
on ADA Access and Lift-Van, see the Van & ADA Access Services section,
or download the Rider's Guide 2 (opens
in new window)(.pdf)
.
Taxi Services
Paratransit taxi is the general-public, curb-to-curb taxi service. This is not an
ADA service, but many riders find that it better meets their transportation needs.
Currently, due to budget constraints, taxi service is not available to most new
customers. Some exceptions are made for wheelchair users, those needing kidney dialysis,
and people over 80 years of age. For additional information on the taxi program,
please see the Taxi & Ramp Taxi Services
or download the Rider's Guide 3 (opens
in new window)(.pdf).
Group Van Service
Group Van is a pre-scheduled van service providing door-to-door transportation to
groups of ADAeligible riders attending agency programs such as Adult Day Health
Care, senior centers, or work sites.