Broward considers alternate transit for disabled

Disabled transit riders in Broward County could catch an Uber ride or a cab at public expense under a program commissioners are considering.

Following the lead of some other transit agencies in the country, Broward County would offer paratransit riders a choice. The riders could use the existing TOPS! (Transportation Options) shuttle service, which requires advance notice, sharing the ride with others, and sometimes long waits. Or they could call a cab, or tap a ride-booking app like Uber or Lyft.

The county would pick up $15 of the tab. With most paratransit rides five miles or fewer, $15 likely would cover the entire bill, county officials said.

Paratransit riders are those who meet income restrictions and who can’t ride mass transit, because of financial, physical or mental hardships. The program offers door-to-door rides to doctor’s appointments, school, shopping, social events and other “life-sustaining activities,’’ according to the county transportation division.

The service is required under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

Officials said Tuesday that each paratransit ride on average costs the county $29.64. Under what’s proposed, when a regular user of paratransit takes a subsidized cab or Uber vehicle instead, the cost per ride to the county would be halved, to $15 per ride.

Paratransit Director Paul Strobis suggested starting with a group of 150 paratransit riders, whowould be given a Visa credit card to swipe for rides. The passenger would pay any balance higher than $15, Strobis said.

The program still must come back to the County Commission for a vote, but at a transportation workshop Tuesday, commissioners expressed support.

“I think this is a great idea,’’ Commissioner Steve Geller said.

“It would be better for the end users. It would be less expensive for the county. I’m just concerned about how it would actually work.’’

Geller said he wondered how riders in wheelchairs would be accommodated; the vast majority of cabsand Uber or Lyft vehicles aren’t equipped to handle them.

And the majority of paratransit riders use wheelchairs.

Commissioner Michael Udine said drivers likely would fill the need for wheelchair accessible vehicles, if there’s the opportunity to make money.

Strobis said a disabled person’s civil right to a handicapped-equipped vehicle would be met by the official paratransit program. The private vehicle or taxi would be a choice that wouldn’t necessarily meet those needs.

“The program may not work for everybody,’’ Strobis said. “...We’re offering the customer a choice.’’

There are 32 wheelchair accessible cabs in the county, according to Lenny Vialpando, director of the county division that regulates taxis and companies like Uber.

But starting Feb. 1, Yellow Cab stopped paying its drivers extra to pick up disabled passengers, Yellow Cab President John Camillo said. Camillo said his business is down since transportation network companies like Uber entered the market. In a letter, he asked the county to consider subsidizing the rides.

The county spent $26.2 million a year on paratransit last budget year, and gave 758,825 rides.