The Utah Transit Authority strives to meet the needs of disabled residents by providing them with efficient, accessible transportation. This year, UTA’s Paratransit program marked 25 years of service to the community.

The Paratransit program began service on July 5, 1988, more than two years before the Americans with Disabilities Act required public transit agencies to become accessible to the disabled. The service enables people who meet disability requirements to schedule curb-to-curb public transportation service. Riders simply call UTA’s Paratransit office, schedule a ride and tell the scheduler when they need to arrive at their destination.

A UTA employee at a celebration for Paratransit's 25th anniversary

When the Paratransit program started, only 50 riders signed up for service. Within a single year, that number grew to include 263 riders and a total of 8,416 trips per month. Today there are more than 3,500 registered riders, 418,763 annual rides, and 3.2 million miles traveled.

UTA’s ADA Compliance Officer Sherry Repscher said the service helps disabled residents travel to appointments, run errands and visit family and friends. In a recent poll, 97 percent of riders surveyed said they were pleased with UTA’s Paratransit service.

“We hear a lot of stories about the independence that we offer to our riders,” Repscher said. “People are genuinely satisfied with the service that we’re providing.”

More information about UTA’s Paratransit service is available here.