DART.org - DART Rides - Rider Assistance Program

ADDITIONAL LINKS

Do you need to check your balance or load value on your Transportation Debit Card? Click here to login.

DART Rides is a rider assistance program for registered residents of qualified cities or ZIP codes who are age 65 or over OR have a certified disability. Enrollment is required.

Areas served include:

Dallas
Carrollton
Plano
Rowlett
Addison - 75001 ZIP code
Farmers Branch - 75006 and 75234 ZIP codes
Irving - 75060, 75061, 75062, 75038 and 75039 ZIP codes

Eligibility

Medical certificate or state or federal disability identifications required for proof of disability.

Qualified disabilities are as follows:

Certified legally blind (Those who are legally blind, whose visual acuity in the better eye, after correction, is 20/200 or worse or visual field is contracted.)
Certified deaf or profound hard of hearing (Total deafness, persons whose hearing loss is 70 dba or greater in the 1000 and 2000 Hz ranges.)
Certified to be Non-ambulatory (Manual Wheelchair, Sport Wheelchair, Power Wheelchair)
Certified to be semi-ambulatory - uses mechanical aid (Cane, Crutches, Walker, Leg Brace)
Physical disability (Hemo-dialysis, Heart Disease, Portable Oxygen, Portable Respiratory Unit, Amputation of an extremity)
Certified for at least 50% VA disability (Service Connected)
Certified for Social Security Disability Income (SSDI, SSI, Award Letter)
Certified as intellectual disability / intellectually disabled (Intellectual Disability)
Certified as having a seizure disorder (Seizure Disorder)
Certified as having a Mental Illness (Schizophrenia, PTSD, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder)

The program serves registered residents of qualified cities or zip codes who are senior citizens age 65+ and/or persons with disabilities. Persons interested in applying for the service should complete an application to determine eligibility. Return completed applications to: DART - DART Rides, P.O. Box 660163, Dallas, TX 75266-7271.

Click here to enroll online
Click here to print an application
Printed applications and documentation should be mailed to:

DART - DART Rides
P.O Box 660163
Dallas, TX 75266-7271

Or call DART's Certification Office at 214-828-6717.

Qualifications

To be eligible for the program (proof of eligiblity is required):

Age 65 or older OR have a certified disability, but not eligible for DART Paratransit Services.
Permanent resident of a qualified city or zip code. You must present proof of residency, such as a government ID, a recent utility bill or other documentation verifying residency.
No other means of transportation available to you. For example: DART Paratransit Services.

Service Area

The program is intended for travel in the DART service area. You may travel anywhere and for any purpose within the DART service area. Remember that long trips may be costly and will reduce the number of trips you can make in a month. The maximum value that can be stored on your card is $100 in any month. Riders must use alternate means to pay the cost for any trip where the total cost exceeds the value stored on the card.

Service Hours

The program operates during the same hours as DART Paratransit, fixed-route bus, and rail service which is approximately 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week.

Scheduling Trips

To schedule a ride, you may advance schedule and/or call up to an hour ahead of time that you wish to be picked up, but be advised that the vehicle usually arrives within 20-30 minutes of your call.

Vehicles

A variety of vehicles will operate the program. Not all vehicles are wheelchair accessible, accessible service must be requested at the time of scheduling.

Assistance

You must be able to get yourself and any equipment you require into and out of the vehicle without any assistance.

Fares

Fares are to be paid using the program debit card. Program debit cards may not be used for tipping. If the total fare is more than what is available on the program debit card, it is the riders' responsibility to pay the difference. $2.25 is the boarding fee plus $1.80 per mile. An estimated trip cost can be given at the time of booking. Drivers will accept cash or credit/debit card.

Guests and Personal Care Attendants

There is an additional $2 fee for each additional passenger or personal care attendant that is riding with you. Guest fares cannot be paid with the program debit card, they must be paid separately to the driver. Drivers will accept cash or credit/debit card.

Program Debit Card

Once approved for the program, you will be issued a reloadable program debit card. Value may be added in $5 increments up to $25 per calendar month. Up to $100 of debit value per month, can be purchased at a cost of $25 to the rider. The rider is required to provide 25% of the card balance. The table below demonstrates how rider payments translate into the actual value on the card.

You Pay	Funds Received	Total Card Value
$5	$15	$20
$10	$30	$40
$15	$45	$60
$20	$60	$80
$25	$75	$100

The value stored on the debit card may not exceed $100 at any time, and it may only be used for program rides. Value can be loaded onto debit cards by going to DART.org/rides with a credit or debit card, or by check or money order when mailed to DART - DART Rides, P.O. Box 840736, Dallas, TX 75284-0736. Please allow 7-10 days to process mailed in payments. Payments may be made in increments of $5 throughout the month, but cannot exceed $25 in any one month. Once value is loaded onto the program debit card, the money cannot be refunded. Any remaining funds on the card will roll over to the next month for use and may not exceed $100 at any time.

Once received, click here to register your card. By registering, riders will be able to check card balance at any time and recover the value in the event a card is lost or stolen. You may also check your balance at any time by calling 1-877-900-7604, option 1 or visit DART.org/rides.

Personal Fund Feature

There is a personal fund feature available on the program debit card. This allows you to load personal monies onto your program debit card that do not include a funding match. This may be a need if you are exceeding the maximum balance of $100 in a month for rides. Simply select "personal" when adding funds from the website or, notate "personal funds" on your mailed check. A maximum of $200 may be added of personal funds monies per month, and this amount will be utilized towards rides after utilizing all matched funds. Any remaining personal funds amount on the card will roll over to the next month for use and may not exceed $200 at any time.

Lost, Stolen or Damaged Cards

Report lost, stolen or damaged program debit cards to DART at 214-749-3400. There is no fee for the first lost, stolen or damaged card, but a $5 fee will be assessed for any additional replacement cards.