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The Ride (sometimes styled as THE RIDE) is the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's paratransit program for people with physical, mental or cognitive disabilities that make it difficult or impossible to ride the MBTA's fixed-route bus, train, and ferry services. The program uses wheelchair accessible vans for door-to-door service; drivers are required to assist passengers to and from the vehicle. The Ride satisfies requirements under the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act for transit systems to provide services for those who cannot ride the fixed-route system. The service began in April 1977 with two vehicles.
Contents
Unlike fixed-route services, The Ride trips must be scheduled in advance. Same-day trip requests, and those greater than 3/4 mile from fixed-route services, incur a surcharge. The Ride does not use the CharlieCard; instead, passengers must set up an individual account with the MBTA.
The Ride has attracted criticism in recent years for its high costs - over $50 per rider per trip - and inefficient service model.
Operations
The program is run by the MBTA, but actual service is contracted out to three separate companies and organizations in the Greater Boston area to run the service. The service uses the MBTA branding and the vans can largely be identified by color schemes with stripes running alongside the van. (However, GLSS also uses their own vans with their own branding in combination with MBTA-branded vans).
Criticism
The program has been criticized for its high cost to the MBTA, particularly since much of the MBTA was made accessible in the past three decades. (All MBTA Bus routes and Orange Line stations are accessible, as are most Red line and Blue Line stations; about 75% of commuter rail stations and most high-ridership Green Line stations are accessible). During discussions of potential major fare increases and service cuts in 2013, the program's high cost per rider was cited as waste.