About EZ Rider Service

EZ Rider (paratransit service) is a demand-response, shared ride service providing origin-to-destination (generally means door to door) service on an advance reservation basis. EZ Rider transports individuals who are unable to use the fixed route system (some or all of the time) due to a disability in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). EZ Rider uses lift-equipped vehicles serving the Town of Chapel Hill, the Town of Carrboro and surrounding areas within ¾ of a mile of the fixed-route bus system. 

EZ Rider may be able to provide temporary service to customers who are not able to use the bus system due to a change in physical ability or bus service. To see if you qualify for temporary access to EZ-Rider, call: 919.969.4920.

EZ Rider Hours of Operation:

• Monday - Friday, 5:15am -10:27pm
• Saturday- 7:50am - 7:57pm
• Sunday- 7:50am - 7:57pm 

Reservations:

• Monday – Saturday, 8:30am – 5:00pm.
• Sunday, 1:00pm - 5:00pm
• Reservations can be reached at 919-969-5544

Holidays 

On the following Town holidays: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Good Friday, Juneteenth, Christmas Eve, Day after Thanksgiving, Day after Christmas, EZ Rider will adjust to weekend service levels.

EZ Rider is closed on the following Town holidays: New Years' Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas.

EZ  Rider Certification

Eligibility

All EZ Rider customers must be certified to use the service. Eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis. According to ADA regulations, eligibility is strictly limited to those who have a permanent or temporary physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities and prevents them from using fixed route services.  Eligible customers must complete an application. The application must be completed by you and your medical provider. You can obtain an application by calling EZ Rider at (919) 969-4920 or click the following link EZ Rider Certification/Application Form.

Appeals Process

If an applicant is denied eligibility for EZ Rider, they may appeal the decision and obtain a review of the denial. Any person who wishes to appeal a denial of service (or the conditional nature of such determination) shall do so by filing a written Notice of Appeal (letter) to Chapel Hill Transit at the following address:           

                    Chapel Hill Transit
                    EZ Rider Operations Manager
                    6900 Mill House Road
                    Chapel Hill, NC 27516

All appeals must be filed within sixty (60) calendar days of receipt of the Determination of Eligibility. Within ten (10) business days, the applicant will receive written notice from Chapel Hill Transit as to the date, time and location of the scheduled appeals hearing.

Paratransit Users Traveling To or Outside of Chapel Hill

If an individual is eligible for ADA paratransit in their place of residence, does that individual have the right to use paratransit service in a city where they are traveling?

Yes. Under Department of Transportation (DOT) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations at 49 C.F.R. Section 37.127, each public entity required to provide complementary paratransit service must make the service available to visitors as provided under the section. The transit entity must provide service to visitors who present documentation that they are ADA paratransit eligible in the jurisdiction in which they reside, under the criteria of 49 C.F.R. Section 37.125. If a visitor with a disability does not present such documentation, the transit entity may require documentation of the individual’s place of residence and of his or her disability, if the disability is not apparent. A transit operator is not required to provide service to a visitor for more than 21 days during any 365-day period; after that, the visitor may be required to apply for eligibility through the same processes established for residents under 49 C.F.R. Section 37.125.

EZ Rider Reservations

Reservations are required for all EZ Rider trips. Trips must be reserved between 1 and 14 days in advance. Each leg of a trip needs to be a minimum of 1 hour apart.

Be ready with the following information:

• Eligible Customer's Name 
• Addresses for origin and destination
• Time of appointment or pick up time
• Any necessary mobility aids
• Number of riders (eligible customer plus companion or personal care attendants)

Subscription Trips

Subscription service is available to any eligible EZ Rider customer who has reoccurring, consistent trips. Trips that are at the same time, date, and destination are eligible to enroll in a subscription.

Open Return or Will Calls

An “open return” or “will call” is a trip without a scheduled pick-up time. “Open Returns” or “Will Calls” are trips requested primarily when a customer is unsure of the time they will be ready to go to their next destination. “Will Calls” will be for medical related trips only.

Riding Tips For Your Trip

• There is a twenty minute pick up window. Please be ready 5 minutes before this window.
• Be visible. Operators are only permitted to wait for 3 minutes.
• Wait near your door. Operators are not permitted to enter your home.
• Operators will assist you from your door to the vehicle and from the vehicle to the door of the destination.
• Operators will assist with up to 4 shopping bags, weighing no more than 20 pounds each.

Service Animals

Service animals are permitted on all EZ Rider vehicles. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires transit entities to allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals on their properties wherever customers are generally allowed.

Service animals are defined as dogs or other animals that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities, in order to meet the criteria to be eligible as a Service Animal under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Under the ADA, service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless these devices interfere with the service animal’s work or the individual’s disability prevents using these devices. In that case, the individual must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective controls.

Complaints and Feedback

We welcome your feedback. Any person who believes they have been unlawfully treated under the protections of the American with Disabilities Act may file a complaint.

ADA Complaint Form

ADA Complaint Form- Spanish

Forms should be mailed, dropped off, or emailed to:

Transit Director
Disability Rights Coordinator
Chapel Hill Transit|
6900 Millhouse Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Email: chtransit@townofchapelhill.org

Contact US:

• Reservations: 919-969-5544 
• Dispatch: 919-969-4919
• After-Hours Supervisor for emergencies between 8:00 PM and 11:00 PM: (919) 259-6327
• EZ Rider Application and Certification: 919-969-4920
• Customer Feedback: 919-485-7433
• Lost & Found: 919-969-4901
• Email: chtransit@townofchapelhill.org

Links:

• EZ Rider Customer Handbook
• EZ Rider One-Page Summary