# Paratransit scheduling that holds the ADA service criteria while the runs still fill

> Paratransit scheduling is the work of turning individual next day trip requests from riders with disabilities into vehicle runs that meet the ADA service criteria. Federal rules at 49 CFR Part 37 require complementary service within 0.75 miles of every fixed route, at a fare no more than twice the fixed route fare, with no trip purpose restrictions and no capacity denials. The Americans with Disabilities Act set that floor in 1990. Neurobird builds the runs and keeps the evidence behind them.

- URL: https://neurobird.com/paratransit/
- Product: Neurobird Paratransit Scheduling Dispatch Platform
- Niche: paratransit scheduling
- Buyer: transit agencies and paratransit contractors
- Status: in development, open for early access
- Updated: 2026-08-21

## What Neurobird Paratransit Scheduling does

- Take next day and subscription trips against a rider eligibility record that is actually current
- Build runs that respect lift capacity, mobility device, ride time and the pickup window
- Rebuild a run in minutes when a cancel or a no show blows it up mid morning
- Keep the evidence that no trip was denied for capacity, which is what a compliance review asks for

## How it works

1. **Keep eligibility current** Rider records carry mobility device, lift requirement, PCA and expiry date, so the scheduler is not guessing which vehicle can take which trip.
2. **Build the run against real constraints** Windows, ride time, lift positions and the 0.75 mile corridor are checked as the run assembles, not after the manifest prints.
3. **Rebuild without starting over** A cancel or a no show reflows the affected run only, so the dispatcher edits 1 run at 9am instead of rebuilding the morning.

## From the source material

> An accessible route shall not be required between site arrival points and the building or facility entrance if the only means of access between them is a vehicular way not providing pedestrian access.

Source: US Access Board, ADA guidelines, https://www.access-board.gov/ada/

## Industry context

- **0.75 mi** Complementary paratransit must serve the corridor within three quarters of a mile on each side of every fixed route the agency operates. (source: eCFR, 49 CFR Part 37, Subpart F, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-A/part-37/subpart-F)
- **2x fare** The fare for a complementary paratransit trip may not exceed twice the fare a rider would pay for a comparable fixed route trip. (source: eCFR, 49 CFR Part 37, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-A/part-37)
- **1990** The Americans with Disabilities Act became law in 1990, and its transportation provisions still set the service floor every schedule has to hit. (source: ADA.gov, law and regulations, https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/ada/)
- **1991** Accessibility guidelines for transportation vehicles date from 1991 and determine which vehicle can carry which mobility device, a hard constraint on any run. (source: US Access Board, ADA guidelines, https://www.access-board.gov/ada/)
- **1 portal** Federal transportation datasets are published openly, so an agency can benchmark demand response performance without waiting for a consultant. (source: US DOT open data portal, https://data.transportation.gov/)

## Pricing

- Small fleet: $95 per vehicle, per month
- Agency: $240 per vehicle, per month
- Regional: $420 per vehicle, per month

## Questions

### What is paratransit scheduling?

Paratransit scheduling is the work of turning individual trip requests from riders with disabilities into vehicle runs that meet the ADA service criteria. Unlike a fixed route, there is no timetable to fall back on: every trip is negotiated into a run that already has other riders, other windows and a finite number of lift positions.

### What does the ADA actually require of the service?

Complementary paratransit must cover the corridor within three quarters of a mile of each fixed route, at a fare no higher than twice the fixed route fare, with next day service, no restrictions on trip purpose and no capacity constraints. Those criteria sit in 49 CFR Part 37, Subpart F.

### Can we deny a trip because the runs are full?

No. The rule prohibits capacity constraints, including waiting lists, trip caps and a pattern of missed or excessively long trips. That is why the scheduling record matters as much as the schedule: you need to show trips were served, not just that they were requested.

### Does this replace our dispatch radio or MDT?

No. It builds and holds the schedule. Whatever you use in the vehicle keeps working, and the run manifest, the eligibility record and the trip history live here instead of in 3 places.

### How do subscription trips fit in?

Standing orders for dialysis, day programs and work trips are scheduled once and repeat, and they consume the same lift positions as everything else. Treating them as a separate list is how agencies end up double booking a vehicle.

## Sources

- [eCFR, 49 CFR Part 37](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-A/part-37)
- [eCFR, 49 CFR Part 37, Subpart F](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-A/part-37/subpart-F)
- [ADA.gov, the law and regulations](https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/ada/)
- [US Access Board, ADA guidelines](https://www.access-board.gov/ada/)

## Contact

- office@neurobird.com
- https://neurobird.com/