The Greensboro Transit Agency (GTA) announced that the new year will bring standardization to the fares for riders of the paratransit Access I-Ride service.
Beginning on Tuesday, Jan. 2, riders will pay a fixed fare of $8.50 per trip for anywhere in the Greensboro city limits.
Currently riders pay a fare based on the mileage. For trips from 1 mile to 6 miles the fare is $7.06. A ride of 7 miles is $8.64 and 8 miles is $8.64. A ride of 20 miles is $29.18.
So, riders who ride less than 7 miles will pay more per trip and those whose trips are longer than 7 miles will pay less.
The Access I-Ride service is much like Uber, meaning it is not a shared ride like Access GSO. I-Ride offers same day service with at least two hours notice Monday through Friday.
In addition to the fixed fare for I-Ride starting on Jan. 2, riders will be able to download a new app to schedule and manage trips. The app will also allow riders to see the driver’s arrival in real time.
The fares for the shared ride paratransit service Access GSO will not change at the beginning of the new year.
The two paratransit services are for eligible riders who have a disability that prevents them from riding the fixed route bus.
There are three types of certification granted to eligible Access clients. Full certification is granted for those who are unable to use the fixed route bus system. Conditional certification is granted to those who are able to us the fixed route bus system, but their disability prohibits 100 percent travel on the fixed route buses due to possible barriers for safe travel to or from a bus stop. Temporary certification is granted when a person has a disability that prevents the use of the fixed route bus during the length of their short-term disability.
The fare for Access GSO, the shared ride service, is $2.50 per trip.