September 2023 Special Needs Living Akron/Canton

Welcome Aboard! CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF SARTA

More than 2.1 million times every year people use the Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA) to meet their transportation needs. Among them are thousands of people with disabilities who travel to work, school, medical appointments, stores, senior centers, libraries, parks, restaurants, entertainment venues, Akron, Cleveland and the hundreds of other destinations we serve in Stark County and beyond. We are extremely proud of the essential role SARTA plays in enabling these valued and valuable members of our community to live full, independent lives.

“Over the 25 years since SARTA first hit the streets, we have become the trusted transportation option for people with disabilities and their families because they know we are totally committed to providing safe, affordable, reliable, convenient, accessible mobility services to every member of our community every day,” SARTA CEO Kirt Conrad said. “It’s a commitment we demonstrate both by our performance and our embrace of both the spirit and the letter of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), the landmark civil rights legislation passed by Congress in 1990 that has vastly improved the quality of life in the United States over the past 33 years.”

SARTA’s embrace of the ADA is reflected in every facet of the award-winning transit agency’s operations beginning with the entire fixed route bus fleet which is 100% ADA compliant. The vehicles have low floors, lifts, ramps, are able to “kneel” down to make boarding easier, offer priority seating for people with disabilities, and can accommodate wheelchairs, scooters, and other mobility devices. All SARTA’s transit centers which serve as the vibrant hubs of the system are also ADA-accessible. For those who are unable to travel on fixed routes, SARTA offers ProLine the system’s ADA-compliant countywide prescheduled, point-to-point, shared ride service. Proline is available to:

• People who, because of their disability, are unable to board, ride or exit an accessible vehicle in fixed route service.

• People with disabilities who are able to use accessible vehicles, but accessible vehicles are not available at the time when they need transportation.

• People who can ride accessible vehicles, but whose disability prevents them from getting to and from a bus stop.

For more information and to apply for service please visit www.sartaonline.com/getting-around/ reservation-on-demand-services/proline/ or call 330-455-2292 | TTY 7-1-1 (1-800-750-0750.

In addition to ProLine, SARTA also created Medline, our innovative service for people with disabilities who hold Level One, Self, and I/O Medicaid waivers. Medline delivers free non-medical transportation to employment sites, adult day support, or vocational training on specially equipped vehicles driven by highly trained SARTA staff.

We recognize that utilizing SARTA may seem daunting to new or infrequent riders. That’s why we offer free travel training to groups and individuals that provide detailed info about our routes, programs, and apps. We especially encourage people with disabilities and families who are eligible for and/or use ProLine to enroll in a class. The topics addressed during the session include:

• Program rules and regulations

• How to apply for ProLine service

• How to use ProLine

• How to schedule, review or cancel scheduled rides by phone or online.

For details visit https/www.sartaonline.com/ fares-rider-guides/travel-training/. To schedule a Travel Training class, please call 855-887-2782. Our friendly Outreach Specialists are eager to help you learn how to get the most from SARTA.

You may have noticed that we’ve referenced our website, sartaonline.com a number of times in this article. It’s a great source of information for everything SARTA, and of course, it’s fully accessible.

Thanks for taking the time to read about SARTA and our commitment to providing safe, affordable, reliable, convenient, and accessible mobility services. Whether you are a regular rider or are contemplating joining the millions of people who travel on our system each year, we’ve saved a seat just for you. Welcome Aboard!