Accessibility: Transforming Transportation for All Seniors and Paratransit Users
CCTA Accessible Transportation Programs
A wide range of accessible transportation services are available in Contra Costa county depending on where you live, your age and the disability you may have. Below are a few programs supported by CCTA.
For a full list of programs in the county, visit Way To Go Contra Costa.
Low Income Fare Equity Program (LIFE)
Who it is for: Paratransit users who are low income earners
What it provides: 10 one-way trip tickets per month to use for local or regional rides
Cost: Free (valued at $30.00 per month)
How to Apply: Contact the bus provider in your area:
- County Connection LINK paratransit service 925-938-RIDE (938-7433)
- Tri Delta Transit 925-706-4399
- WestCat 510-724-3331 ext 113
About: CCTA partnered with county bus services to create the LIFE Ticket Program. The program is paid for by Contra Costa County’s Measure X funding and is scheduled to run from February to December 2024 or until program funds are expended.
City of San Pablo's One Seat Medical Ride Service
Who it is for: People in the 94806 zip code who are 50 years and older and/or people with disabilities who are 18
What it provides: Three round trip, ADA accessible shuttle trips per day; three days/week.
Cost: $5 one-way fare or $1 fare for extremely low-income residents. Attendants may ride free.
How to Apply: Apply on the City of San Pablo website
About: Paratransit riders in the western portion of Contra Costa County faced challenges getting to their medical appointments at county facilities. To eliminate the need for residents to transfer between paratransit vehicles while enroute to medical appointments at county medical offices and the hospital in Martinez, CCTA partnered with the City of San Pablo and the City of San Pablo Senior Center to allocate Measure X and Measure J 28b funds to create this program.
Rossmoor Senior Community First/Last Mile Shuttles
Walnut Creek, CA
In September 2024, CCTA launched an AV trial that is aimed to provide greater transit accessibility and independence for Rossmoor residents.
County Hospital Accessible Transportation Shuttles
Martinez, CA
Launched in fall 2024, from 2 pm to 6 pm weekdays, wheelchair-accessible minivans are providing free, safe, and innovative transportation for Martinez residents who seek transportation to medical appointments at County hospital. For information on the PRESTO Martinez daytime hospital service, and the PRESTO evening service view the How to Ride section on the PRESTO Martinez page.
Partner Programs
Mobility Matters
Who it is for: Seniors and people with disabilities
What it provides: One-on-one, door-through-door rides provided by screened and trained volunteer drivers
Cost: Free
How to Apply: Apply on the Mobility Matters website
About: To support the needs of seniors and people with disabilities, CCTA partnered with Mobility Matters, a non-profit service wherein more than 100 volunteers provide thousands of rides each year. CCTA and Mobility Matters also established the “Rides 4 Veterans” program to provide transportation services for veterans that are not covered by the Veterans Administration.
One Seat Regional Ride Program
Who it is for: All certified ADA paratransit passengers traveling within the 4 participating agency service areas
- County Connection LINK
- Tri Delta Transit
- WestCat
- Wheels
Cost: $3.00 – $5.50 per one-way trip depending on the home agency at pickup location
What it provides: Point-to-point shared-ride paratransit service without having to transfer buses at service area borders
How to Book: Call 925-680-2134. Repeat trips can be booked repeat trips can be booked using the My Transit Manager app.
About: Contra Costa County bus operators teamed up to provide the One Seat Regional Ride (One Seat) option for paratransit users who live in the county. One Seat is a direct trip to the paratransit passenger’s destination with no transfer required. If their trip is in the service area of the following providers, a County Connection operator can schedule a One Seat direct trip to their destination with no transfers required.
Accessible Transportation Planning
Accessible Transportation Strategic Plan
CCTA is dedicated to making transportation convenient for older adults and people with disabilities.
If you’re an older adult, have a disability, or are a veteran, transportation in Contra Costa County can be challenging. We want to identify ways to make it easier for you to get around the county—whether you’re going to an appointment, getting groceries or visiting family.
The Accessible Transportation Strategic (ATS) Plan
provides a coordination structure with strategies to improve
accessible transportation services, based on an examination
of transportation challenges facing seniors, people with
disabilities, and veterans in Contra Costa County.
To help guide the implementation of the Accessible Transportation Strategic Plan (ATSP), the Authority Board established a Task Force (ATSP TF) that meets throughout the year along with working group meetings as needed.
CCTA Office of Accessibility and Equity
CCTA’s Office of Accessibility and Equity (OAE) has the goal of improving mobility in Contra Costa county. The OAE fosters collaboration to lead integrating all of the accessible transportation services countywide. This work brings together community-based organizations, consumers, elected officials, transit providers, CCTA and county staff to implement programs such as a LIFE pilot, and the development of a Coordinating Entity.
CCTA was granted $1.4 million from Contra Costa County’s Measure X to support these activities. In 2023, Rashida Kamara was designated as Program Manager of Accessibility and Equity and leads the OAE efforts.
CCTA’s Accessible Transit Strategies
- Implement the CCTA Accessible Transportation Strategic Plan (ATSP)
- Implement pedestrian-friendly, ADA-compliant connections from housing and job centers to transit services and Shared Mobility Hubs
- Pilot autonomous vehicle (AV) programs to serve seniors and those with disabilities
- Develop an Accessibility App to provide real-time transportation options for the most vulnerable members of our community
Projects Enhancing Accessibility in Contra Costa County
One Call / One Click
To improve transportation accessibility and equity, CCTA’s 2021 ATSP proposed a countywide One-call / One-click (OC/OC); information and referral program. The name “one-call / one-click” suggests that callers are immediately connected to the service they need, while also offering information and referral. OC/OC programs have some combination of personnel who take calls (“one-call”) and a searchable database on a website (“one-click”).
These programs – sometimes called “travel navigator” programs – use trained staff to help callers figure out the best service to meet their needs. CCTA embraced the OC/OC concept to solve accessibility challenges faced by seniors and those with disabilities and is taking travel navigation one step further.
The Challenges
OC/OC is a much-needed service as many transit agencies do not currently have paratransit or other accessible transit data with real-time service options available for the average rider. Unlike regular bus routes that follow a set path, there are many different types of accessible transportation services available. These services employ their own call centers or online route and scheduling information specific to their service. In addition, these services charge varying fares or fees based on the individual’s needs. These complexities make it harder for transportation providers to act as a one-stop shop to provide up-to-date information regarding all possible transit options that may be avaliable to the individual rider.
CCTA’s Solution
CCTA’s OC/OC will result in a single phone number and website for the public to access all available transportation services offered to people with disabilities and seniors in their area, rather than a myriad of numbers for different programs.
One of the services the OC/OC intends to provide is a user-friendly, cloud-based tool that will help both call center agents and passengers find, choose, and potentially book selected services.
In 2024, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded $1.15 million in Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) grant funding to CCTA to develop technology to enhance the OC/OC program. The proposed cloud-based online tool will gather data from 26 different organizations, both public and private, to provide travel options and real-time transit updates in Contra Costa County. This information will equip an agent or website to provide immediate transit solutions for passengers, which will improve transportation efficiency and passenger safety.
The OC/OC program will enable transit agencies to make the best use of passengers’ specific needs, thus providing easy to access transit options for the most vulnerable members of our county.
