Everyone can Get on Board!
Fixed Route Bus Access, through the provision of resources in alternate formats, ADA improvements, and other measures, helps persons with disabilities and the general public utilize existing fixed route service.
Accessible Information
Website content and other resource material is available in alternate formats and in alternate languages upon request. Contact us by phone or email to request information in an alternate format or a language other than English.
Phone: (910) 202-2045
Email: bditri@wavetransit.com
ADA Resource Guide
Check out this helpful ADA Rider Guide for Fixed Route and Paratransit (DART).
ADA Improvements
Our goal is to increase the number of bus stops that are accessible to persons with disabilities. One of the ways in which we improve the accessibility of bus stops is through the installation of customer amenities such as benches and covered bus shelters. We have an ongoing amenity plan in place to replace and add bus shelters and benches at bus stops throughout our service area. All covered bus shelters are built to American with Disability Act (ADA) standards.
Construction of accessible passenger amenities has recently been completed at the following bus stop locations:
- Monkey Junction Transfer Station – sidewalk network, pedestrian crosswalk (with curb cuts), two shelter amenities, two trash receptacles and bike racks
- Independence Blvd at Hanover Center – covered bus shelter, trash receptacle and bike rack
- 16th St. (SB) and Doctor’s Circle – bench and trash receptacle, with a shelter, trash receptacle and bike rack
- 16th St. (SB) and Hospital Plaza Dr. – bench and trash receptacle, with a bench, trash receptacle and bike rack
- 17th St. (NB) and Medical Center Dr. Construction – covered bus shelter, trash receptacle and bike rack
Service Dogs Welcome!
Well behaved service dogs on a leash are welcome on all Wave buses, shuttles, vans and trolleys. We partner with Paws 4 People, a local nonprofit that trains service dogs for people with disabilities, in order to provide education to our staff, and to teach future service dogs proper bus manners. Please take a look at our Service Dog Policy. Wave Transit Service Dog Policy
FAQ about Service Dogs:
What is a service dog?
A service animal is any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. The work or tasks performed by a service dog must be directly related to a person’s disability. Examples of work tasks include, but are not limited to, assisting persons who are blind with navigation, alerting persons who are deaf to sounds, retrieving items such as medicine, and helping persons with psychiatric and neurological disabilities by preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors.
Service dogs are not pets or emotional support animals, they are highly trained animals that provide assistance to persons with diagnosed disabilities.
How should a service dog behave on the bus?
When service dogs are on a Wave vehicle they are “at work” performing important and sometimes life saving tasks for their owner, or they are siting/lying quietly at the foot or side of the owner’s chair waiting for a command. They should only move about if they are performing a task for their owner- such as picking up a dropped bus ticket or pulling a wheelchair. You may not even know a service dog is on board the vehicle. Service dogs are on a leash and under the control of their owner at all times. Please do not touch or otherwise distract a service dog from its work.
What happens if someone tries to bring a pet or an emotional support animal on the bus?
Pets and emotional support animals are not allowed on any Wave Transit vehicle. If the driver determines that a dog is a pet, or an emotional support animal, the dog will not be allowed to board the vehicle. If the determination is made after the customer and dog have boarded (the dog becomes aggressive, barks incessantly, or otherwise behaves in a way a service dog should not or causes a safety concern), the driver is authorized to ask the customer to remove the dog from the bus at the next stop.
Do I need to bring documentation for my service dog?
No. You are not required to bring or show documentation for your service dog. Additionally, having documentation does not guarantee that the dog will be allowed on the bus. Drivers will determine, using ADA criteria, whether or not the dog is a true service dog. Service dogs must be trained to perform a task for their owner that is directly connected to that person’s disability and, show through their behavior that they meet the requirements of Wave Transit’s policy and Federal law (Americans with Disabilities Act).
Do service dogs always wear those cute vests?
No. Some service dogs do not wear vests. A service dog vest is not required by Wave Transit nor does a vest guarantee the dog will be allowed on the bus. Drivers will determine, using ADA criteria, whether or not the dog is a true service dog. Service dogs must be trained to perform a task for their owner that is directly connected to that person’s disability and, show through their behavior that they meet the requirements of Wave Transit’s policy and Federal law (Americans with Disabilities Act).
What is it like to travel with a service dog? Click HERE or the image below to watch a video of a customer with a service dog board a Wave Transit bus.
Wheelchair-Friendly Bus Stops
We have over 400 bus stops in our service area. Many of these stops are wheelchair-friendly however, some are located in unpaved areas with no sidewalk access. Work has begun on a map to indicate which bus stops are paved, and connect with safe paved surfaces for travel beyond the bus stop.
Google Earth is a resource that can be utilized now to determine if a bus stop is wheelchair-friendly. All Wave bus stops can be found by searching for transit directions on Google Maps. Select Google Earth to see an image of the bus stop and it’s surrounding area.
