General bus policies and tips - The City of Asheville

Policies

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that no person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. (42 USC Section 200d).

The City of Asheville is committed to practicing non-discrimination. If you believe you have been subjected to discrimination, you may file a complaint with the City of Asheville Transportation Department/Transit Planning Division or the Federal Transit Administration. For further details, see Asheville’s entire Title VI program. For more information visit us at www.ridetheart.com, call (828) 232-4531, email iride@ashevillenc.gov or visit our office at the Transportation Department at City Hall. If you believe you have been discriminated against on the basis of race, color, national origin, you may file a Title VI complaint, found below in English, Spanish and Russian.

City of Asheville Title VI Complaint Form

Titulo VI Planilla de Quejas Transporte Publico de la Ciudad de Asheville

Город Эшвилл Бланк жалобы согласно Разделу VI‘

These rights are protected under Title VI of 1964. For further details, see Asheville’s entire Title VI program.

Bike Policy

ART’s Bike Policy is to support and promote the use of bicycles. Bicycles shall have access to all transit vehicles whenever feasible in order to support more sustainable transportation options. ART allows bicycles to travel on buses at no extra charge, and provides the greatest flexibility possible within the constraints of capacity and safety.

Related Information:

Bike lockers are available for rent. Monthly rental fees are only $10. Lockers are located in the Rankin, Wall Street and Civic Center Parking Garages. For more information, or to rent a locker, call Parking Service at 828-259-5792
For more information on bicycles, contact Barb Mee

Food & Drink Policy

Eating and drinking are strictly prohibited on all transit buses. Please store away or dispose of all food and beverages before boarding the bus.

Lost Items

Lost items which are recovered can be picked up at the Asheville Transit offices located at 360 West Haywood St., Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Inquiries about lost items may be made by calling (828) 253-5691. Lost items will be kept for thirty days and proper identification should be presented to claim them. Asheville Transit is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

Pets on Buses

Smaller domesticated animals (cats and dogs) can be carried on buses in pet-carrying cages and held in your lap.

Service animals are welcomed on City of Asheville buses and property.

Marketing & Advertising Policy

View the Transit Advertising Policy, and the advertising rate sheet. To learn more about advertising opportunities with ART, please call 828-232-4531.

Smoking Policy

Smoking is strictly prohibited on all transit buses. Please extinguish cigarettes before boarding the bus.

Wheelchair Policy

All ART buses offer wheelchair lifts and other features to accommodate riders with disabilities. By ADA standards, wheelchairs must be secured on buses. There are two wheelchair securement locations per bus, each equipped with devices which hold the wheelchairs safely in place. Operators provide securement assistance as needed. Lap/shoulder belts are recommended for safety purposes.

For more information on ADA Discounted Bus Pass Guidelines and Application, please click here.

Programs

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program

The City’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) goal for federally funded projects for Federal Fiscal Years 2016-2018 is 9%.

The policy, methodology and a description of the goal is available here .

Questions should be addressed to:

The City of Asheville, Transportation Department offices
70 Court Plaza, Asheville, NC 28801

I Ride

828-232-4522

The City of Asheville encourages all persons and businesses that wish to apply for DBE status to contact :

NCDOT, Unified Certification Program
1509 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1509

go to the website

919-508-1808

Complaints or questions concerning the DBE goal or DBE Program may also be directed to:

Ms. Doretha Foster, Federal Transit Administration Regional IV Civil Rights Officer

230 Peachtree St., NW Suite 800, Atlanta, Georgia 30303

404-865-5633.

The City of Asheville has established a DBE program for small, independent business. It is the policy of the City of Asheville to ensure that DBEs, as defined by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), 49 CFR Part 26, have an equal opportunity to receive and participate in USDOT assisted contracts. The City of Asheville has signed an assurance that it will comply with 49 CFR Part 26 .

A DBE business is defined as one that is at least 51% owned by one or more socially or economically disadvantaged individuals. At least one of these owners must control the firm’s management and daily operations, and the owners must share in the risks and profits commensurate with their ownership interest.

Paratransit Services

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990 and ensures that individuals with disabilities can access transportation services as equitably as possible. The ADA requires that complementary paratransit operates equivalent hours and service areas as the fixed-route buses.

The City of Asheville will provide reasonable modifications to accommodate riders with a disability. The City of Asheville can provide information in a different format as requested and can provide assistance to individuals or organization that needs help understanding the ADA fixed route or paratransit services in general. If you have an ADA-related request or complaint, please contact us at:

I Ride

828-259-5943

Find more details here.

Passport Program

The City of Asheville’s Passport program allows employees and students to travel with ease, while allowing employers and schools the opportunity to provide an affordable alternative to driving and providing parking. Employees and students merely flash their ID when boarding the bus, and the employer/school pays one monthly bill for trips. Those trips are billed to the employer or school at a heavily discounted rate from regular fares. Employees and students no longer have to worry about fishing out passes or change for the bus, and employers pay only for transportation actually used.

For more information download this tri-fold pamphlet

Contact: Office: 828-232-4522.