Paratransit

Face Covering Requirement on Transit

• NO MASK MANDATE: There is no mask required to ride Union City Transit, Union City Paratransit, and Union City Flea services. A face covering is strongly recommended.

What Union City Transit is doing to protect you

• All of us at Union City Transit are committed to providing a safe environment for our customers and employees. We believe we are all in this together. To provide a safe environment for our customers and employees, Union City Transit is currently performing the following safety measures:

  • We have enhanced our daily bus cleaning schedule to include fogging and wiping down high touch areas (handrails, ceilings, walls) and all exposed hard surfaces inside of the buses using commercial and hospital-grade cleaners and disinfectants.
  • TSA requires all drivers and passengers to wear face masks while waiting for and riding on all Union City Transit services.
  • We have included a daily sanitizing and disinfecting routine at our Operations and Maintenance facility.
  • We are encouraging staff members and drivers to take everyday preventive actions and to stay home if they present with fever and/or respiratory infection symptoms.

• As Union City Transit is taking preventative measures and enhancing cleaning procedures to protect staff and riders, we also encourage passengers to practice good transit hygiene, mirroring what health officials have been stressing: wear a mask when outside your home, wash your hands frequently, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol, cough into your elbow, and stay home when feeling ill.

  Passenger Capacity

  Increased vehicle capacity effective July 1, 2021

  • Union City Transit: Regular Capacity
  • Union City Paratransit: Regular Capacity 
  • Union City Flea: Regular Capacity

Apply

Riders must be certified as eligible to use Union City Paratransit. To be certified, you must complete a special application that you can request by calling 510.675.5373 or download online: ADA Paratransit Application (PDF). Mail completed applications to:

Union City Paratransit

34009 Alvarado-Niles Road

Union City, California 94587

Or fax it to 510.675.9885

Paratransit Rider's Guide

Union City Paratransit provides a guide to all certified clients upon acceptance into the program. To view the guide, click this link. If you need a replacement guide, please call 510.675.5373. 

No-Show Policy

View the Union City Paratransit No-Show Policy (PDF). If you regularly miss services or cancel late, this may result in service suspension.

Schedule a Ride

You can schedule rides up to 3 days in advance by calling 510.476.1500. The reservation center is open between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily. You can still make reservations at other times by leaving a voicemail message. You will receive a confirmation call during our regular business hours.

If you are outside of Union City, you will use East Bay Paratransit. If you are certified on Union City Paratransit, you can use East Bay Paratransit and all other ADA paratransit systems in the San Francisco Bay Area. The reservation number for East Bay Paratransit is 800.555.8085. East Bay Paratransit is run by AC Transit and BART.

Union City Paratransit is an ADA complementary service to Union City Transit. It is not a specialized medical transportation service and does not provide emergency service. In the event of an emergency, CALL 9-1-1!

Additional Services

Ride-On Tri-City! Program

Ride-On Tri-City! assists seniors and people with disabilities residing in Fremont, Newark and Union City with all of their transportation needs. Transportation Resource Specialists are available by phone or in- person to discuss an individual's transportation needs and help the individual get connected with the right transportation services and resources. If you have questions about the transportation services listed, call Ride-On Tri-City! at (510)574-2053 or visit the Ride-On Tri-City! webpage.

Ride-On Tri-City! is a program of the City of Fremont's Human Services Department. The program provides affordable transportation to and from destinations in Fremont, Newark and Union City. This program is funded by Alameda County's Measure B/BB transportation sales tax.

Ride-Hailing Service

Subsidized Lyft rides within Fremont, Newark and Union City are available 8am to 6pm, 7 days a week, for participants with their own smartphones and have an active Lyft account (app downloaded and payment method set up). Individuals who do not have smartphones can get discounted Lyft or Uber rides Monday-Friday, from 8am to 6pm, through a call center. Rides are on-demand and usually arrive within 5-10 minutes of ride request.

Taxi Service

Our subsidized Taxi Service provides rides within Fremont, Newark and Union City and are available 8am to 6pm, 7 days a week. Rides are requested on the same day as needed.

Life ElderCare Transportation Program

This program provides escort help to Paratransit riders through fully screened and trained volunteers. Seniors and those with disabilities, who have no family members or friends to help them, can use this program for medical appointments and/or necessary errands. Volunteers may also use their own vehicle to drive ambulatory seniors or disabled people who require door-through-door service. For more information please contact Life Eldercare or call 510.856.9010. This program is funded by Alameda County's Measure B/BB transportation sales tax.

Access Alameda

Traveling in Alameda County and throughout the Bay Area doesn't have to be difficult. Depending on where you live, where you're going, how old you are, and your ability to use public transit, dozens of transit systems and transportation programs (including a range of special services for seniors and people with disabilities) may be available to you. Read the Access Alameda Guide to find out more about Transportation Services for Seniors and People with Disabilities in Alameda County!

Union City Paratransit resumed fare collection and enforcement on Sunday, November 1, 2020. 

Easy steps to buying paratransit tickets online:

• Click the "Add to Cart" button below the pass that you would like to purchase.
• Enter the quantity of ticket books desired in new window or tab from PayPal.
• Click on "Check Out" to pay with a Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, and Discover) and enter info, or click on "Check Out With PayPal" to use your PayPal account to make the purchase.
• Click on "Review Order and Continue" after all information is entered.
• If all your information is correct, click on "Pay Now."
• Paratransit ticket books will arrive within 1 week of purchase.

Read through more instructions on purchasing passes online (PDF).

Please note: paratransit ticket books are not Taxi Vouchers or Ride-Hailing Coupons. Taxi Vouchers and Ride-Hailing Coupon Codes must be obtained through the City of Fremont Ride-On Tri-City! program. Please click here for more information.

Paratransit 10-Ride Ticket Book - $27.50

These Paratransit ticket books may be purchased by anyone but are only valid on Union City Paratransit for certified riders. Ticket books are also available at the Safeway in the Marketplace Shopping Center at the intersection of Alvarado-Niles and Decoto Roads.

<Add to Cart Button and Corresponding Link to Purchase>

Paratransit 10-Ride Ticket Book - $27.50

These Paratransit ticket books may be purchased by anyone but are only valid on Union City Paratransit for certified riders.

• The last day to order paratransit ticket booklets online is 12/22/2021 before noon. Paratransit ticket books are available at the Marketplace Safeway Customer Service counter on Decoto Road at Alvarado-Niles Road.
• 在線訂購輔助客運系統車票的最後一天是 2021 年 12 月 22 日中午之前。 輔助客運系統售票簿可在位於 Alvarado-Niles 路 Decoto 路的 Marketplace Safeway 客戶服務櫃檯獲取。
• El último día para solicitar folletos de boletos de paratránsito en línea es el 22/12/2021 antes del mediodía. Los talonarios de boletos de paratránsito están disponibles en el mostrador de Servicio al Cliente de Marketplace Safeway en Decoto Road en Alvarado-Niles Road.

       

View Cart

Review your selections before purchasing your ticket books.

   

Rider Survey:

Please take this short survey to help us understand how the COVID-19 Pandemic is affecting you, your experience on Union City Transit or Union City Paratransit, and what we can do to improve your experience. Click HERE to participate in the survey.

General Info:

Union City Paratransit provides transportation services required under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Services are partially funded by the Measure B and BB sales tax of Alameda County.

Union City Paratransit offers ADA service within the city limits of Union City. Union City Paratransit also offers an additional non-ADA service known as Paratransit Plus. Paratransit Plus offers limited service to southern Hayward, and northern Fremont and Newark. For a map of this expanded service area, please view the Paratransit Plus (PDF). Paratransit Plus is currently suspended until further notice due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, but clients are encouraged to try the City of Fremont Ride-On Tri-City! Taxi Vouchers and Ride-Hailing Coupon program to access destinations in Fremont and Newark by clicking here for more information.

Union City Transit's main transfer points are located at the Union City BART Station and the Union Landing Transit Center.

Wheelchair Accessibility:

All Union City Paratransit vehicles are wheelchair accessible. It is recommended that wheelchairs have a working brake system.

Funding:

Union City Transit & Paratransit services are funded by a combination of passenger fares and support from federal, state, and local sources including:

• Alameda County Transportation Commission (Measure B & BB Tax Dollars)
• Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)
• Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
• California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
• Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD)
• California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES)

Measure B & BB News

• Measure B & BB Newsletter Paratransit - 2022
• Measure B & BB Newsletter Paratransit - 2021
• Measure B & BB Newsletter Paratransit - 2020

The Extra Mile Newsletter:

The Extra Mile (PDF) is a newsletter that provides tips and suggestions on how to schedule paratransit trips for medical appointments. It's a great resource, and you can read it online (PDF). The newsletter is a joint effort of the paratransit programs of Fremont, Newark and Union City.

Getting Involved:

The Accessibility Advisory Committee holds quarterly meetings to discuss accessibility issues related to Union City Transit and Paratransit. Meetings are generally held every three months and anyone is welcome to attend. Some meetings are also joint meetings with the Accessibility Advisory Committees of the Cities of Fremont and Newark as well. For more information, please call 510.675.5373.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Reasonable Modification

The Reasonable Modification regulation (Section 49 CFR Parts 27 and 37: Transportation for Individuals with Disabilities; Reasonable Modification) provides that transportation entities make reasonable modifications/accommodations to policies, practices, and procedures to ensure that services and programs are accessible to everyone including individuals with disabilities.

Union City Transit is compliant with the requirements of the ADA and will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services, and activities.

Requests for modification of Union City Transit’s policies and practices may be denied only on one or more of the following grounds:

• Granting the request would cause direct threat to the health or safety of others.
• Result in a fundamental alteration of Union City Transit’s service.
• Are not actually necessary in order for the individual with a disability to access Union City Transit’s service.
• Result in undue financial and administration burden.

You may make your request for reasonable modification:
By email: transit@unioncity.org
By phone: (510) 675.5446 or dial 711 for the California Relay Service.
By Fax: (510) 675-9885
In writing:
Civil Rights Coordinator, Union City Transit
34009 Alvarado-Niles Road
Union City, CA 94587

All reasonable modification requests will be acknowledged within three (3) business days of receipt. The resolution and response to the person who submitted a request will be made timely, within fifteen (15) working days, and the response will explain the reasons for the resolution. The response will be documented in the Reasonable Modification log. Any requests requiring more than fifteen (15) working days to resolve must be reviewed at General Manager level and documented as to why the resolution requires additional time for full resolution.

Title VI

In accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, the City of Union City adheres to a policy of non-discrimination to ensure that no person is excluded from participation in, denied benefits of, or subjected to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, with regards to Union City Transit.

Union City Transit's Title VI Program and Language Assistance Plan (LAP) can be found here.

If you feel that you have received discriminatory treatment with regards to transit services delivery, you may file a complaint with Union City Transit or the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) using the process below. You may also file a complaint with another agency or with a court.

ADA/Title VI Complaint Procedure:

Any person who believes that they have been subjected to discrimination may file a written complaint with Union City Transit. Federal and State law requires complaints be filed within one-hundred eighty (180) calendar days of the last alleged incident.

The complainant may download the complaint form by clicking this link or request the complaint form from the Civil Rights coordinator.

The complaint will include the following information: 

• Name, address, and telephone number of the complainant.
• Name, address, and telephone number of the person being discriminated against (if different from the complainant).
• The basis of the complaint (race, color, national origin, disability, other). 
• The date or dates on which the alleged discrimination took place. 
• A description of the alleged discrimination in the words of the complainant and an explanation of what happened and who is believed to be responsible. 
• Other agencies or courts where the complaint may have been filed.
• Name, address, and telephone number of the contact person at the agency/court where the complaint was filed.
• Complainant’s signature and date.

If the complainant is unable to write a complaint, the Civil Rights Coordinator will make arrangements to assist the complainant.

You may make your complaint:
By email: transit@unioncity.org
By phone: (510) 675.5446 or dial 711 for the California Relay Service.
By Fax: (510) 675-9885
In writing:
Civil Rights Coordinator, Union City Transit
34009 Alvarado-Niles Road
Union City, CA 94587

Civil Rights Investigation Procedure:

1. Union City Transit will begin an investigation within fifteen (15) working days of receipt of a complaint. 
2. Union City Transit will contact the complainant in writing no later than sixty (60) working days after receipt of complaint for additional information, if needed.  If the complainant fails to provide the requested information in a timely basis, Union City Transit may administratively close the complaint. 
3. Union City Transit will complete the investigation within ninety (90) working days of receipt of the complaint. If additional time for investigation is needed, the complainant will be contacted. A written investigation report will be prepared by the investigator.  This report shall include a summary description of the incident, findings and recommended corrective action. 
4. A closing letter will be provided to the complainant.  The respondent will also receive a copy of the closing letter. Each party will have five (5) working days from receipt of the report to appeal. If neither party appeals, the complaint will be closed.  
5. If required, the investigation report with recommendations and corrective actions taken will be forwarded to the appropriate federal agency, the complainant and the respondent.

Other Complaint Options:

Complainants also have the right to complain directly to the appropriate federal, state, or local agency and/or court.

To file a complaint with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the address is:
Federal Transit Administration
Office of Civil Rights
Attention: Complaint Team
East Building, 5th Floor – TCR
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590

Should a complaint be filed with an external entity simultaneously, the external complaint shall supersede the Union City Transit complaint and the Union City Transit’s complaint procedures will be suspended pending the external entity’s findings. Complaints must be filed within one-hundred eighty (180) calendar days of the last alleged incident.