This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.

Off-Route Service to End on Route 641 Madison to Old Saybrook

As of Sept. 1, Route 641 (the Shoreline Shuttle) will no longer offer off-route service to allow for improved on-time performance. Instead, 9-Town Transit (9TT) will offer ADA Paratransit service for people who cannot use the route due to a disability.

Also beginning Sept. 1, the Valley-Shore YMCA will be served by request on Route 641. This means there will be no need for an advance reservation, simply request to be dropped off there when boarding the bus. To be picked up at the YMCA, call 860-510-0429 at least 30 minutes in advance of the Westbrook Outlets departure time.

Door-to-Door ADA Paratransit Replaces Off-Route Service

With the arrival of new, large buses, 9TT will begin ADA paratransit service in the region in early April. This service will replace off-route service on Route 641 from Old Saybrook to Madison.

Certification requires an in-person interview and a professional verification, which can take up to 21 days. 9TT has already begun accepting applications, and encourages anyone living along Route 641 who is unable to use the route due to a disability to apply now to avoid disruption in service.

ADA paratransit is a reservation based origin-to-destination service similar to the Dial-a-Ride program. It must be booked at least one day in advance and has a 30 minute pick-up window. The cost is twice that of the equivalent fixed-route fare, currently $3.50 each way.

Unlike Dial-a-Ride, which is open to the general public, ADA Paratransit is only available to people with a disability that have gone through an application process.

ADA Paratransit offers the same hours as Route 641, making it available Monday through Friday 6:20 a.m. until 7:50 p.m. and Saturday 7:20 a.m. until 6 p.m. ADA Paratransit is only available within three-quarters of a mile of Route 641. This includes the section of 641 serving Madison. Any trip with an origin or destination beyond this area would remain a Dial-a-Ride trip.

9TT always tries to maximize the service provided by avoiding duplication. To that end, 9TT will only provide Dial-a-Ride trips that both start and end within the ADA paratransit area to customers who are 60 or over after Sept. 29.

Since the 641 route connects with CT Transit, ADA certified customers are able to use ADA paratransit west of Madison. If passengers are traveling into the CT Transit service area, 9TT will coordinate with its ADA paratransit provider, Greater New Haven Transit District, to complete the trip.

Application for ADA paratransit are available on the 9TT website estuarytransit.org for download or online submission. To receive a mailed application, call 860-510-0429 x4.