CAMARILLO : City OKs Transit Plan for Disabled

The Camarillo City Council adopted a plan Wednesday to start a transit system for people with disabilities who live in the areas served by the city’s bus service.

The city approved the plan to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act and must submit it to the Federal Transit Administration by Sunday. The statute, which became law in July, 1990, guarantees equal access to public transportation for people with disabilities. The plan must be implemented within three years, but Engineering Director Dan Greeley said it would be in place within a year.

Under the law, public transportation must be provided for disabled people living within three-quarters of a mile of a bus route, it must operate in the same areas as the bus route, its fares may be no greater than twice the fixed route fares, and it must offer comparable days and hours of service.

About a dozen speakers, including senior citizens, a blind woman and a woman who has had cancer, described the need for improvements to Camarillo’s transportation system. Many called for creation of a citywide dial-a-ride service, saying it is badly needed for those who have problems making it to a bus stop.

The city plan outlines three alternatives from which officials may choose at a future public hearing, city officials said.

Under one option, the Camarillo Health Care District would provide the new system by expanding its service for medical trips, city officials said.

District Administrator Sherry Williams said officials cannot agree to participate in the new service without knowing how many people within the city might need it. The district serves Camarillo, Somis and parts of Las Posas Valley.

Under a second option, the city would provide a dial-a-ride service.

Or the city would hire a private company to provide the service, officials said. That option would pose an economic hardship for the city, officials added.