NICE Is Accessible
Customers with disabilities are welcome onboard. Our fixed-route fleet is made up of 100% low-floor, accessible vehicles. Each bus features:
The ability to "kneel," or lower closer to the curb
A fold-out ramp that forms a bridge between the bus and curb
Priority seating sections behind the driver's seat
Securement areas for mobility devices
First time riding with a disability? See details below:
⤵️ How to Ride
⤵️ Priority Seating
⤵️ Service Animals
⤵️ Visually Impaired
⤵️ Accommodations
If your disability prevents you from using the fixed route bus system, NICE's complementary paratransit service, may be an option. Tap below to learn more.
➡️ Able-Ride
How to Ride With A Disability
Wait at an official bus stop. Arrive 5 minutes before the bus is scheduled to pass by.
The bus driver will pull close to the curb. When the doors open, the route number and destination will be announced.
Get on board. You can ask the bus driver to "kneel" or tilt the bus. If you would like to use a ramp to board, ask the bus driver to deploy the ramp.
Pay your fare. As a disabled rider, you may qualify for reduced or free fares. See fares for details.
If you're not using a mobility device, take a seat in the priority seating area up front. If you have a mobility device, the bus driver will strap your mobility device to the walls to prevent it from moving when the bus is in motion. Seats at the front of the bus behind fold up to make room for this strap-in area. The bus driver will assist you before other passengers board.
You may wish to tell the driver your destination so you can be sure to get to where you're going without any problems. Stops and transfer points will be announced along the trip.
As the bus is approaching your desired stop, pull on the pull cord.
Exit the bus. The bus driver will pull close to the curb. Just as when you got on board, the bus driver will "kneel" or tilt the bus and will put down the ramp for you if necessary. If you need help getting out of the bus, please let the bus driver know.
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Priority Seating
NICE buses contain an area near the front of the vehicle that is marked as priority seating for senior citizens, pregnant women, and disabled riders. If you are one of these types of riders, you have priority over other passengers to sit in this area.
If all the seats in the priority seating area are taken, ask a non-disabled passenger to offer you a seat or ask the bus driver to make the request for you. Keep in mind, however, that bus drivers can only ask a non-disabled passenger to move from a seat. They cannot force anyone to give up a seat. The reason for this policy is because a passenger may actually have a disability that's not visible, and asking anyone to prove a disability would violate their privacy.
NICE asks that any of our passengers who are not disabled, especially those in a priority seating area, to please be courteous and offer their seat to a disabled rider who might need it.
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Service Animals
No pets are allowed on our vehicles, only service animals. The term “service animal” is defined as “Any guide animal, signal animal, or other animal individually trained to work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to, guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals with impaired hearing to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items.”
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Visually Impaired Riders
To better serve riders with visual impairments, NICE features automatic announcements of route numbers, destinations and bus stops. Service animals are permitted onboard. And the NICE Bus website is compatible with multiple screen readers for the vision impaired, including JAWS.
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Reasonable Accommodations & Modifications
The Federal Department of Transportation (DOT) has recently revised the rules for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The revised rules provide for public transit organizations to make reasonable modifications and accommodations to policies, practices, and procedures to avoid discrimination, and to ensure accessibility to individuals with disabilities.
NICE Bus Reasonable Accommodation / Modification Policy
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